Ben Stiller Calls Paul Dano ‘Brilliant’ After Quentin Tarantino Diss
When Quentin Tarantino insulted Paul Dano’s acting abilities in There Will Be Blood, he inadvertently assembled the Avengers of Hollywood stars who have Dano’s back. On The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, Tarantino said Dano’s acting was “a giant flaw” in the Oscar-nominated movie and that he was the “weakest” actor in SAG. Not every director agrees. On December 4, DGA Award-winning director Ben Stiller put it simply, writing on X, “Paul Dano is f-ing brilliant.” Stiller knows this firsthand, too, as he directed Dano in the 2018 mini-series Escape from Dannemora. A few hours later, another director Dano has worked with, The Batman’s Matt Reeves, adds another compliment, commending Dano both on and off screen, writing, “Paul Dano is an incredible actor, and an incredible person.” Actress Maya Rudolph, Paul Thomas Anderson’s partner, posted a photo of Dano in TWBB on her Instagram Stories to show support. Marvel star Simu Liu also called Dano an “incredible” actor.
Paul Dano is f-ing brilliant
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) December 4, 2025
Two stars decided that their defense of Dano would be better in video form. Comedian Zach Woods made an Instagram Reel sticking up for him. “Us very weird-looking white boys have to stand up for each other,” Woods joked. “So shut up, Quentin Tarantino! You little b*tch.” Alec Baldwin had a similar message. “I just wanna say I love Paul Dano,” Baldwin shouted from his car on Instagram Reels. “If you don’t love Paul Dano, shhhh.”
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