Paul Dano
Acting
Born: June 19, 1984 (age 42) · New York City, New York, USA
Highest Rated
Biography
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. 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.
Known for
Prisoners
2013
The Batman
2022
12 Years a Slave
2013
Looper
2012
Little Miss Sunshine
2006
There Will Be Blood
2007
Cowboys & Aliens
2011
Knight and Day
2010
Okja
2017
The Girl Next Door
2004
Swiss Army Man
2016
The Sopranos
1999
Photos (15)
Movies (41)
The Batman
The Riddler
Prisoners
Alex Jones
The Girl Next Door
Klitz
There Will Be Blood
Paul Sunday / Eli Sunday
Knight and Day
Simon Feck
The Fabelmans
Burt Fabelman
Dumb Money
Keith Gill
Little Miss Sunshine
Dwayne Hoover
12 Years a Slave
John Tibeats
Looper
Seth
Taking Lives
Young Asher
The Guilty
Matthew Fontenot (voice)
Cowboys & Aliens
Percy Dolarhyde
The Wizard of the Kremlin
Vadim Baranov
Swiss Army Man
Hank
Ruby Sparks
Calvin
Spaceman
Hanuš (voice)
Youth
Jimmy Tree
Where the Wild Things Are
Alexander (voice)
Love & Mercy
Brian Wilson 1960s
Okja
Jay
Taking Woodstock
VW Guy
Meek's Cutoff
Thomas Gately
Being Flynn
Nick Flynn
The Emperor's Club
Martin Blythe
L.I.E.
Howie Blitzer
The Extra Man
Louis Ives
Fast Food Nation
Brian
The Ballad of Jack and Rose
Thaddius
Sia: Nostalgic for the Present
2026
The Newcomers
Joel
The Good Heart
Lucas
Gigantic
Brian
Too Young to Be a Dad
Matt Freeman
For Ellen
Joby Taylor
Flatscreen
Paul
Weapons
Chris
Light and the Sufferer
Don (AKA: Light)
The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels in America
Prior Walter
The King
Paul
Explicit Ills
Rocco
TV Shows (8)
The Sopranos
Patrick Whaley · 2 eps
The Studio
Paul Dano · 1 eps
Pantheon
Caspian Keyes (voice) · 16 eps
War and Peace
Pierre Bezukhov · 6 eps
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Hot Neighbor · 3 eps
Smart Guy
Nicholas · 1 eps
Fantasmas
Jeff · 1 eps
Escape at Dannemora
David Sweat · 7 eps
Self / Appearances (18)
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self · 2 eps
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · 3 eps
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self - Guest · 1 eps
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self · 1 eps
The Daily Show
Self - Guest · 1 eps
Saturday Night Live
Self - Cameo (uncredited) · 1 eps
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Self · 1 eps
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Self - Guest · 1 eps
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest · 1 eps
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Audience Member · 1 eps
Hot Ones
Self · 1 eps
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self · 2 eps
The Oscars
Self · 1 eps
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Self · 1 eps
Clique
Self - Guest · 1 eps
The Manufacturing of 'Fast Food Nation'
Self
The Fabelmans: A Family in Film
Self
A Journey Home: The Story of Sahaya Vietnam
Self - Narrator
