Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti embodies the everyman as he actually is. Rather than presenting an idealized version as a Brad Pitt or a Jon Hamm might, Giamatti plays the authentic version: the schlubby, balding, nervous-looking middle-aged man. Trained at the Yale School of Drama, Giamatti started off in supporting roles but broke out with his star turn as Harvey Pekar in American Splendor. He then won mainstream acclaim in Sideways with his portrayal of a depressed writer who self-medicated with endless bottles of pinot noir. Giamatti has the acting chops of a leading man, but the mentality of a character actor. Whether he is playing a broken man down on his luck or the former President John Adams, Giamatti brings the same human, empathetic qualities to each role.