Quentin Tarantino sparked backlash this week after calling Paul Dano the "weakest f---ing actor in SAG" during an appearance on the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, Deadline reports. Tarantino criticized Dano's performance in There Will Be Blood, in which Dano played opposite Daniel Day-Lewis, as "weak sauce." In ranking his favorite movies of the 21st century, Tarantino noted that There Will Be Blood "would stand a good chance at being No. 1 or No. 2 if it didn't have a big, giant flaw in it ... and the flaw is Paul Dano."
"He's just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy," Tarantino added, saying he thinks actor Austin Butler would've been a better fit for that role. Fans and industry colleagues soon came to Dano's defense on social media. Mattson Tomlin, co-writer of The Batman: Part II, praised Dano as both a "terrific actor" and "an astonishing director who exudes control and tremendous empathy." Dano, who played the Riddler in Matt Reeves' 2022 Batman film, also received support from Barbie and Shang-Chi star Simu Liu, who posted, "idk man i think Paul Dano is an incredible actor."
Meanwhile, Dillon Freasier, who played a young HW Plainview in There Will Be Blood, dismissed Tarantino's suggestion that Butler should've been cast in Dano's role, telling TMZ the film is "perfect" because "everyone was perfectly cast." Film journalist Jamie Graham also weighed in, arguing that Dano's "weak and weaselly" performance was intentional and part of the film's success. The controversy comes as Dano remains active in Hollywood, with rumors swirling about new roles in upcoming projects, including a possible return to the Batman franchise.
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