Who is Paul Giamatti’s girlfriend? What to know about Clara Wong

Paul Giamatti and Clara Wong are officially an item.

The “Billions” actors have been linked professionally for several years, but Giamatti confirmed the pair’s romance this past January in his Golden Globes acceptance speech.

“I want to say, I love my beautiful girlfriend, Clara Wong. Why you bother with me, I don’t know why,” he said as he took home the award for best actor in a comedy or musical for his role in “The Holdovers.”

Days earlier, he and Wong made their red-carpet debut at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in Palm Springs, California.

The pair shared smiles on the red carpet and posed with their arms around each other.

They also walked the red carpet together at the BAFTA Awards on Feb. 18 in London.

Giamatti, 56, was previously married to producer Elizabeth Cohen. They share a son, Samuel Giamatti, who recently graduated from college, the actor revealed in his Globes speech.

Though it is unclear when Giamatti and Wong became an item, it is possible their relationship started on the set of “Billions.” Wong made several appearances on the Showtime drama starring Giamatti between 2016 and 2023.

On Instagram, Wong describes herself an “actor, animal enthusiast, people-watcher, Oxford comma user, and student of life.” And though she doesn’t post about Giamatti too often, she and the “John Adams” star have been spotted together on and off social media platforms over the years.

Read on to learn more about Paul Giamatti’s girlfriend, Clara Wong.

Wong appeared with Giamatti on ‘Billions’

Wong had a recurring role on “Billions,” appearing in seven episodes of the Showtime drama. She played Troy, a dominatrix who kept Giamatti’s character, Chuck Rhoades, entertained.

Though it’s unclear when they began dating, the pair appeared publicly together as early as January 2019, when they were spotted on the jumbotron at a New York Rangers game.

In a video of the couple shared on X by MSG Networks, Wong can be seen smiling and touching Giamatti’s arm.

The actors also made a joint visit to the National Willa Cather Center in Red Cloud, Nebraska, in August 2019.

In October that year, Giamatti and Wong were photographed together at a fundraiser for the Denali Foundation at the Yale Club in New York City.

She has shared a few affectionate Instagram posts featuring Giamatti

Though Giamatti and Wong have mostly kept their relationship off social media, Wong has been hinting at her connection to Giamatti for a while now on Instagram.

In March 2021, she shared what appears to be a photo of the “Billions” star wearing a mask and face shield.

In June the same year, Wong celebrated Giamatti’s birthday on Instagram, sharing a photo of him striking a silly pose.

“Happy birthday to this firecracker!!” she wrote in the caption.

She marked Giamatti’s birthday again on Instagram in 2022, sharing an across-the-table photo of the actor.

“Happy Birthday to YOU! May it be filled with all the treats you can eat, all the books you can read, and all the Unsolved Mysteries podcast episodes you can listen to!” she wrote in the caption.

She continued the birthday Instagram post tradition in 2023, sharing pics of Giamatti smiling and wearing a ball cap.

“Happy birthday to this sweet soul!” she wrote in the caption.

She has been acting professionally since 2013

According to IMDb, Wong began her professional acting career in 2013 with an uncredited role in the action film “Pacific Rim.”

In November of that year, she shared a photo of her new Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA, union membership card.

“Guys, it finally came!” she wrote in the caption.

Wong has since appeared in numerous TV shows, including “Louie,” “The Tick,” “What We Do in the Shadows” and “Law & Order: Organized Crime.”

She also appeared in various commercials in the earlier days of her career, including ads for Cartier, Liberty Mutual, Lowe’s and Hellman’s.

She went to the University of Illinois

Wong was born in Skokie, Illinois, according to her IMDb profile, and attended the University of Illinois, where acting became one of her extracurricular activities.

In a college production of “Into the Woods” during her sophomore year, she played Cinderella, the university’s student newspaper, The Daily Illini, reported in 2006.

Also during her sophomore year, Wong was crowned Miss Asian UIUC 2007 in a pageant hosted by the university’s Taiwan Intercultural Association.

According to the newspaper, she sang in English and Mandarin for the talent portion, and “was able to showcase her background by wearing a traditional Chinese dress.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com