Paul Dano

Okja (2017)

As: Jay

A young girl named Mija risks everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend - a massive animal named Okja.

Runtime: 120 min.

Directed by: Bong Joon-ho

Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal | Paul Dano | Tilda Swinton | Lily Collins | Ahn Seo-hyun

Swiss Army Man (2016)

As: Hank

Alone on a tiny deserted island, Hank has given up all hope of ever making it home again. But one day everything changes when a dead body washes ashore, and he soon realizes it may be his last opportunity to escape certain death. Armed with his new “friend” and an unusual bag of tricks, the duo go on an epic adventure to bring Hank back to the woman of his dreams.

Runtime: 97 min.

Directed by: Daniel Scheinert | Dan Kwan

Stars: Paul Dano | Mary Elizabeth Winstead | Daniel Radcliffe | Shane Carruth | Timothy Eulich

Love & Mercy (2015)

As: Brian Wilson - Past

The life of reclusive and eccentric Beach Boys songwriter and musician Brian Wilson.

Runtime: 121 min.

Directed by: Bill Pohlad

Stars: Paul Giamatti | Paul Dano | John Cusack | Elizabeth Banks | Kenny Wormald

Youth (2015)

As: Jimmy Tree

YOUTH explores the lifelong bond between two friends vacationing in a luxury Swiss Alps lodge as they ponder retirement. While Fred has no plans to resume his musical career despite the urging of his loving daughter Lena, Mick is intent on finishing the screenplay for what may be his last important film for his muse Brenda. And where will inspiration lead their younger friend Jimmy, an actor grasping ...

Runtime: 124 min.

Directed by: Paolo Sorrentino

Stars: Michael Caine | Paul Dano | Harvey Keitel | Rachel Weisz | Mark Kozelek

12 Years a Slave (2013)

As: John Tibeats

In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.

Runtime: 134 min.

Directed by: Steve McQueen

Stars: Paul Dano | Chiwetel Ejiofor | Benedict Cumberbatch | Michael Fassbender | Lupita Nyong'o

Prisoners (2013)

As: Alex Jones

When Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts. But just how far will this desperate father go to protect his family?

Runtime: 153 min.

Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal | Paul Dano | Melissa Leo | Maria Bello | Hugh Jackman

Looper (2012)

As: Seth

In the futuristic action thriller Looper, time travel will be invented but it will be illegal and only available on the black market. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target 30 years into the past where a looper, a hired gun, like Joe is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good until the day the mob decides to close the loop, sending back Joe's future self for ...

Runtime: 113 min.

Directed by: Rian Johnson

Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt | Paul Dano | Bruce Willis | Emily Blunt | Noah Segan

For Ellen (2012)

As: Joby Taylor

After an overnight long-distance drive, Joby has a special meeting—with lawyers and his ex-wife. A struggling musician with the prerequisite tattoos, slimy hair, goatee, and his head firmly floating in the clouds, Joby hasn’t been around to be a dad. Now is his last chance to fight for shared custody of his daughter, Ellen.

Runtime: 94 min.

Directed by: So Yong Kim

Stars: Paul Dano | Jon Heder | Margarita Levieva | Jena Malone | Shaylena Mandigo

Ruby Sparks (2012)

As: Calvin

Calvin is a young novelist who achieved phenomenal success early in his career but is now struggling with his writing – as well as his romantic life. Finally, he makes a breakthrough and creates a character named Ruby who inspires him. When Calvin finds Ruby, in the flesh, sitting on his couch about a week later, he is completely flabbergasted that his words have turned into a living, breathing person.

Runtime: 104 min.

Directed by: Valerie Faris | Jonathan Dayton

Stars: Zoe Kazan | Paul Dano | Chris Messina | Antonio Banderas | Annette Bening

Being Flynn (2012)

As: Nick Flynn

During his twenties, a young man works at various homeless shelters in Boston, where he often intersects with his brilliant but troubled father.

Runtime: 102 min.

Directed by: Paul Weitz

Stars: Robert De Niro | Paul Dano | Julianne Moore | Olivia Thirlby | Eddie Rouse

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

As: Percy Dolarhyde

A stranger stumbles into the desert town of Absolution with no memory of his past and a futuristic shackle around his wrist. With the help of mysterious beauty Ella and the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde, he finds himself leading an unlikely posse of cowboys, outlaws, and Apache warriors against a common enemy from beyond this world in an epic showdown for survival.

Runtime: 119 min.

Directed by: Jon Favreau

Stars: Harrison Ford | Sam Rockwell | Walton Goggins | Olivia Wilde | Daniel Craig

Meek's Cutoff (2010)

As: Thomas Gately

Set in 1845, this drama follows a group of settlers as they embark on a punishing journey along the Oregon Trail. When their guide leads them astray, the expedition is forced to contend with the unforgiving conditions of the high plain desert.

