Quentin Tarantino critiqued Paul Dano in 'There Will Be Blood', calling him "weakest male actor"

Quentin Tarantino says Paul Dano held back 'There Will Be Blood' and suggests Austin Butler would have excelled

Quentin Tarantino has shared strong views on Paul Dano’s performance in There Will Be Blood, describing the actor in disparaging terms during an appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast.

The filmmaker ranked Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 drama as his fifth-favourite film of the 21st century, but said one aspect prevented it from placing higher.

“There Will Be Blood would stand a better chance to be in number 1 or number 2 if it didn’t have a big giant flaw in it, and the flaw is Paul Dano,” Tarantino said.

He argued that the dynamic between Dano and Daniel Day-Lewis did not create the intended two-hander effect, adding that he did not believe Dano could match Day-Lewis’ performance.

Tarantino expanded on his comments, saying, “He is weak sauce, man. He’s a weak sister,” and suggested that “another terrific actor” could have delivered more impact in the role.

He proposed Austin Butler as an example, adding, “Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role,” despite the fact Butler was 16 when the film was released.

When Ellis suggested Day-Lewis’ performance may have overwhelmed any co-star, Tarantino replied, “So you put him with the weakest male actor in SAG? The limpest dick in the world?” He later clarified that he did not consider Dano’s performance terrible, but described it as “a non-entity performance.”

Ellis asked whether Tarantino had enjoyed Dano in other projects, to which the director responded, “I don’t care for him,” also naming Owen Wilson and Matthew Lillard.

Dano, however, has maintained a prolific career, working with directors including Steven Spielberg, Steve McQueen, Bong Joon-ho, Denis Villeneuve and Ang Lee.

His portrayal in There Will Be Blood earned him a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor, with critical praise highlighting the intensity of his dual role as Paul and Eli Sunday.