UPDATE: This article originally stated the account was owned by Daniel Day-Lewis based on reporting from CBR.com. However, the actor has since clarified through a representative the account was not his. The article has been modified accordingly.
The Quentin Tarantino situation continues to evolve. Appearing on The Bret Eason Ellis podcast, Tarantino listed his 20 favorite films from the 21st century. At #5 was There Will Be Blood. The Jackie Brown director initially praised the Paul Thomas Anderson film and its star, Daniel Day-Lewis, stating: “Daniel Day-Lewis. The old-style craftsmanship quality to the film. It had an old Hollywood craftsmanship without trying to be like that. It was the only film he’s ever done—and I brought it up to him—that doesn’t have a set piece. The fire is the closest to a set piece. This was about dealing with the narrative, dealing with the story, and he did it f—cking amazingly.”
However, his comments took a dark turn when he revealed he had not placed There Will Be Blood higher on his list because of its co-star, The Batman’s Paul Dano. Tarantino insulted the actor, calling him, among other things, the “weakest f—ing actor in SAG”: “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. Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander, but it’s also drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander. [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—ing actor in SAG [laughs].”
Since his statements surfaced, multiple people in Hollywood have come out to defend Dano, including Shang-Chi’s Simu Liu, The Batman Part II writer Mattson Tomlin, and The Batman director, Matt Reeves. Now, another name has been added to the list: Daniel Day-Lewis… but in an indirect way. As spotted by CBR.com, an Daniel Day-Lewis Instagram fan account dedicated to the renowned actor shared two clips from There Will Be Blood, where the actor performed opposite Dano.
The post was captioned with: “Paul Dano is one of the best and most talented actors of his generation.”
It was initially reported that the account was owned by the actor. However, in a statement to The Guardian, Day-Lewis clarified the account is not his. Yet, the rep made a point to state that Day-Lewis shared the sentiment of the post. Per the publication: “Day-Lewis’ representatives added that the actor—who suggested Dano for the role in There Will Be Blood after the original actor dropped out at short notice—endorsed the sentiments.”
The account also shared different slides on its Instagram story of a Paul Dano tribute posted by the account thefilmpope in direct response to Tarantino’s comments. The caption of the post read: “Paul Dano: Ranked. Recently, Quentin Tarantino stated that Paul Dano is “The weakest f*cking actor in SAG”… well, Tarantino, you couldn’t be more wrong.”
The Daniel Day-Lewis fan account shared various slides form the post, with each one being about Dano’s various performances in films like Prisoners, Little Miss Sunshine, There Will Be Blood, The Batman, and 12 Years a Slave.
Though the actor himself did not provide a statement, it was nevertheless a sweet gesture for him to support the sentiment of the Instagram account.
As mentioned, The Batman’s Part II helmer Matt Reeves also defended Dano, stating: “Paul Dano is an incredible actor, and an incredible person.”
Paul Dano is an incredible actor, and an incredible person.
— Matt Reeves (@mattreevesLA) December 4, 2025
Tarantino’s comments caused a significant impact in the industry. Aside from Dano, the director also said he didn’t like Owen Wilson and Scooby-Doo & Scream star Matthew Lillard. Lillard actually spoke out about Tarantino’s comments during an appearance at GalaxyCon in Columbus, Ohio. The actor stated the director’s comment hurt him, and that it made him reconsider his relevance in Hollywood:
“[The] point is, it hurts your feelings. It f—ing sucks. And you wouldn’t say that to Tom Cruise. You wouldn’t say that to somebody who’s a top-line actor in Hollywood. I’m very popular in this room. I’m not very popular in Hollywood. Two totally different microcosms, right? And so, you know, it’s humbling, and it hurts.”.