Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino is often recognized for his opinions. However, they aren’t always easy to agree with, and in this instance he has the internet in a frenzy. Quentin Tarantino recently threw shade at actor Paul Dano, calling him the “weaking f-ing actor in SAG.”
It’s a bold statement against the actor whose credits include his well-received role as The Riddler in The Batman. As for Tarantino’s thoughts, however, they were shared in response to Dano’s performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood. He confirmed as much while speaking on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast.
Here’s what Quentin Tarantino had to say about Paul Dano:
“If it didn’t have a big, giant flaw in it… and the flaw is Paul Dano,” Tarantino stated, explaining why he chose the film to be his fifth pick on the best movies of the 21st century so far. If it wasn’t for Dano, then Tarantino reveals he would’ve placed the movie in one of his top two slots.
Tarantino continued to slam Dano:
“Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander. But it’s also drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander,” Tarantino said. “[Dano] is weak sauce, man. He is the weak sister. [Daniel] is eating him [alive]. Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. He’s just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy. Daniel Day-Lewis shows that he doesn’t need a strong foil. The movie needs it. He doesn’t need anything. It’s supposed to be a two-hander and it’s not! … you put him with the the weakest fucking actor in SAG? The limpest dick in the world?”
Ellis added that he felt Dano was “quite good” in the role. Tarantino then responds to explain that he doesn’t think he gives a bad performance but rather one that isn’t memorable.
“I am not saying he is giving a terrible performance, I am saying he’s giving a non-entity performance… I don’t care for him.”
Other than Dano, however, Tarantino had plenty of praise for There Will Be Blood. Of course, that’s not enough to keep the internet from getting heated, as many social media users are upset with Tarantino’s statements about Dano.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding filmmaker Quentin Tarantino as we have them. We’re still waiting to see what his eighth movie project will be – which is also notably said to be his last work as a director. Of course, we’ll have to see what happens in the future.