Giamatti says his latest movie, filmed at various prep schools in Massachusetts and directed by Alexander Payne, triggered memories of the time he spent as a day student at a private school. He spoke with Sam Briger about his reunion with Payne after 20 years, Billions, and what he loves about acting. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
On the Ted radio hour, linguist Ann Curzan says she gets a lot of complaints about people using the pronoun they to refer to one person.
I sometimes get into arguments with people where they will say to me, but it can't be singular.
And I will say, but it is the history behind words causing a lot of debate.
That's on the Ted radio hour from NPR.
This is FRESH AIR.
I'm Terry Gross.
Our guest, Paul Giamatti stars on the film the Holdovers, which is on many critics lists of 2020 three's best movies.
His performance just won him a Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy film.
Our producer, Sam Brigger, spoke with Giamatti before the awards ceremony about the movie and his career.
Here's Sam in the Holdovers.
Paul Giamatti plays a pompous and lonely classics professor named Paul Hunnam at a New England boarding school for boys in 1970.
He's almost universally disliked by other faculty members and by students because of his impossibly high academic standards and merciless grading.
The students also mock him behind his back because he has a lazy eye and bad body odor.
The body odor is uncontrollable, the result of a rare disease commonly known as fish odor syndrome.
But he doesn't do himself any favors in the way he treats his students, as he does here in this scene, handing out his students graded final exams.
I can tell by your faces that many of you are shocked at the outcome.
I, on the other hand, am not, because I have had the misfortune of teaching you this semester.
And even with my ocular limitations, I witness firsthand your glazed, uncomprehending expressions.
Sir, I don't understand.
That's glaringly apparent.