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Little Fish, Big Splash: Paul Dano

Little Miss Sunshine, a low-budget ensemble comedy about a dysfunctional family on a road trip, wasn’t expected to kill at the box office. This past weekend, it was the nation’s number three film, and its earning stand at $23 million and climbing. One explanation for the movie’s popularity is Paul Dano. The 22-year-old actor is brilliantly understated playing Dwayne, the sullen son who follows Nietzsche, hates everyone, and has taken a vow of silence until he can escape his family and go to the Air Force Academy. When he absolutely must converse with his kin, he scribbles notes on a pad. Why didn’t you think of that? Check out the full interview below from our June/July 2006 issue.

When did you realize you wanted to act?
I always liked performing to a certain degree whether it was acting or singing, just in school. The film thing never seemed like a reality when I was going to high school. It didn’t seem like a feasible thing, ‘Oh, I can be an actor.’ It still doesn’t make sense to me that I can do what I’m doing and live off it because it is so fun and interesting.

How did your family take you doing this?
My parents were really cool and luckily they are really supportive. I grew up in midtown Manhattan and then I moved to Connecticut for middle school and high school because the apartment was too small. I definitely wanted to get out of there when I graduated and get back here to New York.

How did you latch onto Little Miss Sunshine?
I got the script, read it, was really into it, met with the directors John and Val and auditioned. It went really well and I was hoping that I would get the part, the movie then gets pushed and pushed [back]. Every time I go to LA, I meet with John and Val because they want to see how much I’m growing and see if I was too old for the part. I must have hoped to get that part for over two years. I was always wondering when and when it would happen and then it did.

When you were reading the script, were you thinking, ‘Okay, when do I talk?’
I guess so. That’s the unique thing about the character and also proved to be the most challenging part of the film and one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. It’s very uncomfortable. You have to get used to not talking, especially on camera, you’re used to responding to things and I found myself very self conscious the entire time. I had never done this before. But that was pretty cool.

Were you method acting like Brando and walked around on set not talking for two weeks?
Nah. I did it a couple of days on my own and I tried to not to not talk around my family which was impossible not to yell and get pissed off. We had a really great week of rehearsals where we stayed in character. We drove around and did family activities like go to lunch or go bowling and I wasn’t talking and it was really fun.

What scene did you do in the audition?
The one where I’m talking to Steve Carrell’s character and I’m using the notepad. Then I did the scene where I learned I’m color blind and started screaming. Then we did the scene at the end when I’m talking to my uncle.

That scene where you break down must have been really tough because the movie is a comedy but you don’t want to play it for laughs.
No you don’t. That was a rough scene. It’s hard to label the film for me because it’s not just a comedy to any of us. It’s certainly a little different than what people would think is a comedy.

Why was it so hard getting it made?
Gosh, I don’t know dude. It was such a good script. It was really well written. We had an awesome script to work with. I think maybe they didn’t know how to market a movie where the grandpa is snorting heroin. But people have responded to it well.

What’s next?
I did Weapons, which is a small indie film with Nick Cannon, Fast Food Nation, which is directed by Richard Linklater and is an ensemble.

Did you read the book before you read for the role?
No. I’m a hardcore meat eater because I’m so scrawny where if I stopped eating meat, I’d die. I did read it, and I definitely don’t eat fast food anymore. Recently, I drove down to Virginia, which is an eight-hour drive, and I nearly starved to death because I couldn’t find a quick place to stop and eat. I ate mad granola bars that I picked up from a gas station. Reading that book traumatized me from the whole fast food thing. I play a kid who works in a fast food restaurant…I don’t want to say too much about the part.

Interview by Thomas Golianopoulos
Photo by Christy Bush
June/July 2006