- Primary Subject: Paul Dano
- Key Update: Paul Dano has publicly addressed Quentin Tarantino’s viral insults for the first time.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: January 29, 2026
- Quick Answer: Paul Dano responded with class, stating he was "incredibly grateful" that his peers defended him, making it unnecessary for him to engage with Tarantino's remarks.
Paul Dano has finally reacted to Quentin Tarantino's controversial remarks about his acting talent that made a lot of headlines.
A few months ago, the Pulp Fiction filmmaker was criticized for dissing Dano's performance in There Will Be Blood as he described him as the "weakest f***ing actor in SAG." Since then, several actors online have come out to condemn Tarantino's remarks and show their full support for Dano, who has never commented on the issue until now.
What is Paul Dano's Reaction to Quentin Tarantino's Remarks About Him?
At a recent 20th anniversary screening of Little Miss Sunshine, Dano was asked by Variety about his thoughts on Tarantino's controversial remarks about him.
This is the first time that he publicly reacted to the issue since it made headlines. He opted to focus more on the support that he has received from his colleagues in the industry.
"That was really nice. I was also incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me, so I didn’t have to," the actor said.
Dano's Little Miss Sunshine co-star, Toni Collette, added: "Are we really going there? F*** that guy! He must’ve been high... it was just confusing. Who does that?"
The film's directors, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, also weighed in on the controversy and showed their support for Dano.
Dayton said, "I can only think that his rawness of his performance made Tarantino uncomfortable. He couldn’t be easily filed," while Faris noted, "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."
What is Quentin Tarantino's Reaction to the Backlash on His Paul Dano Comments?
So far, Tarantino has not commented on the backlash against his controversial remarks about Dano, nor has he released any statement or apology to the actor.
His remarks about Dano came after he discussed There Will Be Blood as one of his favorite films of the 21st century in an interview on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast.
He noted that the film "would stand a better chance to be in number one or number two if it didn’t have a big giant flaw in it," and the flaw that he pointed to is Dano.
"Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander, and it’s also so drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander. He is weak sauce, man. He’s a weak sister," the filmmaker said. "Daniel Day-Lewis shows that he doesn’t need [a strong foil in the movie]. He doesn’t need anything. The movie would’ve had more — there would’ve been more stringiness to the beef. And again, it’s supposed to be a two-hander, and it’s not."
After Ellis argued that Day-Lewis' character was "so gargantuan" that it had overtaken Dano's presence, Tarantino asked back, "So you put him with the weakest male actor in SAG? The limpest d**k in the world?"
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