Paul Giamatti discusses his role in Black Mirror Eulogy, revealing how he personally connects with the character of Phillip in the acclaimed episode from the show’s seventh season. Speaking during a SAG-AFTRA event moderated by Variety’s Clayton Davis, Giamatti reflected on how the experience of portraying Phillip’s emotional journey with forgotten memories resonated with aspects of his own life, particularly concerning feelings of regret and isolation.
Giamatti Finds Parallels with His Character
Netflix’s Black Mirror, under creator Charlie Brooker, challenged Giamatti to embody Phillip, a man using technology to revisit and reconstruct memories of a past relationship. This sci-fi scenario allowed Giamatti to explore themes of regret, loss, and the complexities of human emotion. The role received notable praise, not just for its technical premise, but for Giamatti’s nuanced portrayal of a man wrestling with his own past and seeking closure through artificial means.
The actor explained that stepping into Phillip’s shoes did not require much deliberation since the emotions depicted were universally relatable and deeply personal to him.
“There were lots of things that I felt an instinctual relationship to without needing to think a lot about it,”
—Paul Giamatti, Actor
“There was so much already there. And it’s an archetypal sort of story about regret and guilt. I mean, everybody has these kinds of feelings…I have lots of regrets. In some ways, there was a big pool of that to draw on already, and so much of it was familiar.”
—Paul Giamatti, Actor
The Challenge and Comfort of Acting in Isolation
Unlike many ensemble television episodes, “Eulogy” required Giamatti to spend much of the screen time acting alone. The actor admitted to initial concerns about the solitude, referencing his experience in “Sideways,” where working in isolation was also prominent. Despite these apprehensions, Giamatti highlighted the sense of companionship fostered by the crew, describing the set as unusually warm and close-knit.
“I’ve done ‘Sideways’ and I was alone a lot in that movie, and it is interesting,”
—Paul Giamatti, Actor
“There’s a lovely crew on this, too, and that gave a sort of warm feeling and close feeling. I think a lot of people in the crew felt it was bringing up stuff for them, so it was a very sort of familial feeling. So I didn’t feel alone.”
—Paul Giamatti, Actor
Alternate Endings and Creative Choices
Turning to the episode’s climax, Giamatti revealed that Charlie Brooker initially considered an alternative narrative pathway for Phillip’s story. In this version, Phillip’s emotional struggle would intersect with his marriage and ultimately help it grow stronger. After discussions, the creative team decided that leaving Phillip alone was a truer resolution, deepening the theme of regret and personal reckoning.
“Philip was married and he had to go through this thing,”
—Paul Giamatti, Actor
“The idea was more that it actually made his marriage stronger in the end, but then they thought it’s better if he’s alone.”
—Paul Giamatti, Actor
Significance and Lasting Impact
Giamatti’s insights illuminate how the layered narrative of Black Mirror’s “Eulogy” resonates with universal truths about memory, loss, and reconciliation. The actor’s openness about his own regrets, combined with the emotional weight of Phillip’s choices, places the episode among the most reflective narratives of the anthology. As Netflix and Charlie Brooker continue to explore the intersection of technology and the human experience, “Eulogy” stands as a poignant example of how science fiction can delve into the complexities of the heart and mind.
