Paul Giamatti drew on his academic upbringing for his role in 'The Holdovers'.
Paul Giamatti comes from an academic family
The 56-year-old star plays grumpy history teacher Paul Hunham in the 1970s-set film and he used his family background in the profession to help him bring the character to life.
Paul told Parade magazine: "My father was a professor and President of Yale University.
"My mother was a teacher and my grandparents were all teachers. Everyone in my family is a teacher or academic so it's a background I understand."
Giamatti attended elite schools like the students in the movie and used his experiences as preparation for the part.
The 'Billions' actor said: "I didn't board there, but I went to a prep school like the one in the movie. Part of my preparation for the role was thinking about my past and people that I knew in the past.
"My character is a disciplinarian, a hard-ass; he's kind of a square guy. And he has lots of grotesque physical problems that put people off. He is not a beloved teacher."
Paul previously revealed that he considered going into academia before the sudden death of his father A. Bartlett Giamatti from a heart attack in 1989.
The 'Cinderella Man' star said: "I thought about going into an academic life. Though I don't think I would've been suited for it.
"It's because my dad died suddenly that I became an actor. His death threw everybody for a loop. I had just graduated. He died before I knew what I was going to do with my life."
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