Paul Dano

Dano's rise to stardom came in consecutive films that showcased his talents and made him an important name in the business: as Dwayne, a rebel teen who copes with his teen angst by refusing to speak to everyone in his family, only using of his cold expressions and a notepad in Pequena Miss Sunshine (2006), he was praised by critics and audiences, a role that earned him, among other awards, the Screen Actors Guild as Best Ensemble Cast. The following year, he appeared in a dual role as twin brothers Paul and Eli Sunday - the latter character, a devoted preacher, is more extensive and challenging than the mysterious Paul, in Paul Thomas Anderson critically acclaimed Sangue Negro (2007). The role was given to Dano after a recommendation from Daniel Day-Lewis who had worked with the young actor in O Mundo de Jack e Rose (2005) and found him a very talented and interesting role. Anderson followed Day-Lewis' suggestion, and the result was another hit for Dano, who received several awards nominations, including the BAFTA as Best Supporting Actor.

After that, he went on with his career with Aconteceu em Woodstock (2009), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), Ruby Sparks - A Namorada Perfeita (2012) - in which he appears alongside his girlfriend Zoe Kazan, Looper: Assassinos do Futuro (2012), as the tortured suspect in Os Suspeitos (2013); the Oscar-winning 12 Anos de Escravidão (2013); as a young Method actor in Juventude (2015); the freak comedy Um Cadáver Para Sobreviver (2016); Okja (2017); and the miniseries Guerra & Paz (2016) and Escape at Dannemora (2018), the latter being a role completely the opposite he ever played in previous years, as an inmate who escapes jail, a very physical work for him. In between those films and projects, he gained notoriety by playing the young Brian Wilson in The Beach Boys: Uma História de Sucesso (2014), the Beach Boys leader who suffers a nervous breakdown while trying to compose an epic album. That role gave Paul Dano plenty of buzz during awards season, some deserved recognition, and his first Golden Globe nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category.

His career seems to always be going further as each year goes by, always promising. He made his directorial debut in Vida Selvagem (2018), which was co-written with Zoe Kazan. They've been living together for a decade and have a daughter.

In the 2020s, he provided the voice for a character in the thriller O Culpado (2021) and played the Riddler in the box-office hit Batman (2022), in one of his most challenging roles. During the 2022/2023 awards season, he received a lot of praise and attention for his role in the acclaimed Os Fabelmans (2022) where he plays a version of Steven Spielberg's father.