Paul Giamatti weighs the pros and cons of playing heroes and villains

Paul Giamatti at the New York City press junket for "The Last Station"

Paul Giamatti is he first to admit that he likes to play unlikable or ambitious characters that often lack a sense of humor. But in real life, the Giamatti is self-deprecating, funny, and immensely likable. The highly respected actor has been recognized for many numerous awards — including being nominated for an Oscar (for "Sideways") and winning an Emmy for starring in the "John Adams" miniseries — and he continues to give standout performances, even if the character he plays may be loathsome.

In "The Last Station," Giamatti plays Vladimir Chertkov, the conniving advisor to Russian writer/cultural icon Leo Tolstoy (played by Christopher Plummer). Chertkov wants Tolstoy’s works to become public domain after his death, but Tolstoy’s wife, Sofya (played by Helen Mirren), is bitterly opposed to the idea and wants ownership of her husband’s works to remain in their family. At the New York City press junket for "The Last Station," I had a great conversation with Giamatti, who opened up about his penchant for playing morally vague people; his "bizarre" experience visiting Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.; and his most memorable award-show moment. (It’s not what you may think.)

Have you ever wanted someone to be your mentor, the way Vladimir Chertkov wanted Leo Tolstoy to be his mentor?

For whatever reason, constitutionally, I’m really skeptical about that kind of thing. Something about me won’t allow me to get totally enthralled by somebody like that. I have a natural tendency to start seeing everybody’s flaws right away. I never had a mentor like [Leo Tolstoy], and I think I naturally shy away from having to. There are people I’ve observed in my life who have been wonderful to watch as actors that I’ve learned from, but I’m skeptical of getting too worshipful of somebody.

Paul Giamatti and Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station"

Do you think Vladimir Chertkov is more a villain or someone who is a capable of doing the right things?

I think both. I think the character is interesting. If there’s a bad guy in ["The Last Station" movie], he’s the bad guy. He’s motivated, theory, by good things. He’s trying to do something good. He believes in what he’s doing. He’s just got other complicating factors going on and questionable motivations and questionable methods of going about doing what he’s doing. So hopefully, he’s kind of an ambiguous character that people can’t quite figure out what’s really going on.

You’ve played a lot of ambiguous characters. Is that something you intentionally seek out or is it just a coincidence?

I’ve played a lot of ambiguous [characters]. I definitely get a lot of these guys where you can’t tell what’s up with them. I just did this movie called "Barney’s Version" in Canada, with Dustin Hoffman, and it’s basically 30 years of this guy’s life and [my character in "Barney’s Version"] is an absolute sh*t heel in a lot of ways, and he may or may not murder somebody in the course of [the movie]. And yet you’re really supposed to sympathize with this guy, and hopefully you actually do.

I like doing that kind of thing. I don’t want it to be comfortable for people. I want people to have a problem with something, which is probably not the greatest thing in the world as an actor to want to do — make people uncomfortable — but I tend to think it can be interesting. He’s an uncomfortable person, too.

Paul Giamatti and James McAvoy in "The Last Station"

Did you ever get to a point where you become too familiar with your characters and it becomes uncomfortable for you?

That’s a problem, yeah. That’s interesting, because I can start to bite too much into my own [thing] and become a schtick after a while. You don’t want that to happen. I’m happy to play these parts. I don’t want to get too comfortable. No, I don’t think that’s a good thing, to get too complacent about it.

What’s gotten easier or harder for you as an actor since you first started in this business?

Mostly it’s gotten easier. Professionally, things have gotten easier for me. The work’s gotten challenging in different ways. I started playing the leads in things, which I’d never done before. That was an adjustment, especially in film. I’d not done that very often, even in theater. To a certain degree, things got more challenging, but in a lot of ways, I have more choice, I make more money, and that’s all gotten easier. To some extent, having to deal with people recognizing me was hard, because it was a surprise. It wasn’t something I was all that keen to have, but it’s OK. That was a little strange for a while, but it’s all right. You live with it.

Speaking of leading roles, have you ever wanted to play a superhero?

I’d love to do a superhero [role], but I’m not sure what superhero I could play. I remember, actually, when they were first doing the "Fantastic Four" movie, somebody actually said to me, "You know, your name came up to play The Thing." And I was like, "That would be awesome! I would love to play The Thing!" But it didn’t happen. That would’ve been a good one to play. Sure, I’d love to do something like that. I’m just not sure what superhero I’d get to play … I suppose if I would be in one of those [superhero movies], I’d be one of the bad guys, which would be fun. Those super villain guys are probably more likely for me to do than the superhero.

Paul Giamatti at the New York City premiere of "The Last Station"

Do you get any offers to do theater?

I get them occasionally, but it’s an easier life, the film thing. As hard as it can be, it’s an easier life. It’s a bigger, tougher, investment — theater — and maybe I’m getting lazy. I definitely think about some of them [theater productions], but there’s nothing worse than being in a not-great play. It’s much harder than being in a not-great movie. I’m just worried that [any play I do] is not going to be great.

