[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Black Mirror Season 7, Episode 5]

Summary

Collider’s Steve Weintraub talks with Oscar-nominated Paul Giamatti for Black Mirror Season 7, Episode 5, “Eulogy.”

Giamatti discusses his experience working on Black Mirror, including the unique culture on set and the ambiguous nature of the technology portrayed.

In addition, Giamatti talks about his upcoming musical comedy project with Jesse Eisenberg and his role in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

Season 7 of Black Mirror is just right around the corner, delivering another installment filled with ambiguous technologies, confusing moral compasses, and far-from-perfect individuals. Created by Charlie Brooker, the seventh iteration of the anthology series features six brand-new episodes, with two of them being feature-length. Promising a return to the dark and thought-provoking styles of its OG seasons, fans can expect familiar storylines such as a sequel to Season 4’s “USS Callister” opener. Although the show has become a long-running sci-fi staple, new viewers need not be intimidated, for each episode presents a unique plot with a different set of characters, true to this classic anthological form.
Black Mirror Season 7 marks Oscar-nominated Paul Giamatti’s first foray into the Netflix classic. Starring as Philip in Episode 5, titled “Eulogy,” the episode features “an innovative system that enables users to literally step into photographic memories of the past” that “leads a lonely man to re-examine a heartbreaking period in his life.”
Collider’s very own Steve Weintraub had the opportunity to chat with Giamatti, in which the actor shares his favorite Black Mirror episode, gives an update about his upcoming project with Jesse Eisenberg, and teases a bit about his role in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
Paul Giamatti Has Been Waiting to Star in ‘Black Mirror’

“Why is this taking so long? Was there something wrong with me?”

COLLIDER: First of all, the episode’s fantastic. One of the things about Black Mirror is the secrecy. No one really knows who’s in it or if they’re filming; it’s all a mystery. Is it sort of weird for you now to acknowledge that you’re a part of Black Mirror and to talk about it?
PAUL GIAMATTI: Yeah, that’s a good point. Some of the secrecy, it seems part and parcel. It actually seems appropriate for this show to be so shrouded in darkness and secrecy. It is a little weird, because it’s a little sudden. Boom, I’m talking about it a lot when there was not a word whispered about it before this. But yeah, so it is weird.
When someone finally said, “Black Mirror,” were you like, “Finally, I’ve been waiting?”
GIAMATTI: Yes, absolutely, I was. I was like, “Why is this taking so long? Was there something wrong with me? Now I’m okay?” And it came to me through my manager, and I was really excited. And frankly, I would have done anything. But it happened to be this, and it happened to be great. And I happen to love it. But I would have done anything that they wanted. But I don’t know that I ever sort of put it out there, even to my manager, particularly. But I’d always thought in the back of my head it would be really great to do one of these someday.
What surprised you about making an episode of Black Mirror that perhaps is unique to Black Mirror? Or is every project sort of like the same thing?
GIAMATTI: No. I just did a Star Trek thing, and it’s a similar thing where you enter a culture where everybody is on the same page. The entire thing is so well-run and everybody is very happy to be there. That’s nice. That doesn’t happen all the time, and it happens very rarely. So to enter a culture of a thing that is so complete and well run, that the way this was shot was unique and we did nothing. It was all practical effects. So that was really unique. I’d never done anything quite like it with all these actual people frozen around me. You’ve seen this. You’ve seen the whole thing, right? That was very strange and very interesting.
I thought they took whatever we had, and they made it even better in the final edit. Somebody said to me that Charlie sees that as his final run at writing the thing, which is often true. I was actually really amazed at how they made the thing even better than I thought it was going to be. That was unique to see somebody work that hard in the final edit in a way that was really cool. I know those things felt different.
I’m assuming you’ve seen the show before doing this episode. Do you have a favorite Black Mirror episode or favorites?
GIAMATTI: I liked the first one. The one with the pig and the Prime Minister is still the one that really sticks out for me. Partially, I think, because it was just the first, and it was this kind of new thing where you went, “Oh, this looks really good, this show, and they really are pulling something off that’s really good. That’s always really stuck with me.
Paul Giamatti Has a Positive Spin on “Eulogy”s End

“It actually does the guy good.”

