Quentin Tarantino Says Paul Dano Is “Weakest Male Actor in SAG”

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Quentin Tarantino isn’t mincing his words.

Quentin Tarantino, the director of Pulp Fiction, recently discussed his favorite films of the century so far. He ranked Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood as number five, but admitted that Paul Dano’s performance in the film slightly lowered its position in his estimation.

Quentin Tarantino described his 2007 western as having a classic, well-made quality reminiscent of old Hollywood, but without intentionally trying to emulate it. In a recent appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis podcast, as reported by Deadline, Tarantino pointed out to director Paul Thomas Anderson that the film was unique in his filmography for lacking a large, elaborate action sequence. He said the fire scene was the closest it came to having one, and that the movie focused instead on strong storytelling, which Anderson executed ‘amazingly’.

However, there was a part of the oil-mining film that he just didn’t dig.

Quentin Tarantino believes the film There Will Be Blood would likely be ranked among the top two films of all time if not for one significant weakness: Paul Dano’s performance. While the film was intended to be a showcase for both Daniel Day-Lewis and Dano (who played twin brothers), Tarantino felt Dano didn’t measure up, stating he was simply ‘weak sauce’ and that the film wasn’t a true two-person story.

The 62-year-old described the actor as incredibly weak and uninteresting, calling him ‘the weakest actor in the union’ and using strong language to emphasize his point.

The Academy Award winner even suggested an actor who could have played a good counterpart to Day-Lewis’s villain.

He thought Austin Butler would have been perfect for the part, but pointed out that Daniel Day-Lewis is self-sufficient as an actor. While the movie benefits from a strong supporting character, Day-Lewis doesn’t rely on one himself.

And that’s precisely what Dano gave, according to Tarantino. 

The director of Kill Bill clarified, ‘It’s not that he’s doing a bad job, he’s just…forgettable. I personally don’t like his work.’

TopMob News has reached out to Dano’s reps for comment and has not yet heard back.

Although Quentin Tarantino wasn’t impressed with Paul Dano’s acting, Dano’s fellow actor praised his work highly.

In a 2008 interview with the BBC, Day-Lewis said he and Paul knew each other well enough that he’d confidently want Paul as an ally in any difficult situation. He added that he greatly admired Paul both as a person and as an actor, believing him to be one of the most talented young actors working at the time.

For more celebrity feuds, keep reading.

In January 2024, Bobby addressed speculation about a disagreement with Tan, following his announcement in November 2023 that he was leaving Queer Eye after eight seasons. (Bobby is shown second from the left in the picture.)

He assured Vanity Fair that he and Tan are doing okay. He explained they went through a personal issue, but it’s separate from their work on the show and wasn’t related to a romantic connection. It was a private matter that had been building up between them.

In March 2024, Tan addressed claims that he tried to get his friend Jeremiah Brent to replace Bobby on the show Queer Eye.

Netflix and the production companies held a thorough audition process. I didn’t recommend my friend for the role, but they ultimately got it because they were the most qualified. I also want to be clear that I didn’t help them get the job by having anyone else removed from consideration, as I shared on Instagram.

After years of speculation about a conflict between them, Holly Marie Combs, Shannen’s former co-star on Charmed, revealed on her December 2023 podcast, Let’s Be Clear, that Alyssa Milano supposedly gave a show producer an ultimatum: choose her or Shannen. Combs claims this led to Shannen leaving the show in 2001.

In a February 2024 Instagram post, Alyssa stated she couldn’t get anyone fired and claimed that any current accounts of the events were simply inaccurate retellings of something that happened a long time ago.

Shannen recently stated at a MegaCon Orlando panel that she stands by the established facts of what happened, emphasizing that there’s no attempt to rewrite history.

Shannen passed away in July 2024 after a yearslong battle with cancer.

I was honestly shocked when Sharon Osbourne revealed on TopMob News, while playing ‘Stir the Pot’ with Kelly, that Ashton Kutcher was the rudest celebrity she’d ever encountered! She didn’t hold back, calling him a ‘rude, rude, rude, rude little boy’ and even a ‘dastardly little thing.’ It was a really surprising thing to hear, especially coming from her!

He did not respond to her remarks publicly.

Five years ago, Sharon shared with Larry King that Ashton seemed upset during his 2014 appearance on The Talk because she had misspoken his name.

She remembered him asking, ‘Who are you and what have you accomplished in this business?’ She responded sharply, telling him, ‘Don’t underestimate me, because I’ll completely overwhelm you.’ She added, ‘You have no idea what you’re up against, young man.’

In August 2022, Cassadee Pope and Maren Morris publicly disagreed with Brittany Aldean, wife of country singer Jason Aldean. This followed a post Brittany shared on Instagram on August 23rd, where she thanked her parents for not allowing her to transition during a phase where she preferred traditionally masculine interests, stating she enjoyed being feminine.

In a 2022 TikTok trend, JoJo Siwa called Candace Cameron Bure the “rudest” celebrity she’d met, explaining that Bure once turned down her request for a photo on the red carpet. Soon after, Cameron Bure apologized, saying she regretted hurting Siwa’s feelings when she was younger and acknowledging she should have taken the picture. She expressed sincere regret, saying, “I’m so sorry, JoJo!”

Candace and the other person resolved their differences. However, when asked months later if her network, Great American Family, would ever feature same-sex couples as the main characters in its holiday films, she stated that wasn’t likely, explaining that the network would continue to focus on traditional marriage.

JoJo, who publicly shared they are part of the LGBTQ+ community in 2021, responded to the actress’ comment on Instagram, calling it “rude and hurtful to the entire LGBTQ+ community.”

