Paul Giamatti is so imperfect for the role

The creators of 'John Adams' on HBO wanted to portray the second president as he was -- a neurotic and cynical everyman. And they knew just where to turn. > SHORTLY before he had to transform himself into John Adams, Paul Giamatti was portraying Santa in "Fred Claus." And as TV viewers were getting set to see him in powdered wigs while becoming our second president, he was already on to his latest role, in a comedy about a guy whose soul is extracted and stolen by the Russian mob. That one's called "Cold Souls," though Giamatti refers to it as "the soul-sucker picture." (link)