Paul Giamatti | Fools Out For Summer

Summary

Episode Summary: Paul Giamatti | Fools Out For Summer

Podcast Information

• Title: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert
• Host: CBS
• Episode: Paul Giamatti | Fools Out For Summer
• Release Date: May 23, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert, host Stephen Colbert welcomes the Emmy Award-winning actor Paul Giamatti. Known for his compelling performances in Sideways, Billions, and The Holdovers, Giamatti joins Colbert to discuss his latest work, insights into the entertainment industry, and delve into the technological themes portrayed in the new season of Black Mirror.

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Stephen Colbert's Opening Monologue (00:31 – 03:31)

Stephen Colbert sets the tone with his signature blend of humor and current events commentary. He begins by celebrating the arrival of summer and Memorial Day, highlighting the surge in travel with over 45 million Americans expected to hit the roads:

"Shotgun this year is expected to break travel records with more than 45 million Americans expected to hit the road." (01:15)

Colbert humorously addresses the potential travel chaos, referencing longer lines at service areas and flight delays due to air traffic control issues:

"They are all in line ahead of you at the bathroom for the 995. James Fenimore Cooper Service area." (02:05)

He transitions to political satire, mocking former President Trump's attempts to influence the Kennedy Center's programming:

"Trump continues to be obsessed with getting rid of what he calls woke programming down at the Kennedy Center." (04:07)

Colbert also teases upcoming segments, including a playful jab at Vice President J.D. Vance's comments on dating apps and a fictional portrayal of Judge Jeanine Pirro's office antics.

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Introducing Paul Giamatti (14:16 – 14:44)

As the episode progresses, Stephen transitions to introduce his guest, Paul Giamatti:

"My guest tonight is an Emmy award-winning actor… Please welcome back to The Late Show, Mr. Paul Giamatti." (14:16)

Paul enters with a humorous exchange about his appearance, showcasing his shaved head and beard, which Colbert teases as fitting for a "cult leader."

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Paul Giamatti's Career Highlights and Anecdotes (14:44 – 17:38)

The conversation shifts to Giamatti's diverse acting roles. He reflects on his past appearances, including his work on Star Trek and Planet of the Apes. A memorable moment is his amusing story about finally securing a call from Cher after years of trying:

"She appreciates being called a white whale. She called, and I talked to her for about a half an hour. Lovely woman." (16:56)

Colbert playfully suggests that Giamatti's agent might have placed him in the witness relocation program due to his newfound fame from fan interactions.

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Deep Dive into Black Mirror and Technological Themes (21:35 – 27:30)

A significant portion of the episode centers around Giamatti’s role in the latest season of Black Mirror, specifically the episode titled "Eulogy." Giamatti describes the episode's premise:

"It's about a technology that's invented that uses people's memories to build sort of memorial services for people who have died… you can move into photographs, old photographs." (24:24)

The discussion explores the haunting nature of the technology depicted in the show, with Colbert and Giamatti pondering the future implications of AI and memory manipulation:

"I'm on the fence, too, because I don't know what it's gonna become. It could be something very good… Right now, it's scary and weird." (26:42)

Giamatti elaborates on the ethical and emotional complexities introduced by such technologies, reflecting the show's signature contemplative tone.

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Exploring Fan Art and Personal Interests (28:02 – 30:05)

Stephen shifts the conversation to discuss Paul's appreciation for fan art. Giamatti shares his delight in receiving portraits from admirers:

"I have been receiving these lovely artists' paintings. It's beautiful." (28:04)

Colbert humorously comments on the nature of the fan art, highlighting a stylized portrait where Giamatti is depicted holding an oversized Oscar equivalent:

"I just love this one. How big is this award? The shoe is really, really big, that one." (29:05)

Paul expresses both amusement and modesty about the artworks, contemplating the idea of hanging them around his home, likening it to a "crazy dictator" having portraits everywhere.

