Watch: Paul Dano Talks the Weird Turn-On of Analyzing Characters in Exclusive Video
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Monday’s episode of “Off Camera with Sam Jones” features actor Paul Dano, who was recently nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for his latest film, “Love & Mercy.” Dano offers viewers a rare look at what jump-started his career, (which includes starring in “Little Miss Sunshine,” “There Will Be Blood,” “Ruby Sparks,” and “12 Years a Slave”) and what his process was like playing Brian Wilson in Bill Pohlad’s latest film.
In the first segment of the clips exclusive to Indiewire, Dano explains that the film that most catalyzed his career is actually one that is largely unheard of — Dano credits Rebecca Miller’s “The Ballad of Jack and Rose” (starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Catherine Keener) as the film that made him “navigate acting [and] whether or not it was going to be a career.” That film also earned him the respect of Day-Lewis, which led to their pairing in Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Oscar-winning film, “There Will Be Blood.”
The second clip of “Off Camera with Sam Jones” features Dano describing his experience working with Steve McQueen on “12 Years a Slave.” Dano explains the strenuous and draining preparation that he had to go through in order to understand his character, a racist carpenter with a lot of anger within him. Together, Dano and McQueen worked through the character by asking, “Was [his] character abused growing up?” while also considering “the way that people who are abused take out their abuse of other people.”
Watch the exclusive clips of Sam Jones’ interview above and below.
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