Quotes from Paul Dano

I like the idea of finding parts that I know I can do but I don't totally understand them right away.

Certainly, being on stage is a rush.

I remember going to the theatre when I was little and the lights going down and just getting really scared about what was going to happen up there.

I approach every role from scratch.

I feel like I have to be responsible for what I'm participating in or putting out into the world.

I go down to the dive bar around the corner when I go out. I don't go to the showbiz parties.

I tore my ACL playing basketball.

I've definitely been in ruts, and I think having some kind of perseverance is important.

I'd always been fascinated by people who allow themselves to be so rude and irritated and foul-mouthed and hostile, but usually you can sense there's something vulnerable beneath them - a shield they use to protect that vulnerable side. Finally, when they expose that soft spot, it's kind of touching.

As people, no matter what we are doing, your whole body is living and breathing.

I'd love to do a really broad comedy at some point.

I grew up in Manhattan, and now I live in Brooklyn.

I love Brooklyn; it's a part of who you are.

I'm a sucker for period pieces. There is always great opportunity for research and to delude yourself into feeling like you are in a different time and place.

I don't want my learning curve to be stunted by just all of a sudden doing work all the time and not being careful about the work that I'm doing.

I don't normally like getting dressed up, but when I go to events, I like to look put together. I've got to say, getting in a nice suit feels good.

'Little Miss Sunshine' was really important to me.

I think 'American Pie' is great.

I do like the idea of consequence and how our actions play themselves out, but I am completely scared of knowing what the future would be like. I would never go near a fortune teller, even though it's probably not even real. I just don't wanna know.

There's a lot of people that I would love to work with. There's a lot of different kinds of parts I wanna play. As your career progresses, you hope that you get some more opportunity or some more choice.

If you could call me buff, my version of buff was when I finished that film [Swiss Army Man].

I love that it's such an uncynical film [Swiss Army Man]. I think it's got a lot of love in there, and I think that's a nice thing in this day and age.

I regretted not being a person in shape many a day while we were making this film [Swiss Army Man].

I think it was a lot of trust as well [between me and Daniel Radcliffe]. If we didn't have that, it could be a very painful film [ Swiss Army Man] to go make.