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Closing Remarks and Future Content (30:05 – End)

As the episode winds down, Colbert thanks Paul Giamatti for his time and insightful conversation. They briefly joke about future appearances and the enduring popularity of Giamatti’s performances. The episode concludes with promotional segments, but these are outside the scope of the content-focused summary.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Stephen Colbert: "Shotgun this year is expected to break travel records with more than 45 million Americans expected to hit the road." (01:15)

• Stephen Colbert: "Trump continues to be obsessed with getting rid of what he calls woke programming down at the Kennedy Center." (04:07)

• Paul Giamatti: "She called, and I talked to her for about a half an hour. Lovely woman." (16:56)

• Paul Giamatti: "It's about a technology that's invented that uses people's memories to build sort of memorial services for people who have died… you can move into photographs, old photographs." (24:24)

• Paul Giamatti: "I'm on the fence, too, because I don't know what it's gonna become. It could be something very good… Right now, it's scary and weird." (26:42)

• Paul Giamatti: "I have been receiving these lovely artists' paintings. It's beautiful." (28:04)

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Conclusion

This episode of The Late Show Pod Show offers a blend of sharp humor, insightful discussions on contemporary issues, and an in-depth look into Paul Giamatti's illustrious acting career. From behind-the-scenes anecdotes to philosophical musings on technology, Colbert and Giamatti deliver a captivating conversation that both entertains and provokes thought. Listeners are treated to a rich tapestry of topics, making it a must-listen for fans of late-night talk shows and engaging celebrity interviews.

Transcript

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[Stephen Colbert]

Turn up the heat with the Home Depot. Find the perfect grill and patio set to keep the cookouts coming all season long. Grill up a feast with the next grill 4 burner gas grill only $229. And complete your space with the stylish Glen Ridge Falls 7 piece dining set now on special buy for just $499 with free delivery. Take your Memorial Day cookout to the next level all summer long with the Home Depot. See homedepot.com delivery for more details. Please have a seat everybody. Welcome, welcome one and all to THE Late show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert. Folks, at last, you can feel it in the air. Summer is almost here this weekend. This weekend is Memorial Day, a solemn occasion that we all mark in our own way. Perhaps putting up a flag, remembering a loved one who served. Or perhaps most solemn of all, sipping your way through Memorial Day with $3 Dunkin Refreshers. Thank you. Thank you for your service. Tropical guava. It's the kickoff to the summer travel season. Of course, big road trip weekend. Shotgun this year is expected to break travel records with more than 45 million Americans expected to hit the road. And they are all in line ahead of you at the bathroom for the 995. James Fenimore Cooper Service area. Right now, just gas up the car because they're going to be there for a while. Lot of people are flying too. That might be a problem because with the FAA snafus recently, airlines are bracing for the summer of hell. Or as Spirit Airlines calls it, summer. Of course, a big part of the issue is safety concerns with air traffic control problems caus flight delays and cancellations. In fact, at this point, it's not even safe to feed your baby. And here comes the airplane. Oh God. Oh God, no. His mouth is Newark. Pull up, pull up, pull up. I'm sorry, your peas are being rerouted to Baltimore. It's going to be harder to go abroad as well because the weakened value of the dollar is making overseas travel more expensive. For Americans. Explains why Delta has launched their new international flight classes. Economy Minus, Dog crate plus, and stand with the creature on the wing of the plane. But if you are traveling abroad, please be careful coming back because due to the new administration expanding phone searches for Americans re entering the country, you will definitely want to delete your nudes.

[Paul Giamatti]

Wow.

[Stephen Colbert]

Why? Why should I delete my nudes? They're a lot more flattering than the lumpy outline of my fat keister in that scanner stance that you have to do. Really, I know what you're looking at, and I, you know, I like to take a little lead paint and leave him a message down there. Not a wow. Not a particularly long message. Just. Just.

[Paul Giamatti]

Hi.

[Stephen Colbert]