You go out in new plays … I probably want to do something that’s a little bit more tried and true. It’s probably cowardly of me but I’d do something that’s more tested in some ways. It’s just hard. It’s a bigger investment of time and energy. I think I’m getting lazy. But I would do [a play] if it [were] the right thing. I don’t know what it is.

Vladimir Chertkov is very unlikable in "The Last Station," so what did you like about this character?

That he was unlikable. And that he doesn’t care that much whether he’s unlikable or not. No, well, maybe he does. I don’t know if there was much to like about him. What was fun was being such an uptight hypocrite. Well, not a hypocrite, but being so starchy and stuffy. Things like that were fun to do. It was more of the idea of the character and the piece that were more interesting to me, him being the sort of the bad guy, him being ambiguous. That’s what was interesting about it.

What did you like the most about "The Last Station" script?

It was a well-written character on the page. Quite frankly, you read it, and thought there were scenes that go on for a while, where people actually talk. Somebody asked me today if I had read the novel ["The Last Station"], but I actually hadn’t read the novel. So I didn’t know the novel.

James McAvoy and Paul Giamatti in "The Last Station"

Did you read any of Tolstoy’s work before doing "The Last Station"?

I had read Tolstoy, and I liked it a lot, which is also something that was interesting to me. It was just appealing to me to be in something about him. I do like his writing.

Did you ever read "War and Peace"?

I actually read it. I had to read it in college. I had to do it quickly. I actually did it. It only took a couple of weeks. And it was college, so I had to get it done. And I was interested in getting it done. I didn’t usually read what I was supposed to read. I never read "Anna Karenina," but I’ve read some of the shorter stuff.

What do remember about your impressions of "War and Peace"?

I remember feeling surprised at how accessible it was. I remember thinking, "This isn’t hard to read at all." It’s very forward. It’s long: That’s the only thing that’s daunting about it. When you actually read it, it’s like a soap opera. You get attached to these characters. It’s not pretentious or above your head at all. It’s incredibly accessible. That’s what I remember thinking about it.

Helen Mirren and Paul Giamatti in "The Last Station"

How was it working with Helen Mirren?

She was great. You walk in thinking these people are going to be intimidating or something, but she’s not. You’re so wrapped up in trying to figure things out and not screw up, and then you realize she’s doing the same thing. She’s really good at, but everybody is just an actor. Nobody was a diva or anything. It felt very much like an ensemble.

It was fun in the scenes, because I think [Vladimir Chertkov] is afraid of her, so that was kind of a fun element. She kind of scares the sh*t out of him, because she’s so nuts. God knows what she’s going to do. It was fun doing those things with her.

Is there a possibility you’ll do more TV work? Would you consider a guest appearance on "Law & Order"?

Sure! I’ve never been on "Law & Order."

And Martin Scorsese has a new TV series called "Boardwalk Empire" for HBO.

Really? The HBO stuff is great. I’ve done a bunch of things for them. But "Law & Order," all I wanted to do was get a job on "Law & Order." I think I’m probably the only New York actor who hasn’t been on "Law & Order." I don’t actually exist, because I’ve never been on "Law & Order." It’s insane! I was like, "Why the f*ck can’t I be on ‘Law & Order’?" I never got on "Law & Order," so I’d love to do "Law & Order" now. My sense is I’d probably be a bad guy or an ambiguous figure. I don’t think I’d be a good guy.

Paul Giamatti in "John Adams"

How long did it take you do the "John Adams" miniseries?

About six or seven months. We shot in Virginia and Hungary. About four months was in Virginia and two months was in Hungary. It was a tough job, but it was fun to do.

As someone who lives in New York City, where there are so many things to do, where do you like to hang out?

I hang out at home. I live in Brooklyn. It’s a pretty calm neighborhood over there. I don’t do a whole lot of hopping around. I’m pretty much a stay-at-home kind of guy. Seriously. Boring. I hang out with my kid. I spend as much time as I can with my son.

Leo Tolstoy led a very chaotic personal life. A lot of people think the best artists had tortured private lives. Do you think you have to "suffer for your art"? Or do you think it’s possible to create the best art when your personal life is happy and harmonious?

That’s a really good question. I’d like to think that you don’t have to suffer for it. And I think for a time, when I was younger, [I thought] you were supposed to [suffer for your art]. I don’t know. It’s a hard question to answer. You don’t want to become complacent, but I don’t know if you have to kill yourself to do things. I think there’s some way …

One of those French writers said, "Be the perfect middle-class man in your life, but be crazy in your art" … It’s the idea that the place to go crazy is when you’re working. And just try to keep your sh*t together otherwise. There’s some kind of balance.

Paul Giamatti at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah

Speaking of balance and multitasking, what projects do you want to do as a writer, producer or director?

There are lots of things. I don’t know if I want to be a director. It would be nice someday, but it’s beyond me right now. I definitely have things I’m trying to get done. There’s a movie I’ve been trying to get done for a couple of years called "Bubba Nosferatu," which is the sequel to a horror movie, a very cult-y movie called "Bubba Ho-tep." It’s so cult-y that it’s hard to get made. ["Bubba Ho-tep"] is a great movie, but it’s very odd. And it’s hard to get this ["Bubba Nosferatu"] done, but there are things like that that I like. And there’s a lot of sort of genre stuff that I like.

