The ultimate character actor is playing the ultimate character. Paul Giamatti finally gets his first lead role and its playing the star of one of my favorite comics, Harvey Pekar's American Splendor. Giamatti first came to attention with his scene stealing turn in another bio-pic Howard Stern's Private Parts. Since then he has become one of Hollywood's leading character actors starring in Saving Private Ryan, Planet of the Apes and Storytelling.
Under first time directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, Giamatti has done an excellent job of taking all the different Harveys, real life, comic book and Letterman Harvey and turning him into one of the great roles.
Check out the website for American Splendor.
Daniel Robert Epstein: Had you heard of American Splendor before getting the script for the movie?
Paul Giamatti: Yeah I had a friend in college who was into the comics. So I read some of them then and I remember seeing him on TV. But I got the screenplay through the regular channels. They were interested in meeting me. Pretty much the standard way.
DRE: Not a lot of people have read his comics.
PG: Well my college friend reads lot of comics. I was never the fan of them he was but he tells me things to read once in while. Although it's been funny that since the movie I've run into people who read his stuff. A lot of actors.
DRE: What is that like meeting those people?
PG: The people who are fans of the comic are very excited to see the movie. I know in a very tangential the actor Matthew Broderick, who is a huge fan of these books, is incredibly excited about the movie.
DRE: In the independent comics world Harvey is revered. Did that come up at all?
PG: I didn't think about the reverence people have for him. I realized people do and would.
DRE: I loved the movie. But I felt the intellectual side of Harvey was kind of skipped over a bit though.
PG: Well that's interesting that you say that. That's obviously one of the most interesting things about him. That's one of the things that interested in me in the character. I don't think it was shortchanged but I do know what you mean. There certainly could have been more. Its there buts it's funny when I first read the screenplay I thought it was great to read a script about a guy that's an intellect. You may be right though. It's hard to get everything into these movies.
DRE: Harvey said the same thing.
PG: Something has got to suffer in a way. But to even see someone reading a book in a movie is an extraordinary thing [laughs]. He actually talks about [author Theodore] Dreiser with a woman. It is in there but I could have been more.
DRE: I thought you really got the comic book version of Harvey's mannerisms down pat. Was that from observing him in real life as well?
PG: Obviously now he's slowed down a lot. He's physically different now when you were watched him on the Letterman show. He's older, has cancer and had hip surgery. Some of it was from watching him and footage of him but the most useful thing was one of the artists who drew American Splendor, Gerry Shamray, took hundreds of pictures of him. It was almost like a handbook of Harvey's gestures. It was really great because I could look at this book and see what Harvey would do physically like the way he holds his head or the way he scratches his neck. During the name speech you saw my whole body and that was important because Harvey is such an interesting guy physically. I liked using my whole body to play Harvey.
DRE: Big Fat Liar [released in 2002] has been on television almost everyday so it's been great research. I read an interview where you said that for you restraint has been a challenging thing.
PG: Yes it is. I don't in Big Fat Liar obviously but that's the point. I guess in a lot of ways I usually get cast as these explosive loud aggressive guys. So I feel like in some ways I've lost the ability to be restrained. Its hard for me. I'm kind of big actor and I started out as a stage actor so being big is ok onstage.
I feel like I did a better job of it in American Splendor. Part of that is because Harvey is actually very comfortable in his own body in a weird way. When he was young he was a good athlete and he's still in good shape. So he's got an interesting stillness about him. I was able to see him doing it and make it a part of this character.
DRE: Did you eat with him? Does he still eat really fast?
PG: [laughs] Yeah he does. He eats really fast. Not as fast as he used to because I was watching out for that. What's funny is that after I shot the movie I met Terry Zwigoff [director of Crumb and Ghost World]. I auditioned for him and he saw that I was in American Splendor. He knew Harvey. He said that Harvey used to take two pieces of Wonder bread put a couple pieces of bologna between them, roll it up into a ball and then shove the whole thing in his mouth. I wish I had known that because I would have done that in the movie.
DRE: Does getting into Harvey depress you especially being in Cleveland?
