George Clooney has publicly expressed his support for Paul Dano following Quentin Tarantino’s recent insults, making it clear that he disagrees with the filmmaker’s comments and has little patience for what he considers unnecessary cruelty in the industry.
Clooney addressed the issue when accepting his Best Actor award for Jay Kelly at AARP’s Movies for Grownups Awards on Saturday, taking advantage of the moment to defend Dano, as well as Owen Wilson and Matthew Lillard.
“By the way, Paul Dano, Owen Wilson and Matthew Lillard, I would be honored to work with those actors. An honor,” Clooney said from the stage.
He went on to explain that Jay Kelly was created in an environment based on respect for performers, calling it “made by people who love actors; that’s an important part.”
Clooney added that many of the people he has met throughout his life are actors and that he has “a great affinity” for them.
“I don’t enjoy seeing people be cruel,” he said. “We live in a time of cruelty. We do not need to increase it.”
Clooney’s comments come a month after Tarantino sparked backlash in December 2025 with harsh criticism of several actors. The director called Dano “the weakest fucking actor in SAG,” said he “can’t stand” Wilson, and openly dismissed Lillard.
Tarantino had also taken aim at Clooney in 2024, stating that the Oscar winner was not a true movie star, even though the two had previously worked together in 1996’s From. Dusk till dawn.
Clooney has addressed those criticisms before.
talking to GQHe admitted that Tarantino’s comments bothered him and recalled how the director dismissed his status during an interview. Still, Clooney has continued to focus on collaboration and gratitude in his career.
At the AARP ceremony, Clooney expressed his gratitude to director Noah Baumbach and praised the Jay Kelly script, saying, “The script is beautiful. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to get to play the role.”
As the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards prepare to air on PBS on February 22, Clooney’s message stood out as a clear show of solidarity, particularly for Paul Dano, at a time when criticism has been strong and kindness, as he suggested, is more important than ever.
