Paul Giamatti Hates Watching Himself Act

Paul Giamatti, the actor who is favored to win a Golden Globe for his role as a lovably cantankerous alcoholic in Barney’s Version, hates watching himself onscreen.

“I’m not gonna get any better if I don’t,” he explained. “And no one else is going to pick me apart–well, they will–but I want to learn so I have to pick myself apart. I think I do it in a more useful way than I used to. It used to be dismissive. I couldn’t even watch.”

When asked why he continues to act, Giamatti replied, “That’s the question! It’s complicated. When I started acting, I didn’t know I would do film as much. I did stage stuff. That was much easier because you don’t have to see yourself. One of the reasons I go back [to film] is because I want to get better at it. I really didn’t like what I saw but I kept going back because I was like, ‘Well, f–k it, I’m gonna get better at this!’

“I try not to pay too much attention to [awards]. What’s nice about it, especially with something like this, is if it means people will actually see this movie, which is such a weird, obscure Canadian-Italian movie, if the awards thing means people see it, then great. Other than that, it’s nice, but it’s weird.”