PG: I liked Cleveland actually. I also might be a little bit of a depressive guy myself. Its not as if it feels uncomfortable. I liked playing Harvey. Some journalist asked me if it was hard playing someone so misanthropic. I said that he's not that way at all. He's pessimistic but he likes people. He's very engaged in life. In a funny it's depressing, he's neurotic and crazy but there's this incredible engagement with people.
DRE: That's obviously what David Letterman found out about him as well.
PG: Yes there's an incredible energy about him. There's a real joy taken in things even though it's under all this neurosis. He's got the intellect and this incredible curiosity.
DRE: The filmmakers are documentary makers as well. They must have been different to work with than other directors. Did they leave you alone?
PG: They left me alone. I liked working with them. I don't know whether that was their instinct or not. They were very simple and direct. I think when I first got the part the HBO people thought they needed to dye my hair and make my eyebrows look more like Harvey's. They said don't bother and that was really smart of them because that would have been really distracting to have that crap on my face.
DRE: Did you have a bit of dark makeup around your eyes?
PG: Naw I have dark shadows around my eyes [laughs]. I look like I never sleep.
DRE: So on the other movies they usually cover them up.
PG: The only thing they did was they darkened my hair when I was supposed to be younger.
DRE: This is your first lead role. Playing Harvey is such a great role for a character actor. Is this the role you've been waiting to play?
PG: It really was. A lot of the times. I'm a character actor with a family to feed. I take a lot of jobs. I enjoy my work and I've never taken something I didn't want to do but this was a role I would really liked to have played. It's a great role. For everyone one of these movies I want to do I've got to do a Big Momma's House.
DRE: Harvey himself actually narrates this film. What was that like?
PG: They shot that documentary stuff last. So in a way I completely forgot that stuff was going to be there. In the end when it all came together I was surprised at how much I worked. I had moments where I didn't think it would work the voiceover and the cartoons.
DRE: Would you do the play American Splendor?
PG: I don't know. I kind of feel like I did it and there it is. I wouldn't want to try to repeat it.
DRE: What is it like winning at Sundance for your first lead role?
PG: Its great. I really didn't know how people were going to react. Its been nice that Harvey has been there. Harvey's really into it and enjoying no matter how much he won't admit to it.
There were times when I saw him where I couldn't believe how upbeat he is.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
Under first time directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, Giamatti has done an excellent job of taking all the different Harveys, real life, comic book and Letterman Harvey and turning him into one of the great roles.
Check out the website for American Splendor.
Daniel Robert Epstein: Had you heard of American Splendor before getting the script for the movie?
Paul Giamatti: Yeah I had a friend in college who was into the comics. So I read some of them then and I remember seeing him on TV. But I got the screenplay through the regular channels. They were interested in meeting me. Pretty much the standard way.
DRE: Not a lot of people have read his comics.
PG: Well my college friend reads lot of comics. I was never the fan of them he was but he tells me things to read once in while. Although it's been funny that since the movie I've run into people who read his stuff. A lot of actors.
DRE: What is that like meeting those people?
PG: The people who are fans of the comic are very excited to see the movie. I know in a very tangential the actor Matthew Broderick, who is a huge fan of these books, is incredibly excited about the movie.
DRE: In the independent comics world Harvey is revered. Did that come up at all?
PG: I didn't think about the reverence people have for him. I realized people do and would.
DRE: I loved the movie. But I felt the intellectual side of Harvey was kind of skipped over a bit though.
PG: Well that's interesting that you say that. That's obviously one of the most interesting things about him. That's one of the things that interested in me in the character. I don't think it was shortchanged but I do know what you mean. There certainly could have been more. Its there buts it's funny when I first read the screenplay I thought it was great to read a script about a guy that's an intellect. You may be right though. It's hard to get everything into these movies.
DRE: Harvey said the same thing.
PG: Something has got to suffer in a way. But to even see someone reading a book in a movie is an extraordinary thing [laughs]. He actually talks about [author Theodore] Dreiser with a woman. It is in there but I could have been more.
DRE: I thought you really got the comic book version of Harvey's mannerisms down pat. Was that from observing him in real life as well?
PG: Obviously now he's slowed down a lot. He's physically different now when you were watched him on the Letterman show. He's older, has cancer and had hip surgery. Some of it was from watching him and footage of him but the most useful thing was one of the artists who drew American Splendor, Gerry Shamray, took hundreds of pictures of him. It was almost like a handbook of Harvey's gestures. It was really great because I could look at this book and see what Harvey would do physically like the way he holds his head or the way he scratches his neck. During the name speech you saw my whole body and that was important because Harvey is such an interesting guy physically. I liked using my whole body to play Harvey.
