Paul Dano has addressed Quentin Tarantino’s harsh criticism of his acting, expressing gratitude to the many fellow actors and filmmakers who publicly came to his defense after the director made scathing remarks about his performance.
Speaking to Variety on Wednesday, Dano said he was deeply moved by the outpouring of support that followed Tarantino’s comments, which went viral across social media and the film community.
“That was really nice,” Dano said. “I was also incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me so I didn’t have to.”
The controversy began in December during an episode of Bret Easton Ellis’s podcast, where Tarantino discussed his favorite films of the 21st century. While ranking There Will Be Blood at No. 5, Tarantino said the film would have placed higher if not for Dano’s performance, which he compared unfavorably to that of Daniel Day-Lewis.
Tarantino argued that the film was intended to be a “two-hander” but claimed Dano failed to serve as a strong counterpart to Day-Lewis. He described Dano as “weak sauce,” calling him “uninteresting” and dismissing his performance as a “non-entity,” while suggesting another actor could have elevated the role. Tarantino also took shots at Owen Wilson and Matthew Lillard during the same conversation.
Industry Rallies Behind Dano
The response from Hollywood was swift and overwhelmingly supportive of Dano.
A representative for Daniel Day-Lewis told The Guardian that the actor considers Dano “among the best and most talented actors of his generation.” Reese Witherspoon, who worked with Dano on Inherent Vice, praised him as “an incredibly gifted, versatile actor” and added that he is “a gentleman.”
Matt Reeves, who directed Dano in The Batman, called him “an incredible actor, and an incredible person.” Ben Stiller described Dano as “fucking brilliant,” while Alec Baldwin posted a video declaring simply: “I love Paul Dano. And if you don’t love Paul Dano, shhh.”
George Clooney also weighed in during an awards ceremony earlier this month, saying he would be “honoured” to work with Dano, Wilson and Lillard. “I don’t enjoy watching people be cruel,” Clooney said. “We are living in a time of cruelty. We don’t need to be adding to it.”
More Voices Push Back
At the Sundance Film Festival, ahead of a 20th anniversary screening of Little Miss Sunshine, Dano’s co-star Toni Collette reacted bluntly to Tarantino’s remarks.
“Fuck that guy!” Collette said. “He must’ve been high … it was just confusing. Who does that?”
Co-director Jonathan Dayton called Tarantino’s comments an “embarrassment,” suggesting Dano’s raw and unconventional performance may have made the director uncomfortable. “He couldn’t be easily filed,” Dayton said.
Matthew Lillard, also targeted by Tarantino, acknowledged the emotional impact of such public criticism. “It hurts your feelings,” Lillard said. “It fucking sucks. And you wouldn’t say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldn’t say that to somebody who’s a top-line actor in Hollywood.”
Dano Takes the High Road
Despite the controversy, Dano has avoided engaging directly with Tarantino’s remarks, choosing instead to focus on the support he received. His measured response has only strengthened admiration for an actor widely regarded as one of his generation’s most nuanced performers.
As the debate continues, the episode has sparked broader conversations about cruelty in criticism, power dynamics in Hollywood, and how publicly tearing down artists can overshadow meaningful discussions about film.