Trump continues to be obsessed with getting rid of what he calls woke programming down at the Kennedy Center. This winter, he fired the old Kennedy center board, named himself the new Kennedy center chair, and this week, he said this at a dinner for the new regime. We had some very inappropriate shows, to put it. I think to put it very nicely. They had dance parties for, quote, queer and trans youth. They had a Marxist anti police performance, and they had lesbian only Shakespeare. Yes. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, absolutely. You know those lesbian only Shakespeare plays like Love's Labia, Lost and Julius Scissor? There isn't. Thank you, thank you, thank you. For the record, we tried, but we haven't been able to find a lesbian only Shakespeare at the Kennedy Center. Though it would be totally cool if it was. Some are speculating that Trump was referring to a recent touring production of and Juliet, which is a musical which asks the question, what would happen next if Juliet didn't end it all over Romeo? I'm guessing she'd be in therapy for a while. I mean, she's 13 years old and she wakes up in a tomb next to her dead boyfriend. Wherefore art thou, Lexapro. Another thing. Lexapro fans, there you go. Jet in line. Another thing. Another thing that Trump has railed against is drag performances down at the canny center. But even though he's in charge now, the new season is full of drag, including drag performances in Moulin rouge, Chicago, and Mrs. Doubtfire. Mrs. Doubtfire. That whole thing is drag. Oh, it's a drag thing. They're gonna have to quickly rewrite that one as Mr. Straightwater. Hello, hello, my own children. I am your new manly nanny. Time to grill you a steak. Oh, no. My testicles are ablaze. Not my breasts, because I don't have them because I am a man. The vice Trump. The Vice Trump. J.D. vance is. He's in the news. He's in the news again. Good for him. After probably not killing Pope Francis, it seems. I mean, probably not, right? It probably didn't happen. It probably didn't happen. No way to prove it, but it probably didn't. Seems like our vice president is taking a unique approach with the new pontiff because J.D. vance says he and the Pope discussed online dating during their private meeting. Dude, know your audience. The guy is celibate. Good Lord. Hey, just wanted to pop by this AA meeting to see if anyone has any thoughts on the new black cherry flavored white Claw. I think it's too sweet. What do you think?

[Paul Giamatti]

What?

[Stephen Colbert]

It's white claw. Just try it. Vance explained on a podcast.

[Paul Giamatti]

I talked to the Holy Father about this today. If you look at basic dating behavior.

[Stephen Colbert]

Among young people, and I think a.

[Paul Giamatti]

Lot of this is the dating apps are probably more destructive than we fully appreciated.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm gonna say J.D. vance's views on this may not be as valuable as he thinks, considering. Considering the last dating app he was on was Raymore and Flanagan. Not true. It didn't happen. He never did it, and I do not care. The vice president continued.

[Paul Giamatti]

I think part of it is technology has just for some reason made it harder for young men and young women to sort of communicate with each other in the same way.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes. These days the technology makes it harder. In the old days, it was so much simpler. Nice to meet you. I just gave your father my finest goat. Let us go make children. Come on. Come on. We also have an update about Trump's interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C. former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, seen here swearing she's good to drive. Give me the keys, Hannity. Judge Jeanine's been on the job for just one week. For one week. But yesterday she dropped this bombshell filing.

[Paul Giamatti]

Hi, everyone, it's Judge Jeanine. I'm at the water cooler in the.

[DSW Advertiser]

United States Attorney's office in Washington, D.C.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, that's a new office. Fear unlocked. It now goes running into Judge Jeanine at the water cooler, calling your boss dad and getting a text from your wife about your prescription hemorrhoid cream while screen sharing in a meeting. And then when you try to stop screen sharing, your computer starts playing the last song you were listening to. And, yeah, it's Gangnam Style, the cast version. How many times? How many times? Pirro continued.

[Paul Giamatti]

The U.S. attorneys as well as the.

[DSW Advertiser]

Staff, in order to get water, they.

[Paul Giamatti]

Have to join a water club and.

[Stephen Colbert]

They have to pay.

[Paul Giamatti]

It's a Dues, paying membership. And today they ask for our patience. Why? Because we couldn't get water delivered today. Today there was no water delivered to.

[Stephen Colbert]

The United States Attorney's office.

[Paul Giamatti]

Now, ain't it grand to be a.

[DSW Advertiser]

Part of the government?

[Paul Giamatti]

And I'm just thrilled to be here.

[Stephen Colbert]

You know, you could quit. No one's shackling you to a radiator. But you know what? To be fair, I get why she's upset. Without water in her glass, it is harder for her to pretend that she isn't drinking vodka.

[Paul Giamatti]

In baby news.

[Stephen Colbert]

So. Oh, in baby news. Yesterday, the morning broadcast up at CBS OWN wrgb, Albany's news leader, got off to an unusual start.

[Paul Giamatti]

Good Wednesday morning. I'm Olivia Jaqueth.

