Paul Dano finally addressed Quentin Tarantino’s harsh criticism of his work, which emerged in December 2025 on The Bret Easton Ellis podcast. In the episode, Tarantino called Dano the “weakest” actor in Hollywood and singled him out as the only flaw in There Will Be Blood.
Tarantino argued that Dano’s performance paled next to Daniel Day-Lewis’ work and dismissed Dano as uninteresting, lacking presence on screen. The comments quickly went viral, sparking industry backlash.
Despite this, Dano remained silent until recently, when Variety brought up the issue at the Sundance Film Festival in a chat with his co-star Toni Collette. Collette defended Dano, saying Tarantino “must’ve been high” and that he was “just confusing.” She added, “F*** that guy!”
Dano responded by expressing gratitude to those who stood behind him. Little Miss Sunshine co-director Jonathan Dayton also supported the actor, calling Tarantino’s comments an embarrassment. Valerie Faris, director of The Fabelmans, also defended Dano.
Several high-profile figures echoed their support online. Matt Reeves praised Dano’s talent and character in Batman. Ben Stiller called him “an incredible actor.” Dano’s career includes roles in The Batman, Prisoners, Love & Mercy, and The Fabelmans. He received a BAFTA nomination for There Will Be Blood and has earned Golden Globe and Emmy nominations.
Tarantino later clarified his stance, stating he did not think Dano was terrible but simply found his performance forgettable.