Biography for
Paul Dano

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Trivia

He and Billy Kay were already friends at the time L.I.E. (2001) was filmed, having worked together on an earlier film (The Newcomers (2000)).

Winner of the Best Debut Performance (for L.I.E. (2001)) at the 2002 Independent Spirit Awards.

Graduated from high school on June 22, 2002.

Lead guitar and vocals in the band Mook, based out of Wilton, Connecticut.

Daniel Day-Lewis was so impressed by his work in the film The Ballad of Jack and Rose that he suggested him to Paul Thomas Anderson for the role of Paul Sunday in the film There Will Be Blood.

Was ranked #5 on Entertainment Weekly's '30 Under 30' the actors list. (2008).

Personal 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."

"Everything you do, every experience that you have, enlightens you a little bit or worsens you. L.I.E. was big for me. I think it's one of the best things I've been a part of in my life so far."

[On working with Daniel Day-Lewis in the movie "The Ballad of Jack and Rose"] "It was incredible. I mean, Daniel Day-Lewis and I were enemies in the movie. I'm the "snake" and his daughter Rose is the "rose". You couldn't get any more opposite from the character I play in ("The Girl Next Door") than the one I play in that. I'm the villain, the snake, sleazy and like this sexual creature. There were days when we wouldn't even look at each other until the end of the day because we were intense. I got into that; it was great. It would help me, too. You know, I look up to him. Before I even auditioned for the movie I did so it was incredible.

[On preparing for his role in Little Miss Sunshine] "In my house, I tried not talking for a couple days and it was almost impossible to be at a dinner table with my parents and not point out to them what I thought was silly that they were saying. You just want to rebel! It was so difficult."

[On working with Steve Carrell] "I knew Steve from The Daily Show and that funny scene he had in Bruce Almighty. I didn't maybe know him by name at that point, but I was just like, "That dude is hilarious!". He's genuinely a very down-to-earth, sweet guy. I have a lot of respect for him. We became good friends. Nobody was really on a pedestal or anything. When you're working with people you look up to and they put you on the same level, it makes your job a little easier confidence-wise. I never felt nervous, it was just a lot of fun."

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