[Stephen Colbert]

And I'm Julia Dunn.

[Paul Giamatti]

We do have some breaking news this morning.

[DSW Advertiser]

Literally, Olivia's water has broke, and she.

[Paul Giamatti]

Is anchoring the news now in active labor.

[Stephen Colbert]

Early labor.

[Paul Giamatti]

Early labor.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay. Some people were shocked, but I know that staying at the desk while in labor is a CBS News tradition. We all. We all remember how Cronkite used to sign off. And that's the way it is. Oop, my water broke.

[Paul Giamatti]

Put down some towels. What a mess.

[Stephen Colbert]

Every night. Every. Every night. His water broke. Yeah. Hard to stay hydrated. And the thing is, that's not the only upstate baby in the news. Up at the University at Buffalo, something happened at their commencement last weekend. One of the graduates tried to bring his baby on stage, which is apparently against the rules, and it led to the dumbest police chase of all time.

[Paul Giamatti]

Wow.

[Stephen Colbert]

Hot pursuit. Really, really cops a baby. He even has a little cap and gown on up there. And what was the ultimate plan? All right, down on the ground. All right, now lift your head a little bit. Come on, buddy, you can do it. I know you hate tummy time, but it's making you big and strong. The dad says he had previously asked the administration if he could bring his baby up with him, and he was told that he could. But then when he got to graduation, the answer changed. According to the university, only graduating students may participate in the graduation ceremony, including walking in the processional, crossing the stage. And the infant has not yet earned enough credits to receive a diploma. We hope to see him back on stage in about 20 years so he can follow in his dad's footsteps. Well, that was a cute little response there. But personally, I don't think a baby should have to wait that long. So tonight, the Late show is awarding this infant, this bachelors and babies.

[Paul Giamatti]

There you go.

[Stephen Colbert]

Bachelors and babies. Now, like most Recent grads. Like most recent grads, he does not have a job lined up yet and he's gonna be living with his mom and dad for a while. We got a great show for you tonight.

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[Stephen Colbert]

Folks, my guest tonight is an Emmy award winning actor, you know from Sideways Billions and the Holdovers. He now stars in a new episode of the anthology sci fi series Black Mirror. Please welcome back to The Late Show, Mr. Paul Giamatti. That was power. Wow. That was powerful. Make a great cult leader.

[Paul Giamatti]

I think I would actually. I'm getting the look. I shaved my head, the beard.

[Stephen Colbert]

Very nice. Exactly. Stay on the compound. Listen to father.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yep, absolutely. That's all you have to do.

[Stephen Colbert]

Put on the roof now.

[Paul Giamatti]

Very good.

[Stephen Colbert]

Last time you were here, which is never often enough, was in November of 23. I think that was holdover's time. Yes, sir, Holdovers time. And it was also when you were doing your podcast, which you know, I love. Chin wag. I was a guest.

[Paul Giamatti]

We had you on at the time. You were a great guest.

[Stephen Colbert]

So you and Steven Asma. And at the time you were talking about that your white whale was a Cher.

[Paul Giamatti]

That's right.

[Stephen Colbert]

You really wanted Cher on your podcast.

[Paul Giamatti]

She appreciates that. Being called a white whale.

[Stephen Colbert]

Holy Grail.

[Paul Giamatti]

Holy Grail.

[Stephen Colbert]

Holy Grail.

[Paul Giamatti]

Very good.

[Stephen Colbert]

Holy grail. Yes. A slender dolphin. A white dolphin.

[Paul Giamatti]

It's more like it. Yes. Like a mermaid eel.

[Stephen Colbert]

Exactly. So my. So we made it appeal. I threw my weight behind it. Obviously, I gotta be careful where I point this thing. I threw my weight behind it. Cher come through.

[Paul Giamatti]

Well, I cut to sometime at the end of last year. I was working on the Star. Star Trek show. I'm. I'm on a Star Trek show.

[Stephen Colbert]

What do you do? Do we know. What are you allowed to say?

[Paul Giamatti]

Not allowed. I'm not allowed to talk about this.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's called. It's called Starflight Academy.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yes, sir, that's.

[Stephen Colbert]

So are you a professor?

[Paul Giamatti]

I am not. I am definitely not a professor. On it. No.

