"Weakest Fucking Actor": Tarantino's Shocking Attack on Paul Dano
Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino recently shared his list of the best movies of the 21st century, but his praise for one particular film came with a major catch. While discussing a modern classic, the acclaimed director held nothing back, singling out one performer for some of his harshest criticism to date.
Quentin Tarantino has put the final touches on his list of the greatest movies made since the year 2000. However, the celebration came with a sharp critique, as Tarantino singled out actor Paul Dano for his work in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 picture, There Will Be Blood.
A Modern Classic with a Catch
While speaking on a recent episode of the Bret Easton Ellis podcast, the famed director placed There Will Be Blood at number five on his list of 21st-century favorites. As expected, Tarantino began with a flood of admiration for the movie. “Daniel Day-Lewis. The old-style craftsmanship is evident in the film. It had an old Hollywood craftsmanship without trying to be like that,” he noted.
In the acclaimed drama Day-Lewis portrays Daniel Plainview, a merciless oil prospector determined to become the most dominant tycoon in the business. Dano co-stars, playing the dual roles of twins Eli and Paul Sunday. The director of Kill Bill emphasized that the film is an outlier in Anderson’s body of work, explaining, “it was the only film he’s ever done, and I brought it up to him, that doesn’t have a set piece. The fire is the closest to a set piece. This was about dealing with the narrative, dealing with the story, and he did it fucking amazingly.”
An Unsparing Takedown
Despite his high praise, Tarantino confessed that the movie would have secured an even higher spot on his list if not for Dano's involvement. The director bluntly shared, “There Will Be Blood would stand a good chance at being one or two if it didn’t have a big, giant flaw in it … and the flaw is Paul Dano.” He elaborated on his feelings about the dynamic between the two leads. “Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander, but it’s also drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander.”
Tarantino didn't stop there, continuing his verbal assault on the actor's performance. “He is weak sauce, man. He’s a weak sister. Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. [Dano is] just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy. The weakest fucking actor in SAG [Screen Actors Guild],” he declared. As of now, Dano has not publicly responded to the director's remarks.