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IMDbPro

Paul Dano

  • Actor
  • Producer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 50095
Paul Dano at an event for Being Flynn (2012)
IMDb takes a closer look at the notable career of actor Paul Dano in this retrospective of his various roles.
Play clip1:36
Paul Dano Career Retrospective
93 Videos
99+ Photos
An actor for all seasons and all kinds of roles (from dark, difficult characters to more loving ones) Paul Dano has an extensive body work that includes working with directors such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Steve McQueen, Dayton & Ferris, Ang Lee, Denis Villenueve and Paolo Sorrentino; acting with heavyweights such as Harrison Ford, Daniel Day-Lewis, Alan Arkin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Toni Collette, Michael Caine, Kevin Kline - just to mention a few names; and easily making a fine transition in between independent cinema, art-house films and mainstream Hollywood blockbusters.

Paul Franklin Dano was born on 19 June, 1984 in New York City, the son of Gladys (Pipp) and Paul Dano. He is of Rusyn, Slovenian/Czech, and Swedish descent. At an early age he was already appearing in community plays and by his early teens he got his first TV appearance on an episode of Smart Guy (1998). His first major role was as Howie Blitzer, a trouble teenager who gets involved with an older man, played by Brian Cox, in the controversial and acclaimed L.I.E. (2001). For the role, Dano was awarded an Independent Spirit Award in the Best Debut Performance category, along with some other awards from Indie cinema. From the on, he moved on to supporting roles in The Girl Next Door (2004), Taking Lives (2004), The King (2005), Fast Food Nation (2006) and The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005).

Dano's rise to stardom came in consecutive films that showcased his talents and made him an important name in the business: as Dwayne, a rebel teen who copes with his teen angst by refusing to speak to everyone in his family, only using of his cold expressions and a notepad in Little Miss Sunshine (2006), he was praised by critics and audiences, a role that earned him among other awards the Screen Actors Guild as Best Ensemble Cast. The following year, he appeared on a dual role as twin brothers Paul and Eli Sunday - the latter character, a devoted preacher, is more extensive and challenging than the mysterious Paul, in Paul Thomas Anderson critically acclaimed There Will Be Blood (2007). The role was given to Dano after a recommendation from Daniel Day-Lewis who had worked with the young actor in The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005) and found him a very talented and interesting role. Anderson followed Day-Lewis suggestion, and the result was another hit for Dano, who received several awards nominations, including the Bafta as Best Supporting Actor.

After that, he went on with his career with Taking Woodstock (2009), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), Ruby Sparks (2012) - in which he appears alongside his girlfriend Zoe Kazan, Looper (2012), as the tortured suspect in Prisoners (2013); the Oscar winning 12 Years a Slave (2013); as a young Method actor in Youth (2015); the freak comedy Swiss Army Man (2016); Okja (2017); and the miniseries War & Peace (2016) and Escape at Dannemora (2018), the latter being a role completely the opposite he ever played in previous years, as an inmate who escapes jail, a very physical work for him. In between those films and projects, he gained notoriety by playing the young Brian Wilson in Love & Mercy (2014), the Beach Boys leader who suffers a nervous breakdown while trying to compose an epic album. That role gave Paul Dano plenty of buzz during awards season, some deserved recognition and his first Golden Globe nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category.

His career seems to always be going further each year goes by, always promising. He made his directorial debut in Wildlife (2018), which was co-written with Zoe Kazan. They're living together for a decade and have one daughter.

In the 2020's, he provided the voice from a character in the thriller The Guilty (2021) and played the Riddler in the box-office hit The Batman (2022), in one of his most challenging roles. During 2022/2023 awards season he received a lot of praise and attention for his role in the acclaimed The Fabelmans (2022) where he plays a version of Steven Spielberg's father.
BornJune 19, 1984
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornJune 19, 1984
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 50095
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy

Movies About Movies

Movies About Movies

Take a look at photos from The Fabelmans, Cinema Paradiso, and more films about the art of cinema.
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Photos

Photos361

Paul Dano, Michelle Williams, and Mateo Zoryan in The Fabelmans (2022)
Paul Dano in Looper (2012)
Benicio Del Toro and Paul Dano in Escape at Dannemora (2018)
Paul Dano in Escape at Dannemora (2018)
Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano in There Will Be Blood (2007)
Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano in There Will Be Blood (2007)
Paul Dano, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Diego Luna in The Late Late Show with James Corden (2015)
Benicio Del Toro and Paul Dano in Escape at Dannemora (2018)
Benicio Del Toro and Paul Dano in Escape at Dannemora (2018)
Michael Caine, Paul Dano, Alex Macqueen, Adam Jackson-Smith, and Ian Attard in Youth (2015)
Benicio Del Toro and Paul Dano in Escape at Dannemora (2018)
Paul Dano in Escape at Dannemora (2018)