[Stephen Colbert]

Are you an alien?

[Paul Giamatti]

I am an alien.

[Stephen Colbert]

You're an alien?

[Paul Giamatti]

Oh, God. I'm part of. Part alien. Uh. Oh, I'm part alien. I'm half alien.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. That's an exclusive.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yes, it is, actually. Yeah. That's the first time I'm gonna get. Yeah, I'm gonna get wiped out for saying yes. Cut to me working in Toronto when I'm in a hotel room and the phone rings. Oh, thank you. Toronto or the hotel, what are we cheering for?

[Stephen Colbert]

Thoughts?

[Paul Giamatti]

And so I was watching. I don't know, I'm watching Rockford Files or something on the television.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure.

[Paul Giamatti]

And the phone rings. It's an unknown number. It's from California. I pick it up and a voice says, hey, it's me.

[Stephen Colbert]

And do you know who it is?

[Paul Giamatti]

Immediately I was like, Cher. It was Cher.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow.

[Paul Giamatti]

It was Cher.

[Stephen Colbert]

You're welcome.

[Paul Giamatti]

She called. You're damn right. Thank you very much. Cause she called and I talked to her for about a half an hour. Wow, lovely woman. What'd you say? Very nice.

[Stephen Colbert]

May I ask what you talked about?

[Paul Giamatti]

She had been wanting to call me. I didn't know. I wasn't trying to call her. For years. I'd heard she'd been trying to call me and she wanted to tell me how much she liked me and John Adams. Yeah, sure, sure. Only about 15 years after I was actually on it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Cher's a busy woman.

[Paul Giamatti]

She's a very busy woman who lives back of the queue.

[Stephen Colbert]

And evidently you're hard to find.

[Paul Giamatti]

Hard to find.

[Stephen Colbert]

Your agent shouldn't have put you in the witness relocation program.

[Paul Giamatti]

Exactly, exactly.

[Stephen Colbert]

I know chinwag has gone the way of all flesh, which is too bad. Things have their season and they're gone. But I just love the subjects of chinwag because Cryptozoology, Bigfoot, Bigfoot, Your chupacabra, Chupacabri, things like that, Your Loch Ness monsters. Is there a also, like ancient astronauts and stuff like that? Of magnetic fields and gravity wells? Is there something. Is there one of those things that particularly interests me in that sort of bag of like. Of global and international and intergalactic mysteries that really grips you?

[Paul Giamatti]

Right now I got very excited because we did do a whole episode about there's a whole theory that the earth is hollow. That actually the earth you can enter the earth. Sure.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's a part of the story of Frankenstein, isn't it?

[Paul Giamatti]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, exactly.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yeah. In the beginning of Frankenstein. Yeah. There's a whole thing about there's a hole at the top of the earth and bottom, and the earth is absolutely.

[Stephen Colbert]

Dark as the pit from pole to pole. Like that's part of like, you know, like from invinctus. I think that's referring to.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yes, I think that's right.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Paul Giamatti]

No, totally. So that always. That always. No, it's tr. That always interested me a lot.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow.

[Paul Giamatti]

And so there's all kinds of.

[Stephen Colbert]

But it's not. Right. The earth is not hollow, Right?

[Paul Giamatti]

As far as we know, it's not hollow.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay.

[Paul Giamatti]

No, no.

[Stephen Colbert]

I know you love science fiction and you love used books, so I wanted to get you something just to celebrate what is happening. This right Here is a 1938 copy of Astounding Science Fiction which contains in it the first publication of who Goes There? That the movie the thing is based on.

[Paul Giamatti]

That's a story.

[Stephen Colbert]

And this.

[Paul Giamatti]

Look at that.

[Stephen Colbert]

Look at that. It's cherry. It's in perfect condition. And this is mine. You don't have this one. You don't get this one. But I did get you a copy. A copy of oh, wow. Of Wonder of Wonder. It's not quite as cherry, but it's December. Of what's got this stuff from. Smell it. Just smell it. Yeah, that's the wow right there. That's amazing. That's a nap.

[Paul Giamatti]

That is the smell just waiting to happen.

[Stephen Colbert]

1951. December 1951. It's got James Blish in there.

[Paul Giamatti]

Oh, I love James Blish.

