George Clooney says he would be 'honoured' to work with Owen Wilson, Matthew Lillard, Paul Dano
Los Angeles, Jan 13
Hollywood actor George Clooney has shared that he "would be honoured" to work with Paul Dano, Owen Wilson and Matthew Lillard.
The actor used his acceptance speech at the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards at the weekend to defend the three stars after their talents were criticised by director Quentin Tarantino on the Bret Easton Ellis podcast last month, reports 'Female First UK'.
Accepting the Best Actor prize for 'Jay Kelly', George noted the movie is "about... and made by people who love actors" and said he doesn't "enjoy watching people be cruel to actors".
He shared, "By the way, Paul Dano, Owen Wilson, and Matthew Lillard? I would be honoured to work with those actors. Honoured. We're living in a time of cruelty, and we don't need to be adding to it. I'm very happy to be here. Very happy to see all of you, and thank you for this, and thank you for. It's gonna be a long, tough couple of years, but we'll all get through it together, okay?".
As per 'Female First UK', the 'Pulp Fiction' filmmaker Tarantino had named Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 drama 'There Will Be Blood' as his fifth-favourite movie of the 21st century, but admitted it would have been higher in the list if he hadn't been so unimpressed by Dano's performance alongside Daniel Day-Lewis.
Speaking on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, he said, "There Will Be Blood would stand a better chance to be in number one or number two if it didn't have a big giant flaw in it, and the flaw is Paul Dano. Obviously, it's supposed to be a two-hander, and it's also so drastically obvious that it's not a two-hander. He is weak sauce, man. He's a weak sister. Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. (Paul Dano) just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy. I'm not saying he's giving a terrible performance. I'm saying he's giving a non-entity (performance). I don't care for him. I don't care for Owen Wilson, I don't care for Matthew Lillard".
George isn't the only star who spoke out to defend the actor afterwards. Filmmaker Matt Reeves took to social media to describe the star, who he directed in the 2022 movie 'The Batman', as "an incredible actor".
— IANS
Reader Comments
Tarantino is a great director but calling fellow artists "weak sauce" publicly is just poor form. Clooney's response was classy and needed. In our film industry too, veterans should uplift newcomers, not tear them down.
I loved Paul Dano in The Batman! He was a fantastic Riddler. Tarantino's opinion is just that—an opinion. Different actors bring different energies. Clooney is right about not adding to the cruelty.
Honestly, I think Tarantino has a point sometimes, even if he's harsh. Not every performance is great. But Clooney's heart is in the right place. We need more positivity, yaar.
Owen Wilson in Marley & Me made me cry! Matthew Lillard is iconic in Scooby-Doo. These actors have brought joy to millions. Why focus on one critique? Clooney's message of solidarity is beautiful.
As an acting coach, I find this debate fascinating. An actor's performance is also shaped by the director's vision. Tarantino didn't direct Dano, so his critique is from an audience perspective. Clooney's defence comes from a fellow performer's empathy. Both views have merit, but the public shaming is unnecessary.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.