38 Facts About Paul Dano

Paul Dano's work includes both independent and mainstream projects, and his accolades include nominations for a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards.

Paul Dano made his directorial debut with the drama film Wildlife, which he co-wrote with his partner, Zoe Kazan.

Paul Dano has written the comic book The Riddler: Year One.

On Broadway theatre, Paul Dano has starred in productions of A Free Man of Color and True West.

Paul Franklin Dano was born on June 19,1984, in New York City, the son of a homemaker, and a financial advisor.

Paul Dano spent the first few years of his childhood in New York City and initially attended the Browning School.

Paul Dano continued his education at Wilton High School, graduating in 2002, and attended Eugene Lang College in New York City.

Paul Dano was involved in community theater, and while he was performing in New Canaan, his parents were encouraged to take him to New York.

In 1996, Paul Dano portrayed The Little Boy in the world premiere of Terrence McNally's musical Ragtime at the Ford Center of the Performing Arts in Toronto.

Paul Dano appeared in an episode of the sitcom Smart Guy and had a minor role in the 2000 family drama The Newcomers.

Paul Dano played the part of Patrick Whalen in several episodes of The Sopranos.

Paul Dano then appeared in the television film Too Young to Be a Dad as a high school student whose life is disrupted when his girlfriend becomes pregnant.

Paul Dano appeared in The Emperor's Club in 2002 as Martin Blythe.

Additionally, Paul Dano starred in The Girl Next Door, alongside Elisha Cuthbert, Emile Hirsch, and Chris Marquette.

Paul Dano came to greater attention in 2006, when he played Dwayne, a voluntarily mute teenager as part of an ensemble in the comedic drama Little Miss Sunshine, which received critical acclaim and collective awards for its cast.

Paul Dano had a supporting role in the 2006 film Fast Food Nation, based on the nonfiction book by Eric Schlosser.

Paul Dano had a dual role in the 2007 period film There Will Be Blood, which earned him positive reviews and a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Paul Dano appeared in several additional Broadway productions, including A Thousand Clowns at the Roundabout Theatre, and in Ethan Hawke's directorial debut, Things We Want, during its 2007 Off-Broadway run.

Paul Dano reunited with Brian Cox in 2009's Good Heart, a low-budget English-language Icelandic film.

Paul Dano provided the voice of one of the creatures in the film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are.

Paul Dano played a genius inventor in 2010's Knight and Day, an action thriller starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.

Paul Dano appeared in three feature films in 2012: Ruby Sparks, as a writer whose fictional character inexplicably appears as a real person; in a supporting role alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis in the time-travel thriller Looper; and as the writer Nick Flynn, alongside Robert De Niro, in Being Flynn, a film based on Flynn's memoir about his relationship with his father.

In 2013, Paul Dano appeared in Steve McQueen's period-drama biopic 12 Years a Slave, based on the memoirs of Solomon Northup.

Paul Dano portrayed John Tibeats, an overseer at the plantation Northup is sold to.

In 2015, Paul Dano appeared with Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel in the Italian comedy-drama Youth; Paul Dano portrayed Jimmy Tree, an actor doing research for an upcoming role who is frustrated to be best known for a previous role as a robot.

In January 2016, Paul Dano appeared as Pierre Bezukhov in the BBC's six-part adaptation of Tolstoy's War and Peace.

In July 2016, it was announced that Paul Dano would make his directorial debut with the movie Wildlife, based on the 1990 novel of the same title by Richard Ford.

In 2016, Paul Dano played the role of Hank Thompson in Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan's absurdist black-comedy film Swiss Army Man, alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

Paul Dano's character is a suicidal man, stranded on an island, who befriends a farting corpse.

Paul Dano won the Critics' Choice Award twice in 2007, and was nominated in 2014 and 2016.

From December 27,2018, to March 17,2019, Paul Dano starred in the critically acclaimed Broadway revival of Sam Shepard's True West, with Ethan Hawke, at the Roundabout Theater Company's American Airlines Theater in New York.

In October 2019, Paul Dano was cast as The Riddler in Matt Reeves's 2022 superhero film The Batman.

In March 2022, it was announced that Paul Dano would make his comic debut writing The Riddler: Year One for DC's Black Label imprint.

Paul Dano joined Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan in Netflix's Spaceman, an adaptation of Jaroslav Kalfar's novel Spaceman of Bohemia, directed by Johan Renck.

Paul Dano received his second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his appearance in the series.

In March 2025, Paul Dano is set to appear in The Studio as a guest star, as confirmed by Vulture.

Paul Dano has been in a relationship with actress and screenwriter Zoe Kazan since 2007.

Paul Dano was the vocalist and lead guitarist of the band Mook.