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The controversy began with Quentin Tarantino’s comments about Paul Dano, Matthew Lillard and Owen Wilson on a December 2025 episode of The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast. Dano drew the sharpest criticism: Tarantino said Dano’s performance held There Will Be Blood back from ranking even higher on his list of the century’s best films. Lillard later said the remarks hurt, while Dano expressed gratitude for people who defended him.
What did Tarantino say about Paul Dano?
While discussing his favorite films of the 21st century on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast in December 2025, Tarantino placed Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood at number five. He said the film might have ranked first or second if Dano had not been in it, and criticized Dano’s performance. The Guardian later reported Tarantino describing Dano as a “weak, uninteresting guy.” The Guardian’s January 29, 2026 report recounts Dano’s response and Tarantino’s remarks.
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The contrast was striking: Tarantino was praising the film as one of the strongest of the century while arguing that one performance prevented it from placing higher. His criticism was specifically about Dano in that film; it should not be recast as a settled assessment of Dano’s ability.
Which other actors did Tarantino criticize?
The same podcast appearance included dismissive comments about Matthew Lillard and Owen Wilson. Unlike the Dano remarks, which were tied to a particular performance in There Will Be Blood, coverage described Tarantino’s comments about Lillard and Wilson more generally: he said he did not care for them as actors. The Independent’s December 7, 2025 report covers Lillard’s response.
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How did Lillard and Dano respond?
Matthew Lillard
Lillard said it hurt to hear Tarantino say he did not like him as an actor. The Independent reported him saying, “it hurts your feelings.” His response described the personal sting of the remarks; it does not establish how other actors or audiences felt.
Paul Dano
In January 2026, Dano said he was grateful for the public support he received. The Guardian quoted him saying, “I was incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me.” That is Dano’s account of his reaction, not evidence of a measured consensus among viewers.
George Clooney
Also in January 2026, George Clooney said he would be honored to work with Dano, Wilson and Lillard, framing his response as opposition to cruelty. The Guardian reported Clooney saying, “I would be honoured to work with” them. Read The Guardian’s report on Clooney’s comments.
Is this connected to Tarantino’s Marvel comments?
It is a separate episode, though both controversies touch on how Tarantino talks about actors and stardom. In November 2022, he argued that Marvel characters and the franchise—not the performers playing the roles—were the stars. Samuel L. Jackson disagreed, arguing that actors make the characters work and that performers are movie stars. That exchange concerned the status of actors in franchise films; the 2025 comments concerned Tarantino’s opinion of specific actors and, in Dano’s case, a particular performance. The Guardian covered the 2022 disagreement.
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What is established—and what remains unclear?
Published coverage identifies the podcast appearance, the film ranking, the actors named and the subsequent public responses. The comments reported here are attributed to the individuals and news outlets covering them; exact full context should be checked against the original recording if needed. No official transcript or complete primary recording is established in the cited coverage. The reports document particular responses, not a representative measure of audience opinion.
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