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Black Mirror: Paul Giamatti Reveals "Eulogy" Had Alternate Version

Paul Giamatti discusses his Black Mirror episode, "Eulogy," its running themes, and the alternate version that was considered at one point.

If there's one thing Charlie Brooker has perfectly captured in his Netflix sci-fi anthology series, Black Mirror, it's the human condition, creating memorable, visceral, and controversial moments within each episode. It's the kind of series that also tends to attract A-list talent like two-time Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti, who starred in the season seven flashback-driven episode "Eulogy," which follows Phillip (Giamatti), who is contacted by a company called Eulogy that collects immersive photo memories for memorials. In this instance, he's asked to conjure memories of his ex-girlfriend Carol, who he's largely scrubbed out of his life, scratching all traces of her physical appearance from past photos after their breakup and his guide (Patsy Ferran) sets him on a journey to recollect his painful past of his romantic failures. The actor spoke to Variety about the episode's themes of regret, loss, isolation, and an alternate version that was considered.

Black Mirror: Paul Giamatti on "Eulogy's" Familiar Themes and Scrapped Alternate Version

"There were lots of things that I felt an instinctual relationship to without needing to think a lot about it," Giamatti said. "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. "

The actor recalled his performance in 2004's Sideways, "I've done 'Sideways' and I was alone a lot in that movie, and it is interesting," he said. "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."

Giamatti revealed there was an alternate version that changed one key aspect of his relationship before it was scrapped. "Philip was married, and he had to go through this thing," he said. "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." At the episode's climax, it's revealed that the guide is actually Phillip's long-lost daughter, whom he had with Carol before their breakup. To make amends as a first step, Phillip attends his grown daughter's concert.  All seven seasons of Black Mirror are available on Netflix.

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