Hollywood is rallying behind Paul Dano after Quentin Tarantino blasted his skills as an actor. Now, The Batman director Matt Reeves has also come to the actor's defense.
Almost immediately after his post went live, several of his followers echoed his sentiments in the comments. His fans praised Dano's portrayal of the Riddler in Reeves' 2022 superhero film, The Batman. Some users also complimented the actor's range and mentioned other characters he has played who are nothing like the comic book villain, such as his role in The Fabelmans, where he starred as a modest computer engineer and a father.
Additionally, Mattson Tomlin, the screenwriter for The Batman Part II, also supported Dano. In a post on his X account, he applauded the people who cheered the actor on following the Pulp Fiction director's unfair statements. He added that he was a great director and implored audiences to watch Dano's other projects. “I am really pleased to see so many people cheer on Paul Dano this week. Not only is he a terrific actor, but he’s an astonishing director who exudes control and tremendous empathy. Check out ‘Wildlife’ if you haven’t seen it.
Tarantino lashed out at Dano during his now-infamous appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, where he insulted many of his colleagues in the industry. While he listed There Will Be Blood as the fifth best movie of the 21st century, he ruthlessly attacked the actor. The director claimed that the only reason the film didn't make it to the number one spot on his list was because of Dano, whom he called the biggest "flaw" in the movie, among other vulgar comments.
Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander. But it’s also drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander. [Dano] is weak sauce, man. He is the weak sister. [Daniel] is eating him [alive]. Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. He’s just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy. Daniel Day-Lewis shows that he doesn’t need a strong foil. The movie needs it. He doesn’t need anything. It’s supposed to be a two-hander and it’s not! … you put him with the the weakest f****** actor in SAG? The limpest dick in the world? I am not saying he is giving a terrible performance, I am saying he’s giving a non-entity performance… I don’t care for him.
While Tarantino didn't appreciate the actor's performance in There Will Be Blood, his co-star disagreed. Dillon Freasier, who played H.W. Plainview, was asked about how he felt about the comments by TMZ. He said that Dano was perfect for the role and was great to work with. He explained, "It’s a work of art. And it’s that way because everyone was perfectly cast."
