Beyond The 2025 Snub: This Paul Giamatti Emmy-Winning Role Remains a Masterclass

Before this year’s snub, Paul Giamatti once delivered a powerhouse Emmy-winning performance in a critically acclaimed series that remains unforgettable.

- July 19, 2025 | 11:00 AM IST

Missed in 2025, But Never Forgotten: Paul Giamatti’s Brilliant Turn in John Adams — Paul Giamatti’s Emmy-Winning Role in John Adams Still Stands Tall After 2025 Snub (Photo Credit – HBO)

Oscar-nominated actor Paul Giamatti has given several powerful performances throughout his career. The list includes Sideways (2004), Cinderella Man (2005), 12 Years a Slave (2013), and The Holdovers (2023), to name a few. Earlier this year, he gave an emotional, subtle, and compelling performance in the Black Mirror episode titled Eulogy. Yet, it was overlooked for this year’s Emmys.

Eulogy is one of the best Black Mirror episodes I’ve seen in years. Paul Giamatti gives a breathtaking Emmy-worthy performance as an emotionally wounded man coming to terms with the woman he used to love. Such a beautiful story, with an ending that left me in tears. Brilliant. pic.twitter.com/w1X3WmIliz

— Brian Rowe (@mrbrianrowe) June 15, 2025

Interestingly, there’s one critically acclaimed series that earned Paul Giamatti his first and only Emmy win. We are talking about the 2008 historical drama John Adams. Here’s what the series is about and where you can stream it.

John Adams – Plot & Cast

Directed by Tom Hooper, the HBO miniseries is adapted from David McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography. It follows the extraordinary life of John Adams (played by Paul Giamatti), a Founding Father and the second President of the United States.

The series explores key events in his life, including the Boston Massacre of 1770, his time as an ambassador in Europe, his tenure as the U.S. Vice-President and President, and his death in 1826. The ensemble cast includes Laura Linney, Stephen Dillane, David Morse, Tom Wilkinson, Danny Huston, Rufus Sewell, Justin Theroux, and Guy Henry.

John Adams – Critical Response & Audience Rating

The series holds an 82% critics’ score and an 87% audience score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s critics’ consensus reads, “Elegantly shot and relatively educational, John Adams is a worthy addition to the genre — though its casting leaves something to be desired.” On IMDb, it has a solid user rating of 8.4/10. John Adams won four Golden Globe awards and thirteen Emmy awards, among numerous other accolades.

Where to Watch John Adams

The seven-episode miniseries is currently available to stream in India on Jio Hotstar. In the U.S., it is streaming on HBO Max and other digital platforms. Each episode has a runtime of approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.

John Adams Trailer

You can watch the official trailer of John Adams here for a glimpse of Paul Giamatti in the lead role, along with the show’s plot and its historical setting.