Director Quentin Tarantino is facing backlash after calling Paul Dano a "weak actor," and now, an image of him glaring at Dano on the red carpet has become a meme.

The image popped up online in early December 2025 as actors and fans banded together to defend Dano's acting skills. But some people are claiming that the image of Tarantino and Dano is an edit based on a photo of another popular actor.

So, where does the image of Tarantino staring at Dano come from, and is it real? Here's what we know.

What Is The 'Quentin Tarantino Standing Behind Paul Dano' Meme?

In early December 2025, director Quentin Tarantino went on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast and, while discussing the movie There Will Be Blood, criticized Paul Dano's acting skills. He called Dano "weak sauce" and the "weakest actor in SAG" (Screen Actors Guild), suggesting that he lowers the film's overall rating.

This sparked a massive flood of support for Dano from not only casual social media users but also other actors, who were seemingly eager and happy to defend Dano's acting skills.

As Tarantino's opinion on Dano spread, a funny image of Tarantino glaring at Dano during what appears to be a red carpet interview started circulating online.

While some thought the image was real, it is purportedly an edit, possibly but unconfirmed to be AI-assisted or via Photoshop, of an interview with The Boys star Antony Starr.

In the edit, Starr has been replaced by Dano, and fellow actor Tyler Hoechlin, seen in the background of the original, has been replaced by Tarantino.

How Is 'Quentin Tarantino Staring At Paul Dano' Used In Memes?

Real or not, the image of Quentin Tarantino staring at Paul Dano quickly went viral online, spreading in recent days and inspiring numerous memes about Tarantino's negative opinions of Dano.

Some of the most viral memes take the image and edit it further to represent Tarantino as truly evil, such as an edit that gives him glowing eyes and an edit that depicts him as an invader in Dark Souls.

One meme also places a Batman mask on Tarantino, referencing Dano's role as The Riddler in the 2022 film The Batman.

Otherwise, some people are applying Tarantino's glare to other meme formats and drawing comparisons between the images, with one example being a comparison between the picture and the well-known Undertaker Behind AJ Styles meme.

What Are Some More 'Quentin Tarantino Standing Behind Paul Dano' Memes?

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For the full history of Quentin Tarantino Standing Behind Paul Dano, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.