Image via Netflix

I really enjoy how your character is flawed, but basically doesn’t see himself as flawed at times.
GIAMATTI: No, he doesn’t. He thinks everything’s fine. He thinks that he’s moved on. He really hasn’t. I’m glad you liked that about it. That should be coming through, and I’m glad it does.
Oh, no, 100%. Another thing about Black Mirror is the technology in these episodes. It’s always stuff that could be real. With some of the technology, it’s like, “Yeah, I’d use this if I could.” How do you feel, especially with the technology in your episode? Is it something that you’d actually use?
GIAMATTI: Sure. I’d give it a try. It seems interesting. It could be interesting, depending on how you’re going to use it and who you’re going to use it in context of. It’s interesting. When I read the piece, I felt much more ambiguous about the technology. When we shot it, I thought, “This stuff is kind of coercive and creepy.” Then, when I see the final product, I think, “Oh no, it’s good. It’s actually good.” It actually does the guy good. It’s still weird. He walks into that church at the end, and all those people are sort of sitting there in a weird state, but he’s not anymore. He doesn’t need it anymore. It did something really good for him. So, I felt much less conflicted about it when I actually watched the episode. I don’t know about you. Did you find it less menacing by the end?
Well, what’s funny is I didn’t find it menacing until the end with the church scene, and I’m like, “Oh.” Because the truth is, look at everybody now with their phones, and they’re fucking glued. It’s like people just disappear into technology.
GIAMATTI: And you kind of just use it backwards because it says, “Use me.” And you kind of just use it. But in theory, everybody’s kind of having a communal experience. Even though, in some way, everybody is having a communal experience of this eulogy of this person. I’m not exactly sure how it works and what they’re seeing at the end with the thing on their head, but in some way, they’re having a communal experience. So, there is that. Everybody’s not locked away, I guess. Although I’m not exactly sure how the technology works in that instance.

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“There’s messages in every game. Like Pac-Man. You know what PAC stands for? Program and control.”

The other thing about your character at the end of the episode is that he just shows up, and you wonder if, like, in five or 10 minutes, he’s going to sit down and put something on.
GIAMATTI: And that could happen. I think it’s awesome that you still feel quite ambiguous about it by the end. You’re ambivalent about it by the end.
The problem is, I’m going to use technology even though I know the key secret. I’ve said this again and again to people, it’s just understanding not to live your life in your phone or in your whatever.
GIAMATTI: Right, I’m always saying it’s not the technology, it’s you and other people who are potentially the problem. I did think it was funny, though, that he’s going, “What is this shit?” He opens it, and then he just does it, because that’s what we’re supposed to do when we’re presented with it. It’s like we have no choice. We do, but we all feel like we have no choice because it’s so necessary now that even when you get something that isn’t seemingly necessary, you think it is, because it’s just demanding that you use it in some bizarre way. So it’s kind of coercive in that way.
100%.
Paul Giamatti Starts Filming Jesse Eisenberg’s Musical Comedy

“There’s a musical in it, but it’s not a musical.”

Image via Shutterstock

As you know, I am a fan of your work. What are you working on this year?
GIAMATTI: I am about to do it in about a week. I did Star Trek [:Starfleet Academy]. I finished Star Trek.
Oh, I’m going to ask about that in a second, trust me.
GIAMATTI: And I’m about to do a movie with Jesse Eisenberg that he has written, and he’s going to direct in about a week. I start doing that.
I know that it’s a musical.
GIAMATTI: Kind of. I mean, it’s about a musical. There’s a musical in it, but it’s not a musical. It’s very much about a musical, and musicals, and stuff like that. But I wouldn’t say it is a musical, but maybe a technicality.
Sure. What was it about that script that said, “Oh, yes, I want to do this.”?
GIAMATTI: Guy’s a really good writer. The guy’s a really good writer, and it’s very funny and it’s very complex. And he’s an extraordinarily good writer. And it was like, “Oh, this’ll be a pleasure to do. Not a problem in the world. This will be great.” And he’s a lovely guy. So I look forward to working with him.
Paul Giamatti Plays a “Very Fun Villain” in ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’

“He reminds me of a combination of some kind of classic Trek villains.”

