Quotes from Paul Dano

As an actor, the toughest thing is being subject to circumstance. Meaning: What scripts are out there that are available?

With somebody like Harrison Ford, they're so commanding and confident, and you know, he does have a certain power or charisma, and those are things that are sort of ineffable.

I like characters that make me feel challenged and sort of inspired.

Sometimes I think your intellect can get in your way as an actor or an artist. When you come from a world of improv and comedy, you're able to let it flicker and fall out.

I've seen people, where if they have to wait around the set for three hours, and they call you at the wrong time, and they're not ready for you, some people don't like that.

Films can be entertaining without shying away from exploring something. They can be magical and have fantasy, but also can have enough reality that you can be really emotionally invested.

I like listening to my playlist on the iPod. I don't want radio with commercials.

There are maybe 100 actors I look up to, but my first two favourite actors were Dustin Hoffman and Jack Nicholson.

I went to private school in Manhattan, and at a young age, they made us do public speaking. For some reason, I was good at standing in front of the class and speaking.

The only exercise I get is playing sports because I hate the gym. I try to learn to love it.

Sometimes it's summer camp on location. So it's nice to have a little New York community of people you love.

One of my favorite films is 'Dumb and Dumber.' I'd love to do some really silly comedy someday.

One of my favorite things I read was John Steinbeck's journals while he was writing 'East of Eden,' which was so cool.

Sometimes we fall in love with the idea of a person and have trouble seeing the real thing.

People think memorizing lines is hard, when that's the last thing you worry about. You get that done, and then you've got to worry about the internal stuff, which is the challenging part.

I've definitely had mentors, whether parents or friends or actors who I like.

I love Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath and Guns N' Roses and AC/DC.

When my girlfriend's away, I cook a big vat of meaty pasta and sauce and eat that for about a week. Then I eat out the rest of the time. When she's home, we eat at home probably twice a week. I chop, she cooks.

I would say that the emotional content of the film [Swiss Army Man] took me by surprise, and sometimes I would probably want to capture the unique tone of it.

Being actors is a strange job. To try to go live that out, it's a very strange thing to want to do when you step back and think about it.

I think you sometimes have to go hit rock bottom before you can grow and rebuild as a person.

It's a funny thing. You sort of never figure it out with acting. You're always learning.

The whole being-in-a-room interview thing, at a junket or a film festival, is very inhuman. You meet the person, have five or 10 minutes to talk, and it's not like a conversation.

I guess sometimes fear is a good thing. It's a really good motivator.