Paul Dano defended by Hollywood after Quentin Tarantino blasts 'There Will Be Blood' performance

Quentin Tarantino’s recent criticism of Paul Dano has prompted strong responses from colleagues and admirers of the actor, following remarks the director made during an appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast. While naming his 20 favorite films of the 21st century, Tarantino included Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood but argued that Dano’s performance was the film’s primary flaw. He described Dano as “weak sauce” and called him the “weakest… actor in SAG,” comments that quickly circulated on social media.

Support for Dano emerged swiftly, including from Mattson Tomlin, co-writer of The Batman: Part II. Writing on X/Twitter, Tomlin praised Dano’s talent, calling him not only a strong performer but also a filmmaker with “tremendous empathy.” Dano portrayed the Riddler in Matt Reeves’ 2022 The Batman, a role that left the possibility of his return open, though no official confirmation has been announced.

Dillon Freasier, who portrayed the young H.W. Plainview in There Will Be Blood, also defended Dano in comments to TMZ. He called the film “a work of art” and credited its impact to the cast being “perfectly” chosen. Freasier dismissed Tarantino’s suggestion that Austin Butler would have been a better fit, noting Butler would have been only 16 when the movie premiered in 2007.

Simu Liu, known for Barbie and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, added his support on X/Twitter, stating that he considers Dano “an incredible actor.” Journalist Jamie Graham echoed that sentiment, arguing that Dano’s deliberately fragile and uneasy performance was vital to the film’s dynamic.