Paul Dano Breaks Silence On Quentin Tarantino’s Harsh Criticism Of Him

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Published Jan 28, 2026, 10:02 PM EST

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Actor Paul Dano has finally responded after Quentin Tarantino criticized his performance in 2007's There Will Be Blood.

During a now-infamous podcast discussion where Tarantino verbally attacked several actors, including Dano. He declared him the "weakest f***ing actor in SAG." In an interview with Variety at the Sundance Film Festival, Dano was asked about these remarks. However, his Little Miss Sunshine co-star Toni Collette jumped in first, defending her colleague by stating that the Pulp Fiction director's comments were ridiculous and that he must have been confused when he said that.

Are we really going there? F*** that guy! He must’ve been high… it was just confusing. Who does that?

Dano didn't comment on the insults that were hurled at him by the director. However, he expressed his gratitude to his fans and colleagues, all of whom spoke out against Tarantino, so he didn't have to. The massive number of people who defended his acting skills was very touching.

That was really nice. I was also incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me, so I didn’t have to.

Little Miss Sunshine directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris also addressed the controversy. Dayton described Tarantino’s remarks as embarrassing. He added that maybe he just didn't understand the character because he was too complicated, and that's why he didn't appreciate Dano's performance in There Will Be Blood. He stated, "I can only think that his rawness of his performance made Tarantino uncomfortable. He couldn’t be easily filed."

Farris said that she was impressed and happy to see how many people stepped up to defend Dano. She also praised the actor's intelligence and expressed how loved he is in the industry. "You know what was interesting was the people coming out to defend Paul. There was immediately… he is loved by so many. He is so smart."

Dano was just one of the many casualties of Tarantino's attack on the entertainment industry two months ago during an appearance on Bret Easton Ellis’ podcast. While discussing his favorite films of the 21st century, he harshly criticized several actors. Although he said There Will Be Blood was on his list, it would have ranked higher if Dano’s performance was better.