Quentin Tarantino launched a massive discourse cycle after ranking his favorite films of the 21st century and calling Paul Dano a “big flaw” in There Will Be Blood.
Fans, actors, and other directors rushed to defend the actor, criticizing the director’s seemingly out-of-nowhere takedown. Now, Ethan Hawke has entered the conversation, offering a measured response to Tarantino’s comments and reframing the controversy as less about Dano, and more about how opinionated directors operate.
Tarantino shared his top 20 movies of the 21st century in his appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast. He placed Black Hawk Down at number one and, interestingly, Toy Story 3 at number two. But when he put Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood at number five, the praise came with a sharp caveat.
“There Will Be Blood would stand a good chance at being #1 or #2 if it didn’t have a big, giant flaw in it … and the flaw is Paul Dano,” Tarantino said.
He added, “[Dano] is weak sauce, man. He is the weak sister. Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. He’s just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy. The weakest f*cking actor in SAG.”
Because Dano held a strong reputation, listeners reacted quickly. He is an award-winning actor with dozens more nominations for his acting chops. He had also earned respect for quieter, demanding roles. As a result, many fans pushed back on Tarantino’s comments.
Several actors and fans defended Dano online and in interviews. Meanwhile, Ethan Hawke spoke up, addressing the situation directly in an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience. Hawke’s ex-wife, Uma Thurman, starred in Pulp Fiction and the Kill Bill films, and he is closely linked to the bombastic director.
Hawke said in the interview, “There’s a great lesson. You know what, I don’t think Paul Dano ever knew that so many people loved him.”
Hawke described the shock from Dano’s hypothetical perspective. “Paul Dano’s just going about his life,” he said. Then he added that Dano woke up to a director “saying these hateful things.” Still, Hawke brushed off the surprise. “Anybody that knows Quentin knows he just talks, talks, talks…”
He then pivoted toward Dano’s character. “Anybody that knows Paul knows he’s a great, world-class human being. All this love for Paul is coming out, and there’s a great lesson in that,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about the negativity that people send your way.”
Hawke also turned the lens on himself. “I’m positive there are great directors that think I suck,” he said. He recalled a backhanded compliment from an unnamed director. “Directors have opinions, right?” he said. “They have super strong opinions.”
He suggested Tarantino spoke about a hypothetical film. “He’s talking about the movie he would’ve directed,” Hawke said. “He’s not talking about Paul Dano. […] Whenever anybody says something hateful, they’re talking about themselves.”
The actor closed on a personal note. “I worked with Paul a couple of different times, and I love the guy,” he said. Hawke and Dano had collaborated on True West and The Guilty, among other projects.
Finally, Hawke summed up Tarantino’s place in the film industry. “He wouldn’t be a director if he wasn’t opinionated,” he said. “It doesn’t mean it’s the truth.”
