In a rare public statement, the legendary Daniel Day-Lewis has defended his former co-star Paul Dano, joining a chorus of Hollywood actors pushing back against Quentin Tarantino‘s recent, scathing critique of Dano’s iconic performance in the 2007 masterpiece, There Will Be Blood.
In the world of cinema, few voices carry as much weight as Daniel Day-Lewis. The three-time Academy Award winner, famously reclusive since his retirement, has broken his silence to stand by his There Will Be Blood co-star, Paul Dano. This rare intervention comes after director Quentin Tarantino sparked a Hollywood firestorm by publicly attacking Dano’s celebrated performance in the film.
The Criticism That Shook Hollywood
The controversy ignited during a recent episode of The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, where Quentin Tarantino was discussing his favorite films of the last quarter-century. While placing Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood at number five on his list, he singled out Dano’s performance with shockingly harsh criticism. Tarantino described Dano’s portrayal of the dual roles of Paul and Eli Sunday as “a big giant flaw” and a “non-entity” performance, a statement that stunned fans and industry insiders alike [The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast].
For a film widely considered a modern classic, fueled by the explosive on-screen dynamic between Day-Lewis and Dano, the comment was seen as a direct challenge to the movie’s established legacy.
A Legend Responds
While an army of actors and fans immediately rallied online, the most significant show of support came from the one person whose opinion on the matter holds unparalleled authority: Daniel Day-Lewis himself. A fan-run Instagram account posted a message championing Dano, stating, “Paul Dano is one of the best and most talented actors of his generation.”
Given Day-Lewis’s complete withdrawal from public life, the post could have been dismissed. However, his official representative confirmed to The Guardian that the esteemed actor “endorsed the sentiment.” This quiet but definitive act of solidarity speaks volumes, reaffirming the deep respect forged between the two actors on set.
A History of Collaboration
The bond between Day-Lewis and Dano predates their iconic face-off in There Will Be Blood. The two first shared the screen in the 2005 film The Ballad of Jack and Rose, which was written and directed by Day-Lewis’s wife, Rebecca Miller. This earlier collaboration established a professional foundation that would later contribute to one of the most intense and memorable actor pairings in film history.
The Industry Rallies Behind Dano
Day-Lewis was not alone in his defense of Dano. A wave of prominent actors publicly voiced their support, effectively isolating Tarantino’s critique. The list of defenders includes:
- Ben Stiller
- Simu Liu
- Alec Baldwin
- Josh Gad
Perhaps the most compelling rebuttal came from Colleen Foy, who played Dano’s sister in the film. Foy took to social media to state that Dano’s “incredible performance speaks for itself.” More pointedly, she claimed that Tarantino himself attended a cast and crew screening in 2007 and “was legit vibing with Paul’s performance,” a detail that directly contradicts his recent comments [Threads].
A Pattern of Provocation?
Tarantino’s comments about Dano were not an isolated incident. During the same podcast appearance, the director also named Owen Wilson as an actor he “really can’t stand,” despite placing Wilson’s film Midnight in Paris on his top-ten list. He also expressed that he didn’t “care for” actor Matthew Lillard.
Lillard, known for his roles in Scream and Scooby-Doo, responded to the slight during a convention appearance, stating that hearing such a remark from a revered director “f——- sucks.” This pattern suggests Tarantino’s critiques may be part of a broader, deliberately provocative stance designed to generate conversation, though it has clearly struck a nerve within the acting community.
Ultimately, this episode has transcended mere Hollywood drama. It has become a referendum on artistic respect, pitting a famously iconoclastic director against a united front of his peers. And with the quiet, decisive endorsement from the legendary Daniel Day-Lewis, the verdict on Paul Dano’s performance seems more settled than ever.
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