Quentin Tarantino Didn't Hold Back His Dislike for Paul Dano in 'There Will Be Blood'

As one of the world's most widely recognized directors and a staple in the genre of neo-noir filmmaking and pop culture, Quentin Tarantino has a heavy-hitting reputation in Hollywood.

Unfortunately for Paul Dano, that heavy-hitting power landed squarely on him in December 2025.

The legendary filmmaker took a shot at Paul over his role in one of Quentin's favorite movies, prompting some stars to speak up in defense of their colleague. Here's what Quentin had to say about Paul, and why some actors felt the need to stand up for him.

Quentin sat down with The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast to hash out his top 10 movies of the century. It's a tall order, but Quentin Tarantino is never lacking for thoughts on film-related topics, so he came up with a decent list.

Paul Anderson's There Will Be Blood got Quentin's nod as his fifth favorite film from the year 2000 on. But it came with a heavy caveat.

The filmmaker said that the movie would have been higher in his ranking if it weren't for what he called a "big giant flaw." That flaw? The unwitting Paul Dano, who probably didn't wake up in December expecting to have the legend that is Quentin taking a shot at his acting ability.

Quentin didn't hold back, explaining, "Obviously, it's supposed to be a two-hander, and it's also so drastically obvious that it's not a two-hander." He then clarified his thoughts on Paul's performance, saying, "He is weak sauce, man. He's a weak sister."

The roast was so intense that other Hollywood staples felt compelled to stand up and say something, despite Quentin's legendary status in the industry. Ben Stiller, Josh Gad, and Alec Baldwin are among those who felt like they needed to speak on Paul's behalf.

On a post he shared to X (formerly Twitter), Ben wrote, "Paul Dano is f-ing brilliant."

Alec took to Instagram, where he uploaded a short video in support of the There Will Be Blood actor. He explained, "I just want to say I love Paul Dano. And if you don't love Paul Dano, shh."

And actor Colleen Foy, who played Paul's sister in There Will Be Blood, had some thoughts of her own.

In a post she shared to Threads, Colleen explained that Paul's "incredible performance speaks for itself."

She claimed, "I sat behind Quentin Tarantino at the Cast & Crew screening and he was legit vibing with Paul’s performance. His recent comments are incongruent with his reaction that night."

Actor Josh Gads added to the chorus of people supporting Paul, also writing on Threads that Paul "is one of the best actors of our time. Full stop."

While people may respect Quentin's work and his opinion on many topics, it's clear that Paul's acting is not among those topics.