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Explore →Paul Dano: ‘Nobody needs to know about my high-school band!’
<p>The actor on singing with Brian Wilson, why War and Peace is the best book ever written and what drew him to his latest film, The Wizard of the Kremlin</p><p><strong>You were wonderful as </strong><strong>Brian Wilson in Love</strong><strong> </strong><strong>&amp; Mercy</strong><strong>. Did you get any feedback from the great man himself? </strong><em><a href="https://profile.theguardian.com/user/id/13274853">Fran2016</a> and</em> <em><a href="https://profile.theguardian.com/user/id/111122262">Aubrey26</a><br></em>Thank you. I spent a bunch of time with Brian before filming. If you asked him about the world, you might only get a little bit out of him. But if you asked about music, he’d light up. I loved talking with him. I also got to sing with him and his touring band a few times, which was amazing. We filmed in the studio in which they recorded Pet Sounds, and he came on set, which was a trip. I didn’t get much feedback in terms of my performance – it was more getting to know each other and learning about his life.</p><p><strong>Which was more challenging in </strong><strong>Little Miss Sunshine</strong><strong> – the first half where you don’t speak, or the second half where you break your vow of silence? </strong><em><a href="https://profile.theguardian.com/user/id/3233069">mattyjj</a><br></em>I remember the first few days, filming the dinner table scene where they’re eating chicken and I don’t speak. It felt like the directors were saying: “OK, maybe give us a little more,” because they couldn’t quite see what I was doing. But when they watched it back, they said: “It’s there, we see it,” which was a wash of relief. It’s a great question, because sometimes the words are harder, but stepping into the unknown of not speaking was pretty challenging.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/apr/09/paul-dano-interview-wizard-of-the-kremlin">Continue reading...</a>
<p>The actor on singing with Brian Wilson, why War and Peace is the best book ever written and what drew him to his latest film, The Wizard of the Kremlin</p><p><strong>You were wonderful as </strong><strong>Brian Wilson in Love</strong><strong> </strong><strong>&amp; Mercy</strong><strong>. Did you get any feedback from the great man himself? </strong><em><a href="https://profile.theguardian.com/user/id/13274853">Fran2016</a> and</em> <em><a href="https://profile.theguardian.com/user/id/111122262">Aubrey26</a><br></em>Thank you. I spent a bunch of time with Brian before filming. If you asked him about the world, you might only get a little bit out of him. But if you asked about music, he’d light up. I loved talking with him. I also got to sing with him and his touring band a few times, which was amazing. We filmed in the studio in which they recorded Pet Sounds, and he came on set, which was a trip. I didn’t get much feedback in terms of my performance – it was more getting to know each other and learning about his life.</p><p><strong>Which was more challenging in </strong><strong>Little Miss Sunshine</strong><strong> – the first half where you don’t speak, or the second half where you break your vow of silence? </strong><em><a href="https://profile.theguardian.com/user/id/3233069">mattyjj</a><br></em>I remember the first few days, filming the dinner table scene where they’re eating chicken and I don’t speak. It felt like the directors were saying: “OK, maybe give us a little more,” because they couldn’t quite see what I was doing. But when they watched it back, they said: “It’s there, we see it,” which was a wash of relief. It’s a great question, because sometimes the words are harder, but stepping into the unknown of not speaking was pretty challenging.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/apr/09/paul-dano-interview-wizard-of-the-kremlin">Continue reading...</a>