3. Paul Dano - Eli Sunday (There Will Be Blood)
Here's an actually interesting story for you about the making of Paul Thomas Anderson's
There Will Be Blood, believe it or not. Nowadays everybody knows Paul Dano for his starring turn as maniacal preacher come annoying twerp Eli Sunday in the Oscar-winning movie, though Dano wasn't originally supposed to play this part at all. This is what happened: Dano was cast in a much smaller role as Paul Sunday, and an actor named Kel O'Neill was cast as Eli Sunday. The Sunday Brothers. With me so far, yes? Frightened by Daniel Day-Lewis, O'Neill decided that he didn't want to act in a movie with somebody who never came out of character, and quit. Instead of trying to find somebody to replace him, Paul Thomas Anderson decided to have Paul Dano play both parts, as twins. This is kind of brilliantly confusing the first time you watch the movie, but it later shows itself to be a relative stroke of genius. Dano was perfect for the role, and we have a terrifying, method acting Daniel Day-Lewis to thank for it. Maybe he, like, did it on purpose.