Paul Giamatti’s Oscars 2024 Nomination Breaks A Surprising 18-Year Streak

While Paul Giamatti is consistently viewed as a strong screen performer, the star’s Best Actor nomination for The Holdovers marks his first Oscars recognition in 18 years. Sometimes, even the most prolific and talented actors aren’t recognized by the Academy. As shocking as it might seem, stars like Jim Carrey, Tom Cruise, Edward Norton, and Glenn Close have no acting Oscars as of 2024 despite all of these actors having multi-decade careers featuring numerous performances that were worthy of recognition. As such, it shouldn’t be shocking for readers to discover that one of 2024’s Best Actor nominees has been historically snubbed.

Paul Giamatti has been a leading man and supporting star in over 80 movies across more than 30 years. Many of Giamatti’s best movies could have earned him an Oscar, from the uniquely quirky tragicomedy American Splendor to his supporting role in 12 Years A Slave. Indeed, Giamatti won a Primetime Emmy for his role in 2008’s John Adams and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for 2005’s boxing biopic Cinderella Man. However, the star went 18 years without receiving an Oscar nomination after that role, during which time various great performances of his flew under the radar.

Paul Giamatti’s Oscars 2024 Nomination Is His First In 18 Years

Paul Giamatti’s 2024 Best Actor Oscar nomination is for his role in Alexander Payne’s dramedy The Holdovers. In this critically acclaimed comedy, Giamatti plays a misanthropic teacher who is left to look after boarding school students who don’t return home for Christmas break. While many of 2024’s Oscar nominations were surprising, Giamatti’s nomination was particularly unexpected as this is only the actor’s second nomination in his entire career. Giamatti appeared in everything from Donnie Brasco to Saving Private Ryan before he was finally nominated for Cinderella Man, although his most egregious snub came only a year earlier.

2005’s Sideways made the prolific Giamatti into a household name but failed to net him an Oscar nomination. This came as a surprise in 2004 as the dramedy was viewed as one of the year’s best movies. Interestingly enough, Sideways also saw Giamatti play a depressed teacher in a comedy-drama directed by Alexander Payne, although this movie focused on an ill-fated road trip between Giamatti’s character and his boorish old acquaintance. Giamatti’s role in The Holdovers sees him play a slightly less embittered character, although both roles see the actor embody a mean-spirited grouch who gradually defrosts.

Will Paul Giamatti Win The Best Actor Oscar For The Holdovers?

While there are five actors nominated for Best Actor in 2024, Giamatti and Oppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy seem like the candidates most likely to succeed. Colman Domingo’s role in Rustin was singled out for praise, but the movie itself failed to make much of a splash. Bradley Cooper’s performance in Maestro earned as much criticism as it did praise, while Jeffrey Wright’s lead role in American Fiction was overshadowed by the movie’s middling reviews. As such, Paul Giamatti may finally earn overdue recognition at 2024’s Oscars provided The Holdovers can triumph over its bigger blockbuster competitor when it comes to acting categories.