Quentin Tarantino Calls Paul โขDanoโข “Weak Sauce” in Resurfaced Interview
Quentin Tarantino has ignited controversy with recently resurfaced comments criticizing โฃactorโ Paul โDano’s performance in Paulโฃ Thomas anderson’s critically acclaimed film, There Will โคBe โขBlood. The director โdidn’t mince words,labeling Dano “weak sauce” and “the weakest fucking actor in SAG” during a 2015 appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast.
Tarantino, a noted cinephile, explained his assessment stemmed โคfrom the imbalance โคhe perceived between Dano and Daniel day-Lewis’s โperformances. While โacknowledging There Will Be Blood‘s potential to rank among his top two โfilmsโข ofโ all time, โฃhe argued โDano’s portrayal of โthe dual roles ofโ Paul and โคEliโค sunday considerably detracted fromโ the film’s overall impact.โข “Obviously, โฃits โฃsupposed โtoโค be a two-hander, butโ it’s also drasticallyโ obvious that โคit’s notโ aโฃ two-hander,” Tarantino stated.
The director went further, suggesting Austin Butler – who was 15 years old โat โthe time of the film’s release – wouldโ have beenโ a superior choice โfor theโฃ role. Tarantino contrasted Butler’s potential with what โhe saw as Dano’s lack โof presence,reiterating his โคbelief thatโข Dano โฃwas an “uninterestingโฃ guy.” The comments have quickly circulated online, prompting โreactions from film fans and industryโ observers alike.
The resurfacingโค ofโ these remarks highlights Tarantino’s reputation for candid,and frequently enough blunt,opinions on acting and filmmaking. โฃWhile โฃhis critical assessments โคhave frequently sparked debate, โthey alsoโ underscore his deep engagement with the art formโ and his exacting standards for โคperformance.