Paul Dano has addressed director Quentin Tarantino’s recent criticism of his acting, expressing gratitude for the support he received from colleagues across Hollywood.
Nearly two months after Tarantino described Dano as “the weakest f—king actor in SAG,” the 41-year-old actor appeared at the Sundance Film Festival to mark the 20th anniversary of Little Miss Sunshine, alongside co-star Toni Collette.
Reacting to the remarks, Collette dismissed Tarantino’s comments, telling Variety on Jan. 28, “F—k that guy! He must’ve been high… it was just confusing. Who does that?”
Dano, for his part, took a more measured tone, saying he appreciated the public defense from fellow actors. “That was really nice,” he said. “I was also incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me so I didn’t have to.”
Tarantino had made the comments during a Dec. 2 appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, where he criticized Dano’s performance in There Will Be Blood as a “giant flaw” and “weak sauce.” Following the remarks, several Hollywood figures, including Reese Witherspoon and Ben Stiller, publicly defended Dano.