Runtime: 104 min.

Directed by: Kelly Reichardt

Stars: Michelle Williams | Bruce Greenwood | Will Patton | Zoe Kazan | Paul Dano

The Extra Man (2010)

As: Louis Ives

THE EXTRA MAN is a sophisticated and moving comedy from filmmakers Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. THE EXTRA MAN follows Louis Ives (Paul Dano), a lonely dreamer who fancies himself the hero of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. When a deeply embarrassing incident forces him to leave his job at an exclusive Princeton prep school, Louis heads to New York City to make a fresh start. He quickly finds a 9 ...

Runtime: 108 min.

Directed by: Shari Springer Berman | Robert Pulcini

Stars: Paul Dano | Kevin Kline | John C. Reilly | Dan Hedaya | Katie Holmes

Knight and Day (2010)

As: Simon Feck

A fugitive couple goes on a glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure where nothing and no one – even themselves – are what they seem. Amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, they race across the globe, with their survival ultimately hinging on the battle of truth vs. trust.

Runtime: 109 min.

Directed by: James Mangold

Stars: Cameron Diaz | Viola Davis | Jordi Mollà | Peter Sarsgaard | Tom Cruise

Taking Woodstock (2009)

As: VW Guy

The story of Elliot Tiber and his family, who inadvertently played a pivotal role in making the famed Woodstock Music and Arts Festival into the happening that it was. When Elliot hears that a neighboring town has pulled the permit on a hippie music festival, he calls the producers thinking he could drum up some much-needed business for his parents' run-down motel. Three weeks later, half a million ...

Runtime: 120 min.

Directed by: Ang Lee

Stars: Liev Schreiber | Jonathan Groff | Imelda Staunton | Demetri Martin | Henry Goodman

Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

As: Alexander (voice)

Max imagines running away from his mom and sailing to a far-off land where large talking beasts -- Ira, Carol, Douglas, the Bull, Judith and Alexander -- crown him as their king, play rumpus, build forts and discover secret hideaways.

Runtime: 101 min.

Directed by: Spike Jonze

Stars: Catherine Keener | James Gandolfini | Lauren Ambrose | Catherine O'Hara | Max Records

The Good Heart (2009)

As: Lucas

Brian Cox stars as Jacques, the curmudgeonly owner of a gritty New York dive bar that serves as home to a motley assortment of professional drinkers. Jacques is determinedly drinking and smoking himself to death when he meets Lucas (Dano), a homeless young man who has already given up on life. Determined to keep his legacy alive, Jacques deems Lucas is a fitting heir and takes him under his wing, schooling ...

Runtime: 99 min.

Directed by: Dagur Kári

Stars: Brian Cox | Paul Dano | Bill Buell | Stephanie Szostak | Isild Le Besco

Gigantic (2008)

As: Brian

Young mattress salesman Brian decides to adopt a baby from China but is distracted when he forms a relationship with quirky, wealthy Harriet whom he meets at his mattress store. As their relationship flourishes, unbeknownst to them, a hitman is trying to kill Brian.

Runtime: 98 min.

Directed by: Matt Aselton

Stars: Paul Dano | Zooey Deschanel | John Goodman | Jane Alexander | Ed Asner

Light and the Sufferer (2008)

As: Don (AKA: Light)

Realism and fantasy collide in Jonathan Lethem's genre-bending coming-of-age story, which follows two estranged brothers as they try to leave New York City for a new life in California only to find their plans--and lives--being forever changed by the appearance of a mysterious alien.

Runtime: 70 min.

Directed by: Christopher Peditto

Stars: Paul Dano | Michael Esper

Explicit Ills (2008)

As: Rocco

The film follows four inter-connecting stories revolving around love, drugs and poverty in Philadelphia

Runtime: 87 min.

Directed by: Mark Webber

Stars: Paul Dano | Rosario Dawson | Jermaine Crawford | Rebecca Comerford | Martin Cepeda

There Will Be Blood (2007)

As: Paul Sunday / Eli Sunday

Ruthless silver miner, turned oil prospector, Daniel Plainview moves to oil-rich California. Using his adopted son to project a trustworthy, family-man image, Plainview cons local landowners into selling him their valuable properties for a pittance. However, local preacher Eli Sunday suspects Plainviews motives and intentions, starting a slow-burning feud that threatens both their lives.

Runtime: 158 min.

Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson

Stars: Paul Dano | Ciarán Hinds | Kevin J. O'Connor | Daniel Day-Lewis | Dillon Freasier

Weapons (2007)

As: Chris

Weapons presents a series of brutal, seemingly random youth-related killings over the course of a weekend in a typical small town in America, and tragically reveals how they are all interrelated.

Runtime: 83 min.

Directed by: Adam Bhala Lough

Stars: Paul Dano | Mark Webber | Regine Nehy | Nick Cannon | Riley Smith

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

As: Dwayne Hoover

A family loaded with quirky, colorful characters piles into an old van and road trips to California for little Olive to compete in a beauty pageant.