Known for

Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood (2007)
There Will Be Blood
8.2
  • Paul Sunday
  • Eli Sunday
  • 2007
Alan Arkin, Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Paul Dano, and Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Little Miss Sunshine
7.8
  • Dwayne
  • 2006
Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
12 Years a Slave
8.1
  • Tibeats
  • 2013
Love & Mercy (2014)
Love & Mercy
7.4
  • Brian - Past
  • 2014

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • Spaceman
    • Post-production
  • Going Further; Sahaya Vietnam
    • Post-production
  • Dumb Money
    • Post-production
  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith
    • In Production
  • Katie Chang in Pantheon (2022)
    Pantheon
  • Steven Spielberg, Judd Hirsch, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Michelle Williams, Keeley Karsten, Tony Kushner, Birdie Borria, Alina Brace, Sophia Kopera, Mateo Zoryan, Gabriel LaBelle, Chloe East, and Julia Butters in The Fabelmans (2022)
    The Fabelmans
  • Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Robert Pattinson, and Zoë Kravitz in The Batman (2022)
    The Batman
  • Jake Gyllenhaal in The Guilty (2021)
    The Guilty
    • (voice)
  • The Great Work Begins. Scenes from Angels in America (2020)
    The Great Work Begins. Scenes from Angels in America
  • Escape at Dannemora (2018)
    Escape at Dannemora
  • Okja (2017)
    Okja
  • Lily James in War & Peace (2016)
    War & Peace
  • Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe in Swiss Army Man (2016)
    Swiss Army Man
  • Michael Caine in Youth (2015)
    Youth
  • Love & Mercy (2014)
    Love & Mercy
  • Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave (2013)
    12 Years a Slave
  • Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman in Prisoners (2013)
    Prisoners
  • Bruce Willis, Jeff Daniels, Piper Perabo, Paul Dano, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Emily Blunt in Looper (2012)
    Looper
  • Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan in Ruby Sparks (2012)
    Ruby Sparks

Producer

  • Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan in Wildlife (2018)
    Wildlife
  • Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan in Ruby Sparks (2012)
    Ruby Sparks
  • For Ellen (2012)
    For Ellen
  • Gigantic (2008)
    Gigantic

Director

  • Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan in Wildlife (2018)
    Wildlife
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos96

'The Fabelmans' Cast Extended Interviews
Clip 11:44
'The Fabelmans' Cast Extended Interviews
'The Fabelmans' Cast on the Films That Changed Their Lives
Clip 3:29
'The Fabelmans' Cast on the Films That Changed Their Lives
Paul Dano Career Retrospective
Clip 1:36
Paul Dano Career Retrospective
Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz Answer Burning Questions About 'The Batman'
Clip 3:33
Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz Answer Burning Questions About 'The Batman'
Trailer Breakdown: 'The Batman'
Clip 3:43
Trailer Breakdown: 'The Batman'
Paul Dano | IMDb Supercut
Clip 1:13
Paul Dano | IMDb Supercut
Is 'The Batman' Logo a Deadly Reminder?
Clip 3:36
Is 'The Batman' Logo a Deadly Reminder?
12 Years a Slave
Clip 0:56
12 Years a Slave
Prisoners
Clip 1:00
Prisoners
Prisoners
Clip 1:02
Prisoners
Prisoners
Clip 0:45
Prisoners
Prisoners
Clip 1:07
Prisoners

Personal details

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    • June 19, 1984
    • New York City, New York, USA
    • (Sibling)
  • Other works
    Played Howard in "Inherit The Wind" by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee - Royale Theater, NYC (1996).
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Interview
    • 5 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Daniel Day-Lewis was so impressed by his work in the film, The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005), that he suggested him to Paul Thomas Anderson for the role of "Paul Sunday" in the film, There Will Be Blood (2007).
  • Quotes
    [on why he chooses acting over music] "I think I'd be too stubborn and have to do it on my own terms. There's a lot of hope in music and there are some really amazing artists out there, but as far as popular music goes, a lot of it is just not for me. So I don't know where I'd fit in or whatever."
    • Often plays characters who receive beatings

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