Quentin Tarantino has never been afraid to share his opinions. The critically acclaimed filmmaker is no stranger to taking risks when it comes to movies, but he may have rattled a fan base in December 2025 when he openly criticized Paul Dano and his performance in There Will Be Blood opposite Daniel Day-Lewis.
After calling Paul a “weak” actor, Quentin raised a lot of eyebrows across Hollywood, as many wondered if he and the Little Miss Sunshine actor have beef.
Here, Hollywood Life breaks down everything we know about Quentin and Paul’s working relationship.
What Did Quentin Tarantino Say About Paul Dano?
In a December 2025 appearance on “The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast,” the Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood director was asked about his top 10 favorite movies. He said the 2007 film There Will Be Blood was his fifth favorite, but that it would have been his first or second choice had Paul not starred in the project.
Quentin called Paul the “big, giant flaw” of There Will Be Blood, which was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. He compared Paul’s performance to Daniel’s.
“Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander, and it’s also so drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander,” Quentin said, referring to Daniel and Paul’s scenes together. “[Paul] is weak sauce, man. He’s a weak sister.”
The Pulp Fiction director said that Austin Butler — who starred in Quentin’s Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood — “would have been wonderful” in Paul’s dual role as twins Paul and Eli Sunday, adding that Paul is “just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy.
For the record, Austin was around 16 years old at the time There Will Be Blood was filmed.
“I’m not saying he’s giving a terrible performance. I’m saying he’s giving a non-entity performance,” Quentin clarified, but then added, “I don’t care for him, I don’t care for Owen Wilson, and I don’t care for Matthew Lillard.”
Are Quentin Tarantino & Paul Dano in a Feud?
Quentin and Paul have no known problems with each other, but fans of the Batman star quickly came to his defense on social media. They speculated whether the director and actor had a long-standing feud.
Have Quentin Tarantino & Paul Dano Ever Worked Together?
No, despite Quentin’s criticism of Paul, the two have never, in fact, worked together. But Hollywood is a small business, so some fans wonder if Paul ever auditioned for any of Quentin’s box office hits.
At the time of publication, Paul has yet to comment publicly on Quentin’s criticism.
