Paul Dano has responded publicly after Quentin Tarantino blasted his work in There Will Be Blood, a jab that ricocheted across Hollywood and prompted a wave of support for the actor. Speaking at Sundance during a 20th anniversary event for Little Miss Sunshine, Dano said the reaction from colleagues and fans “was really nice,” adding that he felt “incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me, so I didn’t have to.”
Tarantino’s remarks came during a recent appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, where the director praised Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 film while singling out Dano’s performance opposite Daniel Day-Lewis. Tarantino called Dano “the weakest male actor in SAG” and argued the film could have ranked even higher for him with a different actor in the part.
At Sundance, Dano’s co-star Toni Collette cut in when he was asked about the comments, dismissing the criticism in blunt terms. “Are we really going there? F— that guy! He must’ve been high… It was just confusing. Who does that?” she said. Dano, in turn, kept his focus on the backing he received rather than escalating the exchange.
The episode reignited a familiar tension in the industry: filmmakers trading in unfiltered takes while actors absorb the blow in public. Since Tarantino’s podcast clip surfaced, several prominent figures have defended Dano and pointed to his body of work as evidence that the attack says more about taste than talent. Daniel Day-Lewis’ representatives also confirmed he supports the sentiment that Dano ranks among the standout actors of his generation.
