You Better Watch Out For Paul Giamatti
Oscar-nominee Paul Giamatti (“The Cinderella Man,” “Sideways”) plays the adorable Nicholas Claus aka Santa, in Warner Bros.’ uproariously funny holiday comedy “Fred Claus.”
In the film, Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) has lived his entire life in his brother’s very large shadow. Fred tried, but could hardly live up to the example set by the younger Nicholas (Giamatti), who was just a perfect...well...saint. True to form, Nicholas grew up to be the model of giving, while Fred became the polar opposite: a fast-talking repo man who’s run out of luck and money. Over Mrs. Claus’ objections, Nicholas agrees to help his brother on one condition: that he come to the North Pole and earn the money he needs by working in Santa’s Toy Shop. The trouble is that Fred isn’t exactly elf material and, with Christmas fast approaching, Fred could jeopardize the jolliest holiday of the year.
Giamatti was director David Dobkin’s original vision for the role of Nick “Santa” Claus. The director notes, “I wanted our Santa Claus to be very real; he is everyman with real pain and real troubles.” Acknowledging that Giamatti is perhaps better known for his dramatic roles, Dobkin says, “Paul is not someone you would immediately imagine as the big and jolly character that is Santa Claus. But Paul brought his wit, intelligence and warmth to the character, as well as an incredible sense of vulnerability that I really wanted Santa to have.”
“Casting Paul as Santa was one of David’s strokes of brilliance,” offers producer Jessie Nelson. “Paul completely humanized Santa; he brought such a sense of soulfulness and world-weariness to the character, which made the character so much more real and complex.”
Giamatti recalls, “When I read the script I thought it was very original, very funny and completely relatable. Santa Claus’s family is a regular family who just happens to live in the North Pole among hundreds of elves. Besides that—and having a really stressful job—Santa is pretty much a regular guy.”
Vaughn’s comedic sensibility and Giamatti’s dramatic style mirrored the disparity between their characters. “Vince’s character is a city slicker kind of guy, so I thought it’d be funny if I played my character as more downbeat—maybe not the brightest bulb on the tree, but a very nice guy,” says Giamatti. “Santa would always be fumbling along trying to keep up with Fred, which I think is a nice, playful contrast.”
Vaughn offers, “I’ve always been a fan of Paul’s work, so it was a real treat to work with him. He’s a great dramatic actor, but he’s also very funny in a dry, deadpan kind of way.”
Working opposite Vaughn, Giamatti admired his rapid-fire improvisational style. “Comedy guys like Vince really amaze me,” he says. “They have such confidence and conviction in what they’re doing. It is truly impressive to watch and so much fun to work with.”
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