Actors Rally To Support Paul Dano Following Tarantino’s Critique
Paul Dano is receiving support from many of his fellow actors after director Quentin Tarantino criticized the actor in a recent interview. Tarantino delivered his comments on Dano in an appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast. During the interview, the Kill Bill director shared a list of his favorite movies of the 21st century. One movie he named was Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, which he ranked at No. 5. In Tarantino’s interview, he said the film could have been No. 1 if not for a major flaw, “and the flaw is Paul Dano.” He then proceeded to call Dano “weak sauce,” and “The weakest f***ng actor in SAG.” In the 2007 film, Dano portrayed Paul and Eli Sunday. Dano has received praise for his dual role in this film, but Tarantino disagrees and goes further by criticizing his overall acting skills. After the director’s comments, many actors have shown support for Dano and his acting ability. Here are several actors who have defended Dano so far.
Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller looking serious from The Meyerowitz Stories
Stiller is an actor best known for his comedic performances in films like Dodgeball and Zoolander. However, he’s shown he can handle more dramatic roles, like in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and The Meyerowitz Stories. He’s also demonstrated his directing talents in Tropic Thunder and recent TV shows like Severance. Following Tarantino’s comments, Stiller defended Dano on X, saying, “Paul Dano is f-ing brilliant.” Stiller previously worked with Dano on the Showtime limited series, Escape at Dannemora, which he directed and executive-produced.
Simu Liu
Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi doing martial arts on a bus
Simu Liu gained notoriety for his role in the sitcom Kim’s Convenience. However, he’s primarily known for portraying Shang-Chi in the Marvel film of the same name. The MCU star expressed his support for Dano on X, saying, “idk man i think Paul Dano is an incredible actor.” Following his MCU debut, Liu has also had roles in films like Barbie, Arthur the King, and Last Breath. He’s set to reprise his role as Shang-Chi in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday.
Josh Gad
Josh Gad in a tuxedo in The Wedding Ringer
Josh Gad has built his career with a blend of acting and musical roles. He was nominated for a Tony for his role as Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon, and has gained recognition as the voice of Olaf in Disney’s Frozen films. He also played LeFou in the 2017 live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. Gad shared his admiration for Dano on Threads, stating, “Not sure who needs to hear this, but Paul Dano is one of the best actors of our time. Full stop.” Based on the reaction from other actors, many would agree with his statement. Gad’s upcoming roles include The Angry Birds Movie 3 and Spaceballs 2, which he also co-wrote.
Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin in a field in Drunk Parents
Alec Baldwin is a veteran actor who has starred in many acclaimed films like The Departed, The Aviator, Glengarry Glen Ross, and The Cooler. In addition to some of his less serious roles, like The Boss Baby and The Cat in the Hat, he has demonstrated his comedic talents on 30 Rock and through many appearances on Saturday Night Live. In a video shared on his Instagram account, Baldwin expressed his admiration for Dano, saying, “I just want to say, I love Paul Dano. And if you don’t love Paul Dano, shhhhhhh.” Many other users agreed with his statement in the comments, including Everybody Loves Raymond’s Brad Garrett, who said, “Me too.”
Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon has built up an impressive filmography of diverse projects and roles throughout her career. She starred in iconic comedies like Legally Blonde, and dramatic biopics like 2005’s Walk the Line, for which she won an Academy Award. She’s also received acclaim for her television roles, such as Big Little Lies and The Morning Show. She also worked with There Will Be Blood’s Anderson on 2014’s Inherent Vice. On Threads, Witherspoon shared her thoughts on Dano, saying, “Paul Dano is an incredibly gifted, versatile actor. More importantly, he is a gentleman.” The Election star goes beyond praising him as an actor by also complimenting his character.
Colleen Foy
Rob Lowe and Colleen Foy look up in 911: Lone StarJordin Althaus / ©Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection
A few of Dano’s There Will Be Blood co-stars have also shared support for the actor. Colleen Foy played Mary Sunday, the sister of Dano’s character. On her Threads account, Foy not only praised Dano’s performance but also claimed she sat behind Tarantino at a screening of the film, and said he had a different reaction to Dano’s performance.
“Paul Dano and I played brother and sister in THERE WILL BE BLOOD. His incredible performance speaks for itself. I sat behind Quentin Tarantino at the Cast & Crew screening and he was legit vibing with Paul’s performance. His recent comments are incongruent with his reaction that night.”
Foy’s comments do put an interesting twist on this story. However, Tarantino’s opinion may have changed since that screening.
Dillon Freasier
Dillon Freasier portrayed young H.W. Plainview in There Will Be Blood. It is the actor’s only film role, but he still made an impression as Daniel’s son. Speaking with TMZ, Freasier defended the film, saying, “The film is perfect. It’s a work of art. And it’s that way because everyone was perfectly cast.” He states that the film only works because the cast works as a whole, grouping Dano with the rest of the film’s talent. It’s a compliment to the entire cast, and to how they bring the story to life.
Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel humilliates Eli in There Will Be Blood
Daniel Day-Lewis won the 2008 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood. In the film, he shares many memorable scenes with Dano, including the iconic “I drink your milkshake” scene. While Tarantino believes Dano is weak in the film, Day-Lewis doesn’t share this opinion. On his Instagram page, Day-Lewis shared clips from the film, including the scene where Dano’s character forces him to admit that he abandoned his son. The Lincoln actor’s caption says, “Paul Dano is one of the best and most talented actors of his generation.” Day-Lewis has been nominated six times for Best Actor at the Academy Awards and has won three of them. He is regarded as one of the best actors ever, and his praise of his There Will Be Blood co-star reiterates how many feel about Dano’s talent.
Release Date
December 26, 2007
Runtime
158 minutes
已发布: 2025-12-11 01:00:00
来源: screenrant.com
