Quentin Tarantino Criticizes the Least Skilled Actor in SAG

Quentin Tarantino didnt hold back in criticizing Paul Dano, calling him the weakest actor in Hollywood at least in his own words. On Bret Easton Elliss recent podcast, the filmmaker, known for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, delivered a harsh assessment of Dano, a Golden Globe nominee and two-time Emmy contender.

The critique came while Tarantino discussed his ranking of Paul Thomas Andersons 2007 film There Will Be Blood, which stars Daniel Day-Lewis and Dano, placing it fifth among his favorite 21st-century movies. According to Tarantino, the film could have ranked higher if not for what he described as a significant flaw: Danos performance.

[Dano] is weak sauce, man. He is the weak sister. [Daniel Day-Lewis] is eating him alive. Austin Butler would have been great in that role. [Dano] is just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy, Tarantino said, as reported by Variety. He elaborated that the film was intended to be a two-hander, but pairing Day-Lewis with what he called the weakest actor in SAG made it fall short.

Ellis defended Danos dual-role performance in the film, but Tarantino remained firm in his view. Im not saying hes terrible, Im saying hes giving a non-entity performance. I just dont care for him, he added.

The film won Daniel Day-Lewis an Oscar for Best Actor, though Tarantinos critique suggests it left him unimpressed by Dano. The actors notable projects include The Batman (2022), The Fabelmans (2022), and Love & Mercy (2014).

Separately, Tarantino named Ridley Scotts Black Hawk Down (2001) as his favorite film of the century so far, showing his preferences extend beyond recent Hollywood releases.

Author: Grace Ellison