Hold onto your seats, because Quentin Tarantino is once again stirring the pot with his unfiltered opinions—this time taking aim at Paul Dano, whom he boldly labels the ‘worst actor in SAG.’ But here’s where it gets controversial: Is Tarantino’s critique fair, or is he missing the mark entirely? Let’s dive in.
The 62-year-old filmmaker recently shared his Top 20 movies of the 21st Century, and surprisingly, Paul Dano’s 2007 film There Will Be Blood made the cut. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, the movie is undoubtedly a masterpiece—but Tarantino’s praise comes with a glaring asterisk. While he adored the film overall, he couldn’t help but slam Dano’s dual performances as the identical twins Eli and Paul Sunday. And this is the part most people miss: Tarantino believes the movie could have been a top contender for his #1 or #2 spot if not for what he calls Dano’s ‘weak sauce’ acting.
During The Brett Easton Ellis Podcast, Tarantino didn’t hold back. ‘There Will Be Blood would stand a good chance at being #1 or #2 if it didn’t have a big, giant flaw in it … and the flaw is Paul Dano,’ he said. ‘He’s just such a weak, uninteresting guy. The weakest f-cking actor in SAG,’ he added with a laugh. But here’s the kicker: Tarantino even suggested Austin Butler could have been a better fit for the role. Ouch.
This isn’t the first time Tarantino has taken a jab at Dano. In a previous critique, he admitted there was nothing inherently bad about Dano’s portrayal but called it a ‘compromise.’ He went on to compare Dano’s performance unfavorably to Daniel Day-Lewis, saying, ‘If the two characters are meant to be combatants throughout the film, then Daniel Day-Lewis is Muhammed Ali and Paul Dano is Jerry Quarry.’ Bold statement, right? But is it fair to pit the two actors against each other when their roles and approaches are so fundamentally different?
Here’s the twist: Paul Dano wasn’t even supposed to play both twins. Originally cast only as Paul Sunday, he stepped into the role of Eli at the last minute after the original actor dropped out. With just three and a half to four days to prepare, Dano admitted he relied on ‘guts and instinct’ rather than extensive rehearsal. ‘I was in good hands with Paul [Thomas Anderson] and Daniel [Day-Lewis],’ he said. ‘I felt I had to cut loose and go for it.’
Now, here’s the question for you: Is Tarantino’s criticism justified, or is he overlooking the challenges Dano faced in taking on such a demanding role with minimal prep time? And more importantly, does a single performance—even if flawed—deserve to overshadow an otherwise stellar film? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. One thing’s for sure: this debate isn’t going away anytime soon. Oh, and did we mention one of Tarantino’s iconic films is returning to theaters this weekend? You won’t want to miss it!