In June 2021, Courtney Love claimed Olivia Rodrigo had copied the album cover art for her band Hole in a promotional photo without giving credit. Olivia responded with a simple, “Love u and live through this sooooo much.” Courtney then playfully replied, “Olivia – you’re welcome. My favorite florist is in Notting Hill, London! DM me for details! I look forward to reading your note [winking face emoji].”

While on Watch What Happens Live, the Happy Days actor explained the reason for his difficult relationship with the Forrest Gump star while filming the 1989 movie Turner & Hooch.

I directed the movie for thirteen days, and then Jeff Katzenberg, the producer, called me into his office and told me to pack up and go home, as I had everything I needed with me, he said.

Winkler and Hanks’ dog seemed to get along very well. “I really loved that dog,” Winkler said.

He also refused to admit if he’s even seen the flick. 

“You know what you did!”

Anyone who watched The Hills likely remembers that famous line from Lauren during the season three premiere. The drama between them started when Heidi began dating her future husband, Spencer Pratt, and really exploded when Lauren claimed Heidi and Spencer spread a false rumor about her and Jason Wahler making a sex tape.

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe the drama! It all started when Fast & Furious 9 got delayed – and Tyrese totally lost it on Instagram, calling out Dwayne! Like, seriously, a full-on public feud! And get this – the same day, they announced a spin-off movie just for Dwayne and Jason Statham! Can you even?! Then, the next month, Tyrese threatened to quit Fast 9 altogether if Dwayne was still involved! I was glued to the internet, it was insane! I seriously couldn’t believe what was happening to my favorite franchise.

Tyrese recently discussed the conflict with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, telling Van Lathan on The Red Pill podcast that he still hasn’t spoken directly to Johnson, but plans to. He mentioned he did talk to one of Johnson’s producing partners, though not Johnson himself.

Tyrese admitted he shouldn’t have publicly shared frustrations on behalf of others connected to the franchise. ‘I was the one who spoke up, and that was my mistake,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t professional or a good look.’

No more bad blood here.

Taylor Swift and Katy Perry had a long-running public disagreement, rumored to be the inspiration behind Swift’s song “Bad Blood.” The conflict, which supposedly began due to a dispute over a dancer and rivalry during concert tours, ended when Perry sent Swift an olive branch as a peace offering before Swift’s Reputation Tour began.

Taylor shared in an Instagram video that she found a real olive branch in her dressing room, saying it meant a lot to her.

Taylor captioned the video, “Thank you Katy.”

For years, Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker, stars of Sex and the City, successfully dismissed rumors of a disagreement. However, those rumors resurfaced when Kim chose not to participate in a third movie and made some pointed comments about her co-star.

I remember being asked about Kim Cattrall’s comments on Watch What Happens Live back in September 2017. Andy Cohen brought it up – she’d told Piers Morgan that we weren’t really friends, just coworkers – and he wanted to know how I felt about it. It was definitely a tough moment to address on live TV!

She said she was just devastated. They had talked about it all week, and she was really bothered because that wasn’t how she remembered things happening.

It’s definitely sad, but I believe what truly connects us is the shared experience we had. It started as a professional project, but over the years, it became something deeply personal. I’m hoping that those years of working on something special, and the connection people felt with it, will ultimately be more important than any recent disagreements. It was a real privilege to be a part of it.

And though they didn’t film scenes together, Kim did make a small appearance on And Just Like That.

 

Elton John and Madonna have been publicly disagreeing since 2004. The conflict began when Elton, while accepting an award, criticized Madonna’s live performances. He famously told the audience that he disagreed with her being called the best live act, questioning her use of lip-syncing and suggesting performers who lip-sync should face serious consequences.

The actress, formerly known for her role on Grey’s Anatomy, caused a disagreement with the show’s creator back in 2008 when she asked to be removed from Emmy Award consideration. She explained her decision by saying she didn’t believe the storylines she was given were strong enough to earn a nomination.

Shonda Rhimes discussed Katherine Heigl’s departure in a 2012 interview with Oprah Winfrey on Oprah’s Next Chapter. She admitted it was both hurtful and expected. “When someone consistently shows you their true colors, you should believe them,” Shonda explained. “I’ve really taken that to heart, and it’s been a valuable lesson for me.”

The fight between Nicki and Cardi at the Harper’s Bazaar Icon party during New York Fashion Week made headlines everywhere. A month later, Cardi publicly explained what caused the argument with Nicki.

Cardi B recently told W magazine that someone has been repeatedly criticizing her. She explained that she’d talked to this person twice and thought they had resolved the issue, but the negativity continued.

The conflict truly escalated when Cardi B noticed Nicki Minaj had seemingly liked, then unliked, a tweet criticizing Cardi’s parenting. Nicki has stated she didn’t actually interact with the tweet.

Cardi B explained that she chose to be with her daughter instead of pursuing a highly profitable Bruno Mars tour, potentially earning millions. She emphasized her love for her daughter and her dedication as a mother, expressing frustration that someone without children would criticize her choices. She also pointed out that opportunities to meet other artists are rare, and she wasn’t going to pass up the chance at the event.

The conflict between Kanye West and Taylor Swift began in 2009 when he interrupted her acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards. They eventually reconciled and became friends, but their relationship fell apart in 2016 after Kanye released his song “Famous,” which mentioned Taylor by name.

Just before the Grammys in February 2025, Kanye West began following only Taylor Swift on Instagram. He didn’t offer any explanation for this action, and Swift didn’t publicly acknowledge it.

“I don’t know her.”

The supposed rivalry between Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez has been talked about for over 15 years. It began during an interview where Mariah was asked about various singers. When asked about Jennifer Lopez, she famously said, “I don’t know her.”

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2025-12-03 23:18