Runtime: 101 min.

Directed by: Valerie Faris | Jonathan Dayton

Stars: Paul Dano | Abigail Breslin | Greg Kinnear | Toni Collette | Steve Carell

Fast Food Nation (2006)

As: Brian

Inspired by author Eric Schlosser's New York Times best-seller of the same name, director Richard Linklater's ensemble drama examines the health issues and social consequences of America's love affair with fast food and features an all-star cast that includes Greg Kinnear, Ethan Hawke, Kris Kristofferson, Patricia Arquette, and Luis Guzman.

Runtime: 116 min.

Directed by: Richard Linklater

Stars: Wilmer Valderrama | Ana Claudia Talancón | Greg Kinnear | Catalina Sandino Moreno | Juan Carlos Serrán

The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)

As: Thaddius

Jack Slavin is an environmentalist with a heart condition who lives with his daughter, Rose, on an isolated island. While Jack fights against developers who wish to build in the area, he also craves more contact with other people. When he invites his girlfriend, Kathleen, and her sons, Rodney and Thaddius, to move in, Rose is upset. The complicated family dynamics makes things difficult for everyone in the ...

Runtime: 112 min.

Directed by: Rebecca Miller

Stars: Paul Dano | Catherine Keener | Ryan McDonald | Camilla Belle | Daniel Day-Lewis

The King (2005)

As: Paul

A motiveless malignancy? Elvis leaves the Navy and heads for Texas where he contacts his father, whom he's never met, the pastor at a Christian community church. Pastor Dave tells Elvis to stay away and, without telling his family that Elvis is his son from a pre-conversion liaison, tells them to have nothing to do with him. But Elvis has already connected with Malerie, the pastor's 16-year old daughter. ...

Runtime: 105 min.

Directed by: James Marsh

Stars: Paul Dano | Gael García Bernal | William Hurt | Pell James | Laura Harring

Taking Lives (2004)

As: Young Asher

Recruited to assist Montreal police in their desperate search for a serial killer who assumes the identities of his victims, FBI profiler Illeana Scott knows it's only a matter of time before the killer strikes again. Her most promising lead is a museum employee who might be the killer's only eyewitness.

Runtime: 103 min.

Directed by: D.J. Caruso

Stars: Kiefer Sutherland | Angelina Jolie | Ethan Hawke | Olivier Martinez | Gena Rowlands

The Girl Next Door (2004)

As: Klitz

Exceptionally ambitious high schooler Matthew has aspirations for a career in politics when he falls in love with his gorgeous 19-year-old neighbor, Danielle. But Matthew's bright future is jeopardized when he finds Danielle was once a porn star. As Danielle's past catches up with her, Matthew's love for her forces him to re-evaluate his goals.

Runtime: 109 min.

Directed by: Luke Greenfield

Stars: James Remar | Timothy Olyphant | Chris Marquette | Emile Hirsch | Elisha Cuthbert

The Emperor's Club (2002)

As: Martin Blythe

William Hundert is a passionate and principled Classics professor who finds his tightly-controlled world shaken and inexorably altered when a new student, Sedgewick Bell, walks into his classroom. What begins as a fierce battle of wills gives way to a close student-teacher relationship, but results in a life lesson for Hundert that will still haunt him a quarter of a century later.

Runtime: 109 min.

Directed by: Michael Hoffman

Stars: Kevin Kline | Edward Herrmann | Rob Morrow | Emile Hirsch | Embeth Davidtz

Too Young to Be a Dad (2002)

As: Matt Freeman

When 15-year-old, Matt Freeman, gets his girlfriend, Francesca, pregnant her family decides to put the unborn baby up for adoption. Matt agrees to the decision, but begins to rethink it. This movie is taken from the father's point of view.

Runtime: 120 min.

Directed by: Éva Gárdos

Stars: Paul Dano | Kathy Baker | Bruce Davison | Terra Vnesa | Katie Stuart

L.I.E. Long Island Expressway (2001)

As: Howie Blitzer

In this biting and disturbing coming-of-age tale from writer-director Michael Cuesta, life is bittersweet along the L.I.E., also known as the Long Island Expressway, as suburban teen Howie Blitzer learns all too clearly. In the space of a week, he loses nearly everything and everyone he knows and is left to navigate his adolescence virtually unsupervised.

Runtime: 97 min.

Directed by: Michael Cuesta

Stars: Brian Cox | Paul Dano | Bruce Altman | Billy Kay | James Costa

The Newcomers (2000)

As: Joel

A 12-year-old boy and his family start life over in a new town.

Runtime: 90 min.

Directed by: James Allen Bradley

Stars: Kate Bosworth | Matt McCoy | Billy Kay | Christopher McCoy | Elizabeth Duff