[Stephen Colbert]

It's got Fred Buescher in there.

[Paul Giamatti]

Crazy cover on this.

[Stephen Colbert]

Look at this. This was the future we were promised.

[Paul Giamatti]

I know.

[Stephen Colbert]

Look at these men.

[Paul Giamatti]

None of it.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's what a man was when I was a kid. You had a bubble on your head and you're coming out of your plant and you're taking over looking for the green babes.

[Paul Giamatti]

I actually saw one of those self driving cars the other day in la.

[Stephen Colbert]

Which I haven't seen any of those Waymo things.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yeah, it's really freaky. I mean, it's crazy looking.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. Disturbing future is here.

[Paul Giamatti]

Here.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'll hold onto that so it doesn't get hurt.

[Paul Giamatti]

Thanks a lot.

[Stephen Colbert]

This is for you.

[Paul Giamatti]

Thank you very much.

[Stephen Colbert]

But I just wanted to show you how great of a one that I.

[Paul Giamatti]

That's a nice one.

[Stephen Colbert]

All right. All right, we have to take a quick break. Right back with more Paul Giamatti, everybody.

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[Paul Giamatti]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. And every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report.

[Stephen Colbert]

Hey everybody, we're back. Award winning actor in the new season of Black Mirror, Paul Giamatti. People know you for your deeply human soul bearing performances.

[Paul Giamatti]

Uh huh.

[Stephen Colbert]

But I understand there's a lesser known role that you're particularly proud of that you shot in association with the movie for a commercial in Japan. That's right. You know what I'm leaning towards?

[Paul Giamatti]

You did a Japanese Pepsi commercial. That's right.

[Stephen Colbert]

Right. Cause that's where that's coming. Yeah. When you.

[Paul Giamatti]

That is where you go doing.

[Stephen Colbert]

Exactly. But there's something unusual about this commercial. You want to tell the people what was going on at the time.

[Paul Giamatti]

Well, I don't know. I mean, maybe we should just show it and see what people think.

[Stephen Colbert]

Jim.

[Paul Giamatti]

Humans. Ha. You don't know your right from your left. An inferior species of primates who you don't even know. It tastes good. Get Planet of the Apes.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's range.

[Paul Giamatti]

Range.

[Stephen Colbert]

That's range right there. Range.

[Paul Giamatti]

So you know what's actually really kind of chilling? I don't look that different right now. That's actually kind of eerie. I don't look that different. I was doing a Planet of the Apes film. I did a Planet of the Apes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Mark Wahlberg, Planet of the Apes.

[Paul Giamatti]

Mark Wahlberg, Tim Burton directed a Planet of the Apes film.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, yeah.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yep.

[Stephen Colbert]

You're a. Orangutan I'm an orangutan.

[Paul Giamatti]

That's correct.

[Stephen Colbert]

Exactly.

[Paul Giamatti]

I'm a talking orangutan.

[Stephen Colbert]

Like a scientist ape or something like that.

[Paul Giamatti]

No, I was. I was. I was a slave trading ape. I was. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. What would. John.

[Paul Giamatti]

But I was funny. I was the comic relief. No, I played. Yeah, I played the guy dealing in human beings and stuff like that.

[Stephen Colbert]

So that played in Japan?

[Paul Giamatti]

Oh, the movie did.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, that commercial, that was a. That was for a Japanese audience.

[Paul Giamatti]

It was a tie in with Pepsi and they had all these Japanese. I thought, oh, I'm gonna get to go to Tokyo. But I just stayed in a studio in LA and did it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow.

[Paul Giamatti]

And they were very particular about how I had to open that can. I must have opened it about 85 times.

[Stephen Colbert]

But you've got Orangutritz hands on.

[Paul Giamatti]

Right. And I had big rubber hands on. So I've never been so panicked about something in my life. I was like, I'm gonna screw this up and. And blow my whole contract with Tokyo Pepsi.

[Stephen Colbert]

Where does playing a talking ape in terms of your achievements as an actor fit in the rest of your oeuvre?

[Paul Giamatti]

Boom.

[Stephen Colbert]

Right up there.

[Paul Giamatti]

Absolutely no.

