Quentin Tarantino is back in the news this week after a fresh round of comments from his appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast. The 62-year-old director had been talking through his personal list of the top 20 films of the 21st century, but the conversation drifted to something else – actors, he says he has never quite warmed to.
Tarantino comments on Owen Wilson and “Midnight in Paris”
During the discussion, Tarantino brought up Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris (2011), which he placed at No. 10 on his list. He added, almost offhand, that he has long struggled with Owen Wilson’s work.
He said he “I really can’t stand Owen Wilson. I spent the first time watching the movie loving it and hating him. The second time I watched it, I was like ‘Ah, OK, don’t be such a prick, he’s not so bad.’ Then, the third time I watched it, I found myself only watching him.”
Paul Dano criticism resurfaced after Tarantino’s comments on the podcast
Tarantino also cited There Will Be Blood as one of his picks, but stopped to point out what he considers a major flaw in the film – Paul Dano.
He argued the drama was designed to be a “two-hander,” but claimed it becomes obvious that “it’s not a two-hander” because Dano “is weak sauce.” He went further, calling the actor “the weakest f–king actor in SAG,” and suggested Austin Butler would have been better suited for the role.
“[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 [laughs].” he said.
Matthew Lillard also named by Tarantino
After naming Dano and Wilson, Tarantino added another actor to the list – Matthew Lillard. “I don’t care for him,” he said, putting all three in the same category. No additional explanation was offered.
Also read: Quentin Tarantino just revealed his ‘must-watch’ films of the 21st century; take a look
The remarks come as Tarantino continues to appear on film podcasts and interviews tied to his recent projects. None of the actors mentioned has publicly responded. The comments, however, have been shared widely on social media, drawing both disagreement and amusement from film fans.
FAQs
Which actors did Quentin Tarantino say he “doesn’t care for”?
He named Paul Dano, Owen Wilson and Matthew Lillard during a podcast discussion.
Where did Tarantino make these comments?
He spoke on The Brett Easton Ellis Podcast while discussing his top films.
Why did he criticise Paul Dano?
Tarantino said Dano’s performance in There Will Be Blood weakened what he viewed as a two-lead structure.
