Paul Giamatti set to receive Icon Award for 'The Holdovers' role at Palm Springs film festival

Academy Award nominee Paul Giamatti will receive the Icon Award for his performance in "The Holdovers" at the Palm Springs International Film Awards.

The Film Awards will take place on Jan. 4 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, with the festival running through Jan. 15.

From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, "The Holdovers" follows a curmudgeonly instructor Paul (Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during the holiday break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in the Vietnam War (Da'Vine Joy Randolph).

The film has garnered awards season attention, including three Golden Globes and eight Critics Choice nominations, including best actor for Giamatti. This is Giamatti's second collaboration with Payne, following their 2004 film "Sideways."

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"In 'The Holdovers,' Paul Giamatti inhabits a complex character who is both challenging and rewarding, and ultimately reminds us of what it means to be connected as human beings," festival chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said in a statement. "For his storied career of quintessential cinematic roles, it is our honor to present the Icon Award to Paul Giamatti for this career-best performance."

Giamatti is a versatile character who has appeared in several film and television series. The actor currently stars in the second season of the Spanish-horror series, "30 Coins," as well as in the final season of "Billions," for which he has been nominated for a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award and a Critics Choice Award for best actor in a drama series. Other television credits include "Lodge 49," "Inside Amy Schumer," "Downton Abbey" and "Too Big to Fail," for which he received a SAG Award and Emmy and Golden Globes nominations. In 2008, Giamatti won Emmy, SAG and Golden Globes awards for best actor in a miniseries for his work in "John Adams."

His film credits include "Private Life," "12 Years a Slave," "Saving Mr. Banks," "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," "Rock of Ages," "Straight Outta Compton," "The Ides of March," "The Illusionist," "Big Fat Liar," "Planet of the Apes," "Duets," "The Truman Show," "Saving Private Ryan" and "Sideways," which earned the actor Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations. Giamatti also received a best supporting actor Oscar nomination for "Cinderella Man."

Outside of acting, Giamatti co-hosts the podcast "Chinwag" with author and philosopher Stephen Asma.

Past winners of the Icon Award include Glenn Close, Willem Dafoe, Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall, Lady Gaga, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. In their respective years, Close, Dafoe, Duvall and Streep were each nominated for an Academy Award.

Giamatti joins this year’s previously announced honorees "Killers of the Flower Moon" (Vanguard Award), Emma Stone (Desert Palm achievement award, actress), Cillian Murphy (Desert Palm achievement award, actor), Da’Vine Joy Randolph (breakthrough performance award), Greta Gerwig (director of the year award), Jeffrey Wright (career achievement award), Carey Mulligan (international star award, actress), Colman Domingo (spotlight award, actor), Danielle Brooks (spotlight award, actress) and Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell (Chairman's Award).

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

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