Paul Dano has responded to Quentin Tarantino after the director made unexpected remarks about him.
Quentin Tarantino is known for stirring controversy, but his comments last year about actor Paul Dano caught many by surprise.
The director frequently shares his opinions on Hollywood, movies, and actors he admires, as well as those he criticizes. However, his comments on Dano seemed particularly unexpected.
In December, speaking on the Bret Easton Ellis podcast, Tarantino revealed that the 2007 film There Will Be Blood is ranked as his fifth favorite film of the 21st century.
However, he mentioned an aspect of the Paul Thomas Anderson film that affected his ranking.
He stated: “There Will Be Blood would stand a better chance to be in number one or number two if it didn’t have a big giant flaw in it, and the flaw is Paul Dano.”
He further commented: “Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. [Dano] just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy.”
Tarantino went on to describe Dano as ‘the weakest male actor in SAG’, calling him the ‘limpest d***’ in the world.
When asked if he appreciated any of Dano’s projects, Tarantino bluntly said: “I don’t care for him. I don’t care for him, I don’t care for Owen Wilson, and I don’t care for Matthew Lillard.”
Following the controversy, many celebrities defended Dano, and he has now responded in a brief statement.
While celebrating the 20th anniversary of Little Miss Sunshine at the Sundance Film Festival, Dano told Variety that it was ‘really nice’ to have fellow actors support him.
He expressed his gratitude by saying: “I was also incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me so I didn’t have to.”
Valerie Faris, Dano’s co-star in Little Miss Sunshine, remarked: “You know what was interesting was the people coming out to defend Paul. He is loved by so many. He is so smart.”
The film’s director, Jonathan Dayton, described Tarantino’s comments as an ‘embarrassment’, suggesting that Dano’s raw performance might have made Tarantino uncomfortable. He added, ‘I can only think that his rawness of his performance made Tarantino uncomfortable. He couldn’t be easily filed’.
Other celebrities who came to Dano’s defense included Ben Stiller, who wrote on X: “Paul Dano is f-ing brilliant’.
Alec Baldwin also expressed his support on Instagram: “I love Paul Dano,’ before advising critics to hush if they don’t share the sentiment, with a gesture of his finger to his lips.