Actor Paul Giamatti is one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood and he became more endearing when he was seen with his recent Golden Globe Award at an In-N-Out restaurant. The actor won the award for his role as Paul Hunnam, a teacher tasked with chaperoning some students during Christmas break at a boarding school in the comedy The Holdovers.

Giamatti reunited with his Sideways director Alexander Payne in the film, which received universal acclaim for its writing, performances, and direction. The film won two awards at the Golden Globes ceremony that occurred earlier this week, including one for Giamatti and actress D’Vine Joy Randolph. It was also nominated for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy.

Paul Giamatti Reunites With Alexander Payne

A still from Sideways

Actor Paul Giamatti collaborated for the second time with director Alexander Payne on the comedy The Holdovers. The duo had previously worked together on the comedy Sideways, which saw Giamatti play a sad teacher who takes a trip along with his actor friend (played by Thomas Haden Church) to Santa Barbara County wine country to celebrate his wedding.

The film was successful upon release and was acclaimed critically. It was considered to be one of the greatest films of the 2000s and won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. It was also reportedly responsible for an increase in tourism for wine countries in Santa Barbara County and others as well. Due to a scene in the film, the sale of Merlot wine reportedly saw a downfall and led to an increase in demand for Pinot Noir.

Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers

Paul Giamatti reunited with Alexander Payne after nineteen years in last year’s Christmas comedy The Holdovers. The film saw Giamatti play a teacher yet again, but this time a more strict and stern older teacher of a boarding school as opposed to a depressed one in a mid-life crisis. The actor was lauded for his performance and the film received great responses.

The film was set in the 1970s and featured Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunhm, a classic teacher at a New England-based boarding school. He is tasked with chaperoning a bunch of students who are staying back for the Christmas holidays. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and was also screened at the international film festivals of Toronto and Busan.

Paul Giamatti Goes To In-N-Out With His Golden Globe

Paul Giamatti at the In-N-Out by Michael Warburton/X

For his performance as the annoyed teacher Paul Hunham in The Holdovers, Paul Giamatti won Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globe Awards that took place earlier this week. It was Giamatti’s third win at the Golden Globes, after winning for John Adams and Barney’s Vision. The actor was also nominated for the award for Sideways.

Giamatti reportedly dedicated his award to teachers around the world and mentioned that he came from a family of teachers. He said in his Golden Globes speech,

“It’s a movie about a teacher. I play a teacher in it. My whole family, they are teachers. All of them, going back generations. Teachers are good people. We’ve got to respect them. They do a good thing. It’s a tough job. So this is for teachers.”

The beloved character actor became even more endearing when he was captured at an In-N-Out restaurant right after the ceremony. Paul Giamatti was seen in his tuxedo along with his family, while his golden award was in full glory on the table. The actor reportedly went to the In-N-Out restaurant in Westwood.

Netizens were amused and charmed by the grounded nature of the actor despite his win. Users of X praised the actor for his performance in the film while also complimenting him for being real and relatable.

Despite a huge win, Paul Giamatti seemed to have remained down-to-earth and normal in an industry that is usually known for its flash and glitz.