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\n Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images\n <\/p>\n
Turns out one of the best things that can happen to an actor is being insulted by Quentin Tarantino<\/a>. In December, the director called Paul Dano \u201cthe weakest fucking actor in SAG\u201d while appearing on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast<\/a>. Since then, pretty much every high-profile celebrity under the sun has come out in defense of Dano, including George Clooney<\/a>, Ben Stiller, and Reese Witherspoon<\/a>. And Dano, of course, feels great about that.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was really nice,\u201d Dano told<\/a> Variety when asked about the outpouring of support after Tarantino\u2019s comments. \u201cI was also incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me so I didn\u2019t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n The outlet also asked Collette, who was doing press alongside Dano for the 20th-anniversary screening of Little Miss Sunshine, what she made of the whole mess. \u201cAre we really going there? Fuck that guy! He must\u2019ve been high,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was just confusing. Who does that?\u201d Little Miss Sunshine directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris similarly took up for Dano with Dayton calling Tarantino\u2019s critique an \u201cembarrassment.\u201d \u201cYou know what was interesting was the people coming out to defend Paul,\u201d Faris added. \u201cHe is loved by so many. He is so smart.\u201d<\/p>\n Dano is not the only actor who learned just how many fans he had because of some out-of-pocket Tarantino comments. In the same episode, Tarantino also criticized Owen Wilson (\u201cI really can\u2019t stand\u201d him) and Matthew Lillard (\u201cI don\u2019t care for\u201d him). On Wednesday, Lillard told<\/a> Entertainment Weekly that he had a similar experience to Dano, describing all of the support he received as like \u201cliving through your own wake.\u201d \u201cAll those R.I.P. emails or tweets and Instagram posts and TikToks, all of the things we see after somebody passes are so sweet,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd the reality is I just got to live through all of it firsthand \u2014 alive and kicking! I can\u2019t imagine a more lovely reaction to what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Stay in touch.<\/p>\n Get the Cut newsletter delivered daily<\/p>\n Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice<\/p>\n