Age is not a barrier when it comes to making huge life achievements and exploits as the young actor, Paul Dano has achieved an acting career that has been adorned with multiple awards and nominations. Having been much of a film actor, he has starred in numerous movies and a few TV series. Dano gained prominence in Hollywood following his brilliant portrayal of Dwayne in the movie, Little Miss Sunshine. He then moved on to enact other memorable characters in movies like Love & Mercy, There Will Be Blood, Knight and Day, among others. In addition to being known as an actor, Dano also gained a reputation as a music artist and film producer. Get to learn more amazing facts you never knew about the talented producer below. But first, take a look at his background.

Dano’s Background

The young filmmaker was born to Paul A. and Gladys Dano who named him Paul Franklin Dano. His birthplace is New York City, New York, while his date of birth is 19th June 1984. He spent some time with his younger sister, Sarah in New York City before his family relocated to Connecticut. Dano completed his high school education from two schools namely, Browning School and Wilton High School where he graduated from in 2002. He later furthered his education at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, Greenwich Village, NYC.

7 Things You Need to Know About Paul Dano and His Movies

1. Paul Dano is a Stage Actor

Dano began his acting career in theatre productions and has continued to feature in a good number of plays. He first showcased his acting talent in the 1996 play, Inherit the Wind as Howard at the Royale Theatre. Then from 1997-98, he was featured in another stage production titled, A Christmas Carol where he portrayed the character of Street Urchin in The Theatre at Madison Square Garden.

Later in 2007, Paul Dano appeared as Charles in Things We Want at Acorn Theatre. From 2010-2011, he had a role in the play, A Free Man of Color at Vivian Beaumont Theatre. He also starred as Austin in the critically lauded play, True West at The American Airlines Theatre.

2. He has Played Dual Roles

Paul Dano was cast to play dual roles in the 2007 drama film, There Will Be Blood that is loosely based on the novel, Oil! by Upton Sinclair. In the aforementioned movie that was written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Dano enacted two characters, Paul Sunday and Eli Sunday. His critically acclaimed performances earned him many nominations and awards.

3. His Directorial and Production Works

Not just satisfied with being only an actor, Paul Dano took to the path of film directing when he landed his first gig in the movie, Wildfire which he also co-wrote and produced. The film was lauded by critics and it received an award for Best Film at the 36th Torino Film Festival. Following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2018, the movie was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards – Dano for Best First Feature, Carey Mulligan for Best Female Lead and Diego Garcia for Best Cinematography. Additionally, his production credits include Rudy Sparks, For Ellen and Gigantic.

4. Paul Dano Has Once Played the Role of a Musician 

Having showcased his singing prowess and his amazing skill as an instrumentalist (guitarist) while performing with the musical group, Mook, Paul Dano was cast as a music artist in Bill Pohlad’s directed film, Love & Mercy. In the biographical drama film, Dano depicted the real-life character of the veteran musician, singer-songwriter, and the co-founder of the Beach Boys, Brian Douglas Wilson. As a result of Paul Dano’s striking depiction of his character, he was nominated for Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture.

5. His Achievements

Paul Dano has more than thirty acting credits under his belt and they include The Ballad of Jack and Rose, 12 Years a Slave, Youth, Swiss Army Man, Okja, The Sopranos and Escape at Dannemora for which he packed 20 lbs of muscle in order to play the role of David Sweat, a real-life convicted murderer, and escapee. Following his works as an actor, director, and producer, he has claimed numerous awards including the Black Film Critic Circle Awards, Critics Prize Award, Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, Critics Choice Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, among others.

6. Paul Dano is a Father

Since 2007, Dano has been in a long-term romantic affair with Zoe Kazan. The pair who has been together for more than a decade welcomed a daughter, Alma Day in August 2018.

7. His Partner is an Actress and Screenwriter

The renowned director’s partner, Zoe Swicord Kazan is an actress, playwright and screenwriter. She co-starred Paul Dano in the 2012 movie, Ruby Sparks and also co-wrote Wildfire with him. She is also a Broadway actress, having featured in plays such as The Seagull, Angels in America, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and others. The highlight of her acting career include Revolutionary Road, I Hate Valentine’s Day, Our Brand is Crisis, The Deuce and others.