Some actors are thrown into the spotlight and choose to fully immerse themselves in the glitz and glamour, while others prefer to stay under the radar. Such was the case ofThe Batmanstar Paul Dano, who spent most of his 30-year-long career working on critically acclaimed independent projects, but now the actor says he’s finally ready to embrace Hollywood.
BeforeThe Batman, Dano first began hiscareer on Broadwaybefore making his big-screen debut in 2000’sThe Newcomers. Since then, the 37-year-old actor has appeared in numerous celebrated films such asLittle Miss SunshineandPrisoners. While Dano has appeared in a few big-budget titles, such as 2007’sThere Will Be Blood, for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor, he has stayed somewhat wary of the Hollywood machine.
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However, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Dano shared that he’s now eager to welcome the mainstream attention that comes withprojects likeThe Batman. “I am more clear in myself now about what I want and what I get from my work,” he told the outlet. “That allows for a more healthy sense of not just artistry, but also ambition. It feels really good to me to have done this now, and I can enjoy it now, where I don’t know if I would have in my 20s.”
During the interview, Dano also explained that his distrust in Hollywood came from a place of self-preservation and lack of confidence in who he was at the time. “Being a child actor, I instinctively felt … how do I somehow protect myself from Hollywood?” he said. “I just don’t think I knew who I was enough to be around it. I was too impressionable. I don’t know that I’m a natural performer. I don’t know that I get my ya-yas from entertaining. I knew what I wanted, but I didn’t know if it was possible.”
Dano’s role as The Riddler inThe Batmanis already making waves. Moreover,The Batmanreviewspraise the film as a gritty and thrilling live-action outing, making it a worthy successor to Christopher Nolan’s belovedDark Knighttrilogy.
2022 will be a busy year for Dano. In addition to his performance inThe Batman, he will be appearing in a role inspired bySteven Spielberg’s father inThe Fabelmans, the director’s upcoming semi-autobiographical drama. Dano will share the screen with the likes of Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, and David Lynch, among others.