DRE: Big Fat Liar [released in 2002] has been on television almost everyday so it's been great research. I read an interview where you said that for you restraint has been a challenging thing.
PG: Yes it is. I don't in Big Fat Liar obviously but that's the point. I guess in a lot of ways I usually get cast as these explosive loud aggressive guys. So I feel like in some ways I've lost the ability to be restrained. Its hard for me. I'm kind of big actor and I started out as a stage actor so being big is ok onstage.
I feel like I did a better job of it in American Splendor. Part of that is because Harvey is actually very comfortable in his own body in a weird way. When he was young he was a good athlete and he's still in good shape. So he's got an interesting stillness about him. I was able to see him doing it and make it a part of this character.
DRE: Did you eat with him? Does he still eat really fast?
PG: [laughs] Yeah he does. He eats really fast. Not as fast as he used to because I was watching out for that. What's funny is that after I shot the movie I met Terry Zwigoff [director of Crumb and Ghost World]. I auditioned for him and he saw that I was in American Splendor. He knew Harvey. He said that Harvey used to take two pieces of Wonder bread put a couple pieces of bologna between them, roll it up into a ball and then shove the whole thing in his mouth. I wish I had known that because I would have done that in the movie.
DRE: Does getting into Harvey depress you especially being in Cleveland?
PG: I liked Cleveland actually. I also might be a little bit of a depressive guy myself. Its not as if it feels uncomfortable. I liked playing Harvey. Some journalist asked me if it was hard playing someone so misanthropic. I said that he's not that way at all. He's pessimistic but he likes people. He's very engaged in life. In a funny it's depressing, he's neurotic and crazy but there's this incredible engagement with people.
DRE: That's obviously what David Letterman found out about him as well.
PG: Yes there's an incredible energy about him. There's a real joy taken in things even though it's under all this neurosis. He's got the intellect and this incredible curiosity.
DRE: The filmmakers are documentary makers as well. They must have been different to work with than other directors. Did they leave you alone?
PG: They left me alone. I liked working with them. I don't know whether that was their instinct or not. They were very simple and direct. I think when I first got the part the HBO people thought they needed to dye my hair and make my eyebrows look more like Harvey's. They said don't bother and that was really smart of them because that would have been really distracting to have that crap on my face.
DRE: Did you have a bit of dark makeup around your eyes?
PG: Naw I have dark shadows around my eyes [laughs]. I look like I never sleep.
DRE: So on the other movies they usually cover them up.
PG: The only thing they did was they darkened my hair when I was supposed to be younger.
DRE: This is your first lead role. Playing Harvey is such a great role for a character actor. Is this the role you've been waiting to play?
PG: It really was. A lot of the times. I'm a character actor with a family to feed. I take a lot of jobs. I enjoy my work and I've never taken something I didn't want to do but this was a role I would really liked to have played. It's a great role. For everyone one of these movies I want to do I've got to do a Big Momma's House.
DRE: Harvey himself actually narrates this film. What was that like?
PG: They shot that documentary stuff last. So in a way I completely forgot that stuff was going to be there. In the end when it all came together I was surprised at how much I worked. I had moments where I didn't think it would work the voiceover and the cartoons.
DRE: Would you do the play American Splendor?
PG: I don't know. I kind of feel like I did it and there it is. I wouldn't want to try to repeat it.
DRE: What is it like winning at Sundance for your first lead role?
PG: Its great. I really didn't know how people were going to react. Its been nice that Harvey has been there. Harvey's really into it and enjoying no matter how much he won't admit to it.
There were times when I saw him where I couldn't believe how upbeat he is.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
VIEW 14 of 14 COMMENTS
damaja:
The one thing I will always remember the most about Paul is one little line from the Howard Stern movie: 'W-Ennnnnnnnn-B-C" After that, I became a fan.
drnecessitor:
Just saw "American Splendor" tonight...Paul is brilliant in it...he's great in everything I've seen him in. Did anyone else see him in "If These Walls Could Talk 2?"