A shockwave hit Hollywood after Quentin Tarantino’s blistering insult towards Paul Dano ignited a fierce on-line debate and an amazing wave of assist for the actor.
What started with Tarantino calling him “the worst f-cking actor in SAG” rapidly reworked right into a rallying cry from followers, filmmakers, and fellow stars decided to highlight Dano’s acclaimed physique of labor and simple expertise.
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Hollywood Rallies Round Paul Dano
idk man i feel paul dano is an unbelievable actor
— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) December 4, 2025
The backlash to Tarantino’s jab was quick. Movie lovers and trade figures flooded social media with reward for Dano, with Marvel star Simu Liu among the many first to defend him.
“[I don’t know] man I feel Paul Dano is an unbelievable actor,” Liu wrote on X, reflecting the sentiment of many who view Dano as one in every of Hollywood’s most versatile performers.
Mattson Tomlin, co-writer of “The Batman Half II,” additionally spoke out, applauding the surge of assist.
“I’m actually happy to see so many individuals cheer on Paul Dano this week,” he shared on X. “Not solely is he a terrific actor, however he’s an astonishing director who exudes management and super empathy. Take a look at ‘Wildlife’ in the event you haven’t seen it.”
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Tomlin’s protection carries further weight given his connection to Dano by way of “The Batman,” the place Dano portrayed the chilling and memorable Riddler.
Whereas it stays unsure whether or not the character will return for the sequel, buzz surrounding the movie has grown with information that Scarlett Johansson is in early talks for a serious function reverse Robert Pattinson.
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Quentin Tarantino’s Remark Sparks Broad Pushback
I’m actually happy to see so many individuals cheer on Paul Dano this week. Not solely is he a terrific actor, however he is an astonishing director who exudes management and super empathy. Take a look at WILDLIFE if you have not seen it: https://t.co/WDb34MwjcE
— mattson tomlin (@mattsontomlin) December 3, 2025
Assist continued to pour in as voices from Dano’s previous initiatives stepped ahead.
TMZ spoke with Dillon Freasier, who acted alongside Dano in “There Will Be Blood” as H.W. Plainview.
Freasier praised each the movie and Dano’s efficiency, calling the film “good” and including, “It’s a murals. And it’s that method as a result of everybody was completely forged.”
As the controversy spreads throughout Hollywood, one factor is obvious: Tarantino’s harsh comment has solely strengthened the trade’s appreciation for Dano, turning a stinging insult right into a second of unified admiration.
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Quentin Tarantino’s Criticism Deepens The Debate
The uproar surrounding Tarantino’s stunning feedback about Paul Dano solely intensified when the director’s full remarks from “The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast” emerged.
Whereas discussing what he believes are the very best movies of the twenty first century, Tarantino ranked “There Will Be Blood” at No. 5 however mentioned per Variety that it might have been on the very prime “if it didn’t have an enormous, big flaw in it… and the flaw is Paul Dano.”
He went additional, arguing that the movie’s dynamic between Daniel Day-Lewis and Dano by no means functioned the best way the script supposed.
Tarantino insisted the film “is meant to be a two-hander,” but to him it was “drastically apparent that it’s not a two-hander.”
He mentioned Dano was “weak sauce” and claimed Day-Lewis “is consuming him alive.”
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Half-laughing, half-serious, Tarantino continued touchdown blows, describing Dano as “the weakest f-cking actor in SAG” and even calling him “the limpest d-ck on the planet,” a comment that immediately fueled fan outrage on-line.
Followers Push Again As Ellis Makes an attempt To Regular The Dialog

Bret Easton Ellis tried to melt the criticism, saying Dano was “fairly good” for what the function required.
Tarantino doubled down, clarifying that he didn’t assume Dano gave a nasty efficiency however a hole one. He described it as a “non-entity efficiency,” including that he merely doesn’t look after Dano’s presence within the movie.
Followers rapidly countered Tarantino’s evaluation by highlighting the emotional depth of Dano’s portrayal of Eli Sunday, a efficiency that critics broadly praised upon the movie’s launch. Many argued that the preacher’s simmering frustration and unhinged fervor have been intentional contrasts to Daniel Plainview’s explosive brutality.
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The distinction, supporters mentioned, is what made the central battle so haunting. This pushback echoed the surge of assist from stars and filmmakers who contended that Dano’s quiet menace has at all times been a deliberate and efficient appearing selection.
Quentin Tarantino Praises The Legacy Of ‘There Will Be Blood’

Regardless of the divisive remarks, each Tarantino and Ellis nonetheless agreed that “There Will Be Blood” stands among the many best achievements in trendy cinema.
Ellis praised Paul Thomas Anderson’s “old-style craftsmanship,” whereas Tarantino famous that the movie “had an previous Hollywood craftsmanship with out attempting to be like that.”
He identified that Anderson’s work contained no conventional set items, one thing he admired.
The closest, he mentioned, was the oil derrick hearth. “This was about coping with the narrative, coping with the story,” Tarantino defined, calling the execution “superb.”
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As Hollywood continues rallying behind Dano within the wake of Tarantino’s critique, the controversy has solely renewed curiosity within the movie, and within the creative conflict between two very completely different visions of what makes a efficiency highly effective.

