Trade Mark
Often plays characters who receive beatings
Trivia
He and Billy Kay were already friends at the time L.I.E. (2001) was filmed, having worked together on an earlier film (The Newcomers (2000)).
Graduated from high school on June 22, 2002.
Lead guitar and vocals in the band Mook, based out of Wilton, Connecticut.
Daniel Day-Lewis was so impressed by his work in the film, The Ballad of Jack and Rose(2005), that he suggested him to Paul Thomas Anderson for the role of "Paul Sunday" in the film, Pozos de ambición (2007).
Was ranked #5 on Entertainment Weekly's '30 Under 30' the actors list. (2008).
Paul's paternal grandparents, John Dano and Anna Herzo, were both from Czech families that immigrated to Scranton, Pennsylvania. Paul's mother is of half Austrian (including Czech) and half Swedish descent.
As of 2014, has appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Pequeña Miss Sunshine (2006), Pozos de ambición (2007) and 12 años de esclavitud(2013). The latter won in the category.
Personal Quotes
[on why he chooses acting over music] "I think I'd be too stubborn and have to do it on my own terms. There's a lot of hope in music and there are some really amazing artists out there, but as far as popular music goes, a lot of it is just not for me. So I don't know where I'd fit in or whatever."
Everything you do, every experience that you have, enlightens you a little bit or worsens you. L.I.E. (2001) was big for me. I think it's one of the best things I've been a part of in my life, so far.
[on working with Daniel Day-Lewis in the movie, The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)] "It was incredible. I mean, Daniel Day-Lewis and I were enemies in the movie. I'm the "snake" and his daughter Rose is the "rose". You couldn't get any more opposite from the character I play in (La vecina de al lado (2004)) than the one I play in that. I'm the villain, the snake, sleazy and like this sexual creature. There were days when we wouldn't even look at each other until the end of the day because we were intense. I got into that; it was great. It would help me, too. You know, I look up to him. Before I even auditioned for the movie I did, so it was incredible.
[on preparing for his role in Pequeña Miss Sunshine (2006)] "In my house, I tried not talking for a couple days and it was almost impossible to be at a dinner table with my parents and not point out to them what I thought was silly that they were saying. You just want to rebel! It was so difficult".
[on working with Steve Carell] "I knew Steve from Las noticias de Jon Stewart (1996) and that funny scene he had in Como Dios (2003). I didn't maybe know him by name at that point, but I was just like, "That dude is hilarious!". He's genuinely a very down-to-earth, sweet guy. I have a lot of respect for him. We became good friends. Nobody was really on a pedestal or anything. When you're working with people you look up to and they put you on the same level, it makes your job a little easier, confidence-wise. I never felt nervous, it was just a lot of fun".
Cereal. I love cereal. I eat several bowls a day, mostly a few late at night. Crispix, Honey Nut Cheerios, Kashi, and Oh's are a few favorites.
(On if he watches his own films) Yeah, I like to see things once just to have closure. Anything beyond that, I don't know. It's probably not a good thing. Then I start to pick away at myself, you know? Maybe there's something you can learn from it, but I kind of like to see things once, just to know what the movie is. I feel like a lot of the films I do, part of the reason I like doing them is I'm not 100 percent sure what it's going to be. It's exciting. I read an equal amount of very generic scripts, and you kind of know exactly what those are and that doesn't whet my appetite. I already know what it is or I already know what the character is. It's just a lot harder to get interested.
Destino: Woodstock (2009), which is a small part, was basically just to spend a couple days on set with Ang Lee, who I admire a lot, just because I feel like he's doing something different, every time out. I feel like he hasn't lost the hunger to try new things. I really admire that and would like to, as an actor, be that way. I'd also want to make a film someday, so getting a chance to work with directors who I like is really important, because I definitely want to make a film or two.
When you play a part like that, so far from yourself, it's a turn-on. There's this mystery to be solved. That's my biggest challenge as an actor, figuring out what brought this person to where we meet them.
I want to get better and I want to do more. It's less about stardom and more about being somebody who wants to help create work I want to see.