Would you be in "Bubba Nosferatu"?

I would be in it. It’s about Elvis [Presley]. I would play Colonel Tom Parker, his manager. It’s a great script. Hopefully, that will get made.

Will "Bubba Nosferatu" be in the same tone as "Bubba Ho-tep"?

Yes, it’s even weirder, and that’s part of the problem. It’s more out-there than ["Bubba Ho-tep"] is. It’s really great though.

Paul Giamatti at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah

Which actor do you want for the Elvis role in "Bubba Nosferatu"?

We were talking to Ron Perlman to play Elvis. Bruce Campbell played Elvis [in "Bubba Ho-tep"], but I don’t think he wants to do it.

Bruce Campbell is probably too busy with "Burn Notice."

Yeah, I think he probably is. Bruce Campbell is great, and Ron Perlman is too.

Have you been offered a starring role in a TV series — not a miniseries?

No, not in a long time. I just somehow managed not to do a lot of TV stuff. I don’t know what it was. It just didn’t happen. I can’t really think of many times when I’ve been offered a series. Just "John Adams."

Paul Giamatti, U.S. Representative John Boehner, Tom Hanks and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., 2008

"John Adams" premiered on TV during the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, and you and "John Adams" executive producer Tom Hanks visited Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. that year. What was that experience like?

They showed ["John Adams"] in some screening room in Congress. It was really bizarre. It was weird. There were lots of offers to do political things, and I just thought it was weird. I wasn’t interested in doing it, because I just want to keep my political life to myself. But it was odd, because people wanted me to show up and do these things and I was like, "I just played a president. I’m not actually the president!" It was so odd the way people acted about that. It’s just a part I play.

"I’m not President John Adams. I just played him on TV."

[He laughs.] It was very peculiar. Nancy Pelosi, shouldn’t you be doing something more important? I couldn’t believe those guys [in Congress] sitting around there. "Shouldn’t you guys be doing something else?" It was just weird. It was also fascinating. They [Congress people] all smoke, which was really interesting to learn. They all sit in their offices smoking.

Nancy Pelosi supposedly keeps a whole stash of candy in her office.

[He says jokingly] Yeah, candy and booze. It was really weird. [I was thinking], "I shouldn’t be taking up your time doing this! You guys should be doing something important!" The whole thing was weird. It was fascinating.

Tom Hanks and Paul Giamatti at a "John Adams" screening in New York City, 2008

What are some things about Tom Hanks that would surprise people who haven’t had a chance to meet him?

He’s really big. I was really surprised by that. He’s really tall. I had no idea how tall he is. I was most surprised by that. He’s also a really serious guy. He’s a nice guy, but he’s not always cutting up and stuff like that. He’s a big guy! He doesn’t look that big on film.

Was there anything funny that happened on "The Last Station" set?

I don’t think it’s anything I can repeat. We all drank a lot on this thing, so we were hung over a lot. I don’t remember anything in particular.

[Says jokingly] Nancy Pelosi might be jealous, because it sounds like you guys party harder than she does. She might want in on some of your action. So besides "Bubba Nosferatu," what else are you interested in doing?

I don’t know. I never know what I’m going to be interested in doing until it comes along. I’ve never been somebody who’s been like, "I have to play whatever." I’ve never had that kind of killing desire, like "I must play so-and-so." Part of the reason why I like [acting] for a living is I don’t know what I’m going to do next. It’ll be something completely unexpected.

There was a script floating around for a while about Napoleon, about his exile. I don’t know if they’re still talking about it. They wanted me to play Napoleon. It’s a great script. It’s comedic, too. It’s a British movie; it’s a British script. I thought, "Well, that would be fun to play Napoleon when he’s in decline."

Paul Giamatti at the 2008 Emmy Awards

It’s awards-show season, and you’ve been to pretty much every major award show for actors. What are some interesting stories or highlights you can share from those experiences?

The only thing that leaps to mind — and I can’t remember what award show it was at — is Gary Busey.

Did you understand what he was saying?

No. No, really, honest to God, I didn’t. He started barking and sh*t at me. I had no idea what he was talking about. I’m not trashing the guy. He’s a nice guy, but I had no f*cking idea what he was talking about. He started barking. That’s all I remember. But people [at those award shows] are pretty much on their best behavior. They don’t bark. Gary Busey barks, but other than that, they [award shows] feel like sales meetings. They’re like conventions. I’m sure there’s a lot more that goes on than people are aware of. I tend to just show up and try to go home. They’re kind of overwhelming events.

Has Kevin Spacey ever asked you to do any theater in London?

Yes, he has. I’ve been tempted to do things. I can’t really remember what he’s offered me. He’s very nice in trying to get me over there. I would love to. It’s a big commitment. I’m always a little wary about it. Maybe I shouldn’t be. It’s usually over at the Old Vic, is what he’s offered me. I don’t know what it is that makes me reluctant to do it. I may be a little afraid to go on stage … It’s been a long time, and I feel a little rough around the edges. If the right thing came along, I would do it.