Quentin Tarantino shoots Paul Dano: “He’s so weak! He doesn’t exist on screen”

The director does not appreciate, not at all, the performance of the young American actor.

Quentin Tarantino loves There Will Be Blood. He placed it in 5th position in his top 20 best films of the 21st century so far.

But he doesn’t like everyone in There Will Be Blood.

Guest of the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, the director of pulp Fiction shot one of the key players in Paul Thomas Anderson’s film, young Paul Dano, which ruined part of the film in his opinion.

According to Tarantino “There Will Be Blood would have a better chance of being #1 or #2 if it didn’t have one huge flaw…and that flaw is Paul Dano.”

According to him, the actor simply cannot stand up to Daniel Day-Lewis, author of a “gargantuan” performance. “It’s supposed to be a duel of actors, but it’s also painfully obvious that it isn’t!”

The director is not gentle and drives the point home, without filter:

“Paul Dano, he’s very weak, man. He’s the thing’s little sister. He’s so weak, weak, uninteresting. Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role.”

And when Ellis tries to defend Dano, QT starts again:

“So you’re putting Daniel Day-Lewis up against the weakest male actor in Hollywood? The slackest guy in the world?”

He barely qualifies: “I’m not saying he’s bad. I’m saying he doesn’t exist on screen.”

Asked about a possible role where he would have appreciated Dano, Tarantino remains categorical:

“I don’t like him. I don’t like him, I don’t like Owen Wilson, and I don’t like Matthew Lillard.”

These words are all the fiercer since Paul Dano has nevertheless established himself, over the years, as one of the most respected actors of his generation. He collaborated with Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans), Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Bong Joon-ho (Okja), Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners), Spike Jonze (Max and the Maximons), or even Ang Lee (Take me for a dance). And in front of the camera, he has already stood up to heavyweights: Tom Cruise (Night and Day), Harrison Ford (Cowboys and Invaders), Robert De Niro (Being Flynn), Adam Sandler (Spaceman), Steve Carell (Little Miss Sunshine), Robert Pattinson (The Batman), Michael Caine (Youth) or Daniel Radcliffe (Swiss Army Man).

And it must be remembered that for There Will Be BloodPaul Dano had to urgently resume the role of the preacher Eli Sunday, after the departure of Kel O’Neill two weeks after the start of filming, while retaining his initial role of Paul Sunday. A double challenge often praised – except, obviously, by Quentin Tarantino.