Image by Jefferson Chacon

I am a big fan of Star Trek, and I know that you’re on Starfleet Academy. I read that you’re playing the villain. Does your character know he’s the villain?
GIAMATTI: Yes. He takes great pleasure in being the villain. He takes great pleasure in being the bad guy. Yeah, he likes it. That’s actually very much a part of the thing, that he’s like, “Oh, yeah, I’m the bad guy. Now I’m the bad guy.” Yes, he knows he’s the bad guy.
Jonathan Frakes told me last week that it has the biggest set of any Star Trek show. He didn’t tell me what set it was. I don’t know if you’re allowed to say, but what can you tease about this huge set?
GIAMATTI: I can tell you that’s one of the biggest I’ve seen. It’s one of the biggest I’ve been on, and I’ve been on some big sets. Most of them are outdoor. The biggest indoor one. It’s got to be probably one of the biggest. I can say it’s a central part of the show.
Is it like the headquarters or the university?
GIAMATTI: Part of the university. It’s part of the academy. I don’t want to be the guy that gets in trouble for saying what it is. I really don’t want to be that guy. It’s central to the academy itself.
Well, Frakes already ruined it by saying there’s a starship on the show, so he said too much.
GIAMATTI: Did he really? Yeah, but there isn’t a starship on the show. The bridge is really impressive in this one. In fact, the bridge is as amazing as that huge set was. I actually think the bridge is an even more incredible show.
What was it? I don’t actually know. Were you a fan of Star Trek? Because I’ll be honest, I was surprised when you were cast. I was fucking amped that you were going to do it, but I was like, “Oh, this is the advantage of Billions ending. He can do other things.”
GIAMATTI: That’s for sure. I can do other things. I think it was the advantage of going through the awards thing and having people ask me about stuff I’d like to do. I was like, “Gosh, I love Star Trek.” And I think that monster actually worked for once in my life. But I put it out there in the universe and it came back. I’m a bit… I’m not going to say I’m a super fan or something, but from the time I was a child, I’ve been a big Star Trek fan. I haven’t watched all the iterations, but I’ve watched a lot of it, and I do. I really kind of love it.

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Did you hypothetically borrow anything from the set to take home with every intention of bringing it back?
GIAMATTI: I did not. I was actually given something, so I didn’t have to steal anything. They said, “Do you want to take this?” And I did, so I did. So, I have something of my characters. I didn’t just lift a phaser or something like that. But I wonder if they would have let me do that. Probably not. Would have had to steal it. No, I didn’t do anything.
What can you actually say about the show and your character? What do you want to tease people about it?
GIAMATTI: I would say that to my mind, it feels very, very, kind of wonderfully old-school Star Trek to me. I would say that it feels very like that. My character is a very fun villain. He reminds me of a combination of some kind of classic Trek villains. That’s all I really say. Whatever I say, it’s going to give away too much.
I understand.
Giamatti Would Love to Play Art Bell in a Horror Sci-Fi Project

Image via Netflix

Listen, I love sci-fi. I love it. It’s my favorite genre. You have Black Mirror, you have Star Trek now, and granted you’re doing the Jesse Eisenberg, but are you actively trying to look for more sci-fi?
GIAMATTI: I am. And it’s like, I feel like I’ve hit a point where people are coming to me with stuff, so I am. I have this thing that hopefully will happen right, where I would play Art Bell in anything. There’s a project, it’s not a biopic, it’s a sort of horror sci-fi thing with Art Bell. So, I would love to do more of this stuff. It’s what I really like. And if I could do it, I will. People come to me and they are offering me stuff, so that’s nice.
Like I said, I was a huge fan of Billions, but something that people don’t realize is when you’re working on a show like that, so much of your time is eaten up, and you can’t do other things.
GIAMATTI: Totally. And now I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of things I’d like to do. I did a show, and I’m gonna plug it through you. Not a lot of people watched it. It was called 30 Coins. It was an HBO Max show. It’s a Spanish-language horror show that I can recommend. Have you ever seen it?
I didn’t see it, but I know the show and I know you did it recently.
GIAMATTI: Yeah, I did that, and that was really fun. I’m happy to do whatever, but if I can get more of that kind of thing, I’ll do it.

Image Via HBO

I want to go back to Black Mirror real quick. When you’re making an episode like that, how much time are you actually filming? Is it like a 10-day shoot? I have no idea how long it takes to make an episode like that.
GIAMATTI: I think we had about maybe two and a half weeks or something like that, which for them was actually quicker than normal. I think they usually take more time with their episodes. Ours was quicker because I think it was actually pretty compact. It was only the two of us, and it was not a lot of locations. I mean, there’s one basically that we shot at for exteriors and stuff, which you don’t even see that much. Then it was just all, I’d say, a much more contained episode. So I think they could do it faster. But I would say it was about two and a half weeks. But I’ve shot some indie films that fast, you know? So it felt like that wasn’t an unaccustomed thing. It was a manageable project, so it didn’t feel like we had too much to do in that part.
Black Mirror Season 7 is available to stream on Netflix.

Black Mirror

Release Date

December 4, 2011

Network

Channel 4, Netflix

Directors

Owen Harris, Toby Haynes, James Hawes, David Slade, Carl Tibbetts, Ally Pankiw, Bryn Higgins, Dan Trachtenberg, Euros Lyn, Jodie Foster, Joe Wright, John Hillcoat, Sam Miller, Tim Van Patten, Uta Briesewitz, Colm McCarthy, Jakob Verbruggen, James Watkins, John Crowley, Otto Bathurst, Anne Sewitsky, Brian Welsh

Writers

Jesse Armstrong