Paul Giamatti has enjoyed an illustrious career in Hollywood, starring in everything from family-friendly fluff (Big Fat Liar stans, rise) to bonafide Oscar favorites (like 12 Years A Slave). The beloved actor’s work in both films and television has earned him some 19 nominations from major awards bodies like the BAFTAs, the Emmys, and the Golden Globes, but he undoubtedly has his sights set on Oscar glory at the upcoming 96th Academy Awards.
Giamatti is nominated in the Best Actor category for his starring role in Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, a film that received nods for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, among others. Giamatti has his work cut out for him, though, competing in the Best Actor race against favorite Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) and strong contenders like Bradley Cooper (Maestro) and Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction).
In anticipation of his race for Best Actor at the Academy Awards, we’re looking back at just how many Oscar nominations Paul Giamatti has.
How many Oscar nominations does Paul Giamatti have?
Despite his illustrious career and longtime history with awards bodies like SAG, the Emmys and the Golden Globes, Paul Giamatti only has two Oscar nominations — dmittedly nothing to scoff at. The actor’s first Academy Award nod came in 2006, when he was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role as Joe Gould in Ron Howard’s biographical sports film, Cinderella Man.
The film itself was well-represented at the Oscars that year, also collecting nods for Best Film Editing and Best Makeup, but Giamatti’s chances were always a little slim. The actor ultimately lost out to George Clooney, who took home the Best Supporting Actor trophy for his role in Syriana. Also nominated in the same category that year was Matt Dillon (Crash), Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain and William Hurt (A History of Violence).
Which brings us to 2024, when Giamatti earned his second — and so far final — Oscar nomination for Best Actor for The Holdovers. Murphy is considered the frontrunner, having mostly swept the awards circuit with Best Actor wins at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes and SAG Awards for his titular role in Oppenheimer. Giamatti and Murphy will be vying for the trophy alongside Wright, Cooper and Colman Domingo, the last of whom is nominated for his role in Rustin.
Those hoping for a Giamatti win shouldn’t fret just yet, as stranger things have happened at the Oscars. Heck, Crash won the award for Best Picture the same year as Giamatti’s first nomination — much to everyone’s shock and bewilderment — and we all know what happened with the La La Land debacle. Here’s hoping, Paul!