[Stephen Colbert]

And now you're in Star Trek, and I'm not joking about that. That's also a dream.

[Paul Giamatti]

That. And then doing Black Mirror, Twilight Zone, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes. I'm a happy man. I'm a very happy man.

[Stephen Colbert]

You're now speaking of Black mirror. Excellent segue, Mr. Giamatti.

[Paul Giamatti]

Thank you very much.

[Stephen Colbert]

You're now in the seventh season of the dystopic sci fi anthology series Black Mirror. You're in an episode, it's called Eulogy.

[Paul Giamatti]

Correct.

[Stephen Colbert]

That people are loving. A lot of people are talking about this.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yeah, people are liking it.

[Stephen Colbert]

We have a clip here before we go to it. What's eulogy about?

[Paul Giamatti]

It's about a technology that's invented that uses people's memories to build sort of memorial services for people who have died. And one of the ways you do it is you look at photographs and it will take you back into the photograph and your memory will be sparked. And then.

[Stephen Colbert]

So you can navigate the photograph.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

And then.

[Paul Giamatti]

So you can move into photographs, old photographs. So you're presented with these things and this technology goes. And you're in the photograph.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sounds haunting.

[Paul Giamatti]

It's pretty cool. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

In this clip, what do we need to know?

[Paul Giamatti]

This is the first time I go into a photograph that the AI takes me in there. And the AI is personified by this young woman who's with me. This is the photograph fused with your memories. Some parts are missing, but details appear as and when your memories fill out. So when this was taken, this was before you and Carol got together? Well, I never said we got together. Oh, come on. Look at the way you're looking at her. And I'm guessing she was looking back at you the same way I'd met her. Her laugh. She was new in the house. I didn't know her, but I wanted to. And I'd made her laugh and she looked. Oh, it's okay. No, there's no. I can't see her face. Try to focus on what you can recall of this moment.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay.

[Paul Giamatti]

It's cool. It's a really cool episode.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

That is haunting. It's cool. Wow.

[Paul Giamatti]

It is very haunting. He sees this old girlfriend of his and has to relive a whole sort of not great relationship he had in his past.

[Stephen Colbert]

Does that. I mean, that seems achievable, that.

[Paul Giamatti]

I suppose so, in a way.

[Stephen Colbert]

Did you ever try the apple goggles?

[Paul Giamatti]

Yeah, you're right. Actually.

[Stephen Colbert]

Did you try those goggles on?

[Paul Giamatti]

Yeah, very briefly.

[Stephen Colbert]

Did you see, like, the. Like, the recordings that they would allow you to do? They were in 3D and then with them on, like at a birthday party.

[Paul Giamatti]

It's like that.

[Stephen Colbert]

And then you could play it back in there and you were in the room. It was actually. I could think of, like, if that person had passed, I thought, ooh, that would totally. That would be heartbreaking to be that close and to have it so real and not still engage with it.

[Paul Giamatti]

That's what happens in this thing. Yeah. And actually, I can't interact with them because they don't move or anything like that. It's not an actual film.

[Stephen Colbert]

Does AI scare you? Some people get scared of AI. I'm on the fence.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yeah, I'm on the fence, too, because I don't know what it's gonna become. I mean, you think far in the future, who knows what it could become? I mean, it's gonna turn into something we can't even really imagine, really. And so it could be something very good. Right now. It's scary and weird.

[Stephen Colbert]

Maybe AI was what we were here to achieve. And then now we can go.

[Paul Giamatti]

That's a really interesting idea. No, that's. But that's right. And it seems like that's a really positive way of thinking about it. And so if I don't. No, no.

[Stephen Colbert]

How positive that is, I did say. And now we can go.

[Paul Giamatti]

That's right. I forgot about that. Part, you're right.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes, exactly.

[Paul Giamatti]

No, but it's like. But the idea that it might be way more beneficial than we think, we don't know yet. You know, it's as bad as the people who have made it now, which is not great.

[Stephen Colbert]

Which is us.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

And I don't know if you've seen our track record. Not great.

[Paul Giamatti]

No, it's not.

[Stephen Colbert]

No.

[Paul Giamatti]

So it's freaky.

