Paul Dano finally broke his silence after Quentin Tarantino publicly ripped into his performance There will be bloodand his calm, measured response ended up speaking louder than any clapback.
Instead of escalating the controversy, Dano let the reaction of the film world do the talking, a move that many saw as quietly dismantling Tarantino’s criticism.
The moment came ahead of a 20th anniversary screening of Little Miss Sunshine at the Sundance Film Festival, where Dano was asked about Tarantino’s remarks.
Before he could even answer, his co-star Toni Collette jumped in forcefully, shutting down the question and making it clear she had no interest in entertaining the criticism.
Dano himself chose a different path, explaining that he never felt the need to respond publicly when support poured in on his behalf.
“It was really nice,” Dano said Black. “I was also incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me so I didn’t have to.”
Tarantino sparked backlash nearly two months earlier while appearing on Brett Easton Ellis’ podcast discussing his list of the best movies of the 21st century.
Although he said There will be blood would have ranked first or second for him, he claimed Dano’s performance pushed it down the list. His comments quickly went viral for their bluntness.
“Obviously, it’s meant to be a two-hander. But it’s also drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander,” Tarantino said.
“[Dano] is weak sauce, man. He is the weak sister. [Daniel] eat him [alive]. Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. He’s just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy. Daniel Day-Lewis shows 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 weakest f–king actor in SAG? The most slack d–ki world?”
The statements stunned many in the industry, especially given Dano’s long list of acclaimed performances and award nominations.
Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, who worked with Dano on Little Miss Sunshinealso pushed back against Tarantino’s take. Dayton called the comments an embarrassment and suggested that Tarantino may have been unsettled by Dano’s crude approach.
Faris pointed to the overwhelming support Dano received, noting how quickly people came to his defense and emphasized how respected he is.
The backlash ultimately worked in Dano’s favor.
Fans and other actors rallied around him, including George Clooney, who publicly said he would be honored to work with Dano and others whom Tarantino criticized.
Seam Little Miss Sunshine anniversary screening takes place in Park City, and the focus has largely shifted away from the insult itself and toward Dano’s work, and his quiet, nonchalant response, letting the industry deliver the final word for him.
