Paul Dano probably gets consistently overlooked because he always seems to play characters that people hate, but not in a loveable villain way. He's never the cool bad guy, like Hannibal or Loki, he's just the sort of weaselly antagonist. But his talents are frequently ignored in a way that really isn't fair to the poor guy. Remember back when he starred alongside Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood? Daniel Day-Lewis had a year to prepare for the iconic role of Daniel Plainview, to really get into the character's head and develop one of the coldest and most perplexing characters in cinema history. And Paul Dano? He was originally cast in the small role of Paul Sunday, who is featured in only one scene. The director then replaced the actor who was playing Eli Sunday, essentially the second lead of the film, and gave the part to Dano. Who had a mere four days to prepare before filming with Daniel Day-Lewis. Four. Sunday you get the part, Thursday you're sharing the screen with one of the most prolific actors alive. How many young actors could possibly pull that off? Paul Dano did, and doesn't not get half the credit he deserves.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