[Stephen Colbert]

But yeah, we have to take another break here, but right back with more Paul Giamatti, everybody. Hey, everybody. We're back with Emmy award winning actor who is now in the new season of Black Mirror, Paul Giamatti. I hear you're a fan of your fan art and that you've been blessed with quite a few portraits of yourself.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yes, I have been.

[Stephen Colbert]

And I'm just curious. Speaking of, you know, things that are beautiful. Yes. But interpretable, you know.

[Paul Giamatti]

Okay.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm just.

[Paul Giamatti]

These are not fan art exactly. These are actual, like portraits that people have done. Several people.

[Stephen Colbert]

But they're fans of yours?

[Paul Giamatti]

I guess so. Yeah, I guess so. Because these people are like, I'd love to paint your portrait. And I say, okay. And they paint it and I say, this is nice. And then they give it to me and I'm like taking this thing home.

[Stephen Colbert]

So it's possible they're not fans of your work, just of your face.

[Paul Giamatti]

They might be. It might just be my face.

[Stephen Colbert]

These people do know you're Paul Giamatti, right?

[Paul Giamatti]

Yes, they do. But I think it is.

[Stephen Colbert]

I like this one. This is kind of stylized.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

You know, this is. This is. There you are. And you're holding. You're holding Oscar of the future or something. I don't know what that is.

[Paul Giamatti]

It's a Genie Award, which is basically a Canadian Academy Award.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure, sure. Good for you. The polite Academy Award.

[Paul Giamatti]

Very polite.

[Stephen Colbert]

I like it. That's a very nice one.

[Paul Giamatti]

It's a beautiful.

[Stephen Colbert]

Is this for holdover? Is this for holdovers?

[Paul Giamatti]

No, the guy did it a few several years ago.

[Stephen Colbert]

Was it for Planet of the Apes?

[Paul Giamatti]

I certainly look like an adult.

[Stephen Colbert]

This one. I love this one. I just love.

[Paul Giamatti]

It's amazing.

[Stephen Colbert]

How big is this award? The shoe is really, really big, that one.

[Paul Giamatti]

And it's. And it's actually, what's really cool is it's watercolor too, which is really hard to paint with like that.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah.

[Paul Giamatti]

But lovely artists painted it for me. Both of these lovely artists.

[Stephen Colbert]

If you're ever like, if you got like, hey, I can't have all these in my apartment at once. I've Got some empty wall space. And I think it would be very interesting for people to come into my apartment and go, why do you have.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yeah, that would be funny. I would have to.

[Stephen Colbert]

Why do you have a giant portrait of Paul Giorno?

[Paul Giamatti]

I would totally do that. That would be great. Because I feel like if I hang them in my place, they're sort of sitting out of the way.

[Stephen Colbert]

I mean, over the bed.

[Paul Giamatti]

Yeah, but that's like. Sure, sure.

[Stephen Colbert]

Exactly. Sure.

[Paul Giamatti]

In the ceiling.

[Stephen Colbert]

Exactly.

[Paul Giamatti]

But that's like crazy dictator kind of, isn't it, to have portraits of yourself all over the place.

[Stephen Colbert]

Right.

[Paul Giamatti]

Feels a little loony to have portraits of myself all over the place.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. That would be crazy if there was a dictator who had his private club, had portraits of himself all over the place. That's Black Mirror right there. Oh, boy, that'll be always lovely to see you. Thank you. Black Mirror is available on Netflix. The man is Paul Giamatti, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.

[Paul Giamatti]

911St Emergency. Yes, somebody killed two girls. My grandbaby.

[Stephen Colbert]

A Paramount plus original.

[Paul Giamatti]

She wants to find more young women.

[Stephen Colbert]

For him to kill.

[Paul Giamatti]

The untold stories of the real cases.

[Stephen Colbert]

Each one he gets away with. He's emboldened. The FBI can't shake.

[Paul Giamatti]

It's very satisfying to be able to.

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[Stephen Colbert]

We never forgot you.

[Paul Giamatti]

An all new season of FBI True. Streaming now on Paramount plus now playing.

[Stephen Colbert]

Clock is running. You will never see a movie like this again. Mission Impossible is a symphony of action, scale and spectacle. Tom Cruise has outdone himself.

[Paul Giamatti]

Mission Impossible, the Final Reckoning. Now playing. Rated PG 13.