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Paul Dano

Actor

Paul Dano

Born June 19, 1984 in New York City, New York, USA45 films

Paul Franklin Dano (born June 19, 1984) is an American actor. He began his career on Broadway before making his film debut in The Newcomers (2000). He won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance for his role in L.I.E. (2001) and received accolades for his role as Dwayne Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine (2006). For his dual roles as Paul and Eli Sunday in Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood (2007), he was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor.

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Dano has also received accolades for roles such as John Tibeats in Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave (2013) and Alex Jones in Denis Villeneuve's Prisoners (2013). His acting portrayal of musician Brian Wilson in Love & Mercy (2014) earned him a Golden Globe nomination in the category of Best Supporting Actor. Dano made his directorial debut with the drama film Wildlife (2018), based on the novel by Richard Ford. He co-wrote the screenplay with his partner Zoe Kazan. In 2018, he starred in the Showtime miniseries Escape at Dannemora, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. In 2022, he played Edward Nashton / The Riddler in The Batman.

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Prisoners posterFirst watchPrisoners20138.1as Alex JonesAfter his six-year-old daughter is abducted, a desperate father takes justice into his own hands when he loses faith in the detective leading the investigation, setting both men on a…View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
12 Years a Slave poster7.912 Years a Slave2013The Batman poster7.7The Batman2022There Will Be Blood poster8.1There Will Be Blood2007Little Miss Sunshine poster7.7Little Miss Sunshine2006Looper poster6.9Looper2012Okja poster7.3Okja2017The Fabelmans poster7.6The Fabelmans2022Swiss Army Man poster6.9Swiss Army Man2016

Filmography

45 films as actor
  1. TBAThe Chaperones
  2. TBAVegas: A Love StoryRyder
  3. 2027Possession
  4. 2026BunkerAndrew
  5. 2026Sia: Nostalgic for the Present
  6. 2026The Wizard of the KremlinVadim Baranov
  7. 2024SpacemanHanuš (voice)
  8. 2023Dumb MoneyKeith Gill
  9. 2022The FabelmansBurt Fabelman
  10. 2022The BatmanThe Riddler
  11. 2021The GuiltyMatthew Fontenot (voice)
  12. 2020The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels in AmericaPrior Walter
  13. 2017OkjaJay
  14. 2016Swiss Army ManHank
  15. 2015Love & MercyBrian Wilson 1960s
  16. 2015YouthJimmy Tree
  17. 201312 Years a SlaveJohn Tibeats
  18. 2013PrisonersAlex Jones
  19. 2012LooperSeth
  20. 2012Ruby SparksCalvin
  21. 2012Being FlynnNick Flynn
  22. 2012For EllenJoby Taylor
  23. 2012FlatscreenPaul
  24. 2011Cowboys & AliensPercy Dolarhyde
  25. 2011Meek's CutoffThomas Gately
  26. 2010The Extra ManLouis Ives
  27. 2010Knight and DaySimon Feck
  28. 2009Where the Wild Things AreAlexander (voice)
  29. 2009The Good HeartLucas
  30. 2009Taking WoodstockVW Guy
  31. 2008GiganticBrian
  32. 2008Light and the SuffererDon (AKA: Light)
  33. 2008Explicit IllsRocco
  34. 2007There Will Be BloodPaul Sunday / Eli Sunday
  35. 2007WeaponsChris
  36. 2006Fast Food NationBrian
  37. 2006Little Miss SunshineDwayne Hoover
  38. 2006The KingPaul
  39. 2005The Ballad of Jack and RoseThaddius
  40. 2004The Girl Next DoorKlitz
  41. 2004Taking LivesYoung Asher
  42. 2002The Emperor's ClubMartin Blythe
  43. 2002Too Young to Be a DadMatt Freeman
  44. 2001L.I.E.Howie Blitzer
  45. 2000The NewcomersJoel