Paul Dano responds to Tarantino's diss

It has been almost two months since Paul Dano's acting talent was publicly called into question by Quentin Tarantino. The harsh criticism from the "Kill Bill" director made waves, but Dano kept his feet still. Until now. Now, for the first time, the actor has spoken out himself. And in a rather relaxed manner.

When asked about Tarantino's comments at the Sundance Film Festival, Dano referred to the countless people on social media that immediately took his side. "That was really nice," he told Variety. "I was also incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me so I didn't have to."

Blunt criticism from Quentin Tarantino

In Brett Easton Ellis' podcast, Tarantino talked about what he considers to be the best films of the 21st century. He also talked about Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood". In the 2007 drama, Daniel Day-Lewis plays the unscrupulous protagonist who works his way up to become a successful oil entrepreneur. His opponent is played by Dano. And this is precisely where Tarantino sees the film's great weakness. If it hadn't been for Dano's performance, he would have voted the movie number one or two. As it is, "There Will Be Blood" is only the fifth best film of the 21st century for him. Instead, he described Ridley Scott's 2001 war film "Black Hawk Down" as the best film of this era to date.

Tarantino is pretty much alone in his criticism of Dano's much-praised performance in "There Will Be Blood" anyway. But what turned the whole thing into a controversy that caused a wave of outrage was the way Tarantino attacked him. Dano was described by the filmmaker as "the weakest fucking actor" in the US actors' union SAG. He also commented on the on-screen duel between Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano:

Daniel is eating him. Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. He's just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy.

Much encouragement for Paul Dano

After the blunt criticism, not only fans but also numerous Hollywood stars took Dano's side. Fellow actress Reese Witherspoon, for example, described him as a talented, versatile actor and gentleman. 'The Batman' director Matt Reeves, who casted Dano as the villain Riddler in his superhero adaptation, also jumped to his side and described him as an incredible actor and person. Meanwhile, Ethan Hawke commented on the podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience": "Anybody that knows Quentin knows he just talks, talks, talks," said the "Lowdown" actor and, in view of the many expressions of solidarity, immediately emphasized the positive side of the whole affair. "You know what, I don't think Paul Dano ever knew that so many people loved him."

Whether his many supporters are right to praise Paul Dano as an outstanding actor is something he is able to prove right now on the big screen. In Olivier Assayas' new film "The Wizard of the Kremlin" we can see him alongside Jude Law as Putin's advisor. Let's see if Tarantino will also comment on this performance.