Two months ago, Quentin Tarantino slammed Paul Dano out of the blue, calling him “the weakest f***ing actor in SAG.” Actors, writers, and directors from across Hollywood immediately came out to defend Dano, but the actor didn’t respond…until now.
Dano on Tarantino
At a 20th-anniversary screening of Little Miss Sunshine at the Sundance Film Festival, Dano was finally asked about the many people who came out to support him in the wake of Tarantino’s comment. “That was really nice,” Dano told Variety. “I was also incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me so I didn’t have to.“
Toni Collette, who co-starred alongside Dano in Little Miss Sunshine, responded a little more forcefully: “Are we really going there? F*** that guy! He must have been high… it was just confusing. Who does that?“
Little Miss Sunshine directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris also chimed in, with Faris noting, “You know what was interesting was the people coming out to defend Paul. There was immediately… he is loved by so many. He is so smart.“
What Tarantino Said About Dano
Tarantino was speaking on Brett Easton Ellis’ podcast to discuss his ranking of the best movies of the 21st century. When it came to Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, the director noted that it would have appeared higher on the list if not for Dano’s performance.
“Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander. But it’s also drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander,” Tarantino explained. “[Dano] is weak sauce, man. He is the weak sister. [Daniel] is eating him [alive]. Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. He’s just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy. Daniel Day-Lewis shows that he doesn’t need a strong foil. The movie needs it. He doesn’t need anything. It’s supposed to be a two-hander and it’s not! … you put him with the the weakest f***ing actor in SAG? The limpest dick in the world?“
Tarantino also mentioned Owen Wilson and Matthew Lillard in the same interview, saying he didn’t care for either as actors.
Look, we all have actors we’re not into, but Tarantino’s comments felt way harsher than they needed to be. Yeah, that’s his whole thing—the guy doesn’t filter himself—but the massive outpouring of support for Dano probably made him rethink that take.
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