Paul Franklin Dano was born on June 19, 1984, in New York City, to Gladys (Pipp) and Paul Dano. He is of Rusyn, Slovenian/Czech, and Swedish descent. Dano's early interest in acting led him to community plays, and by his early teens, he had made his television debut on an episode of Smart Guy in 1998.
His breakthrough role came in 2001 with the controversial and acclaimed film L.I.E., for which he won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance. This led to supporting roles in films such as The Girl Next Door, Taking Lives, The King, Fast Food Nation, and The Ballad of Jack and Rose.
Dano's rise to stardom began with his roles in Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood, earning him several award nominations, including a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor. He continued to work in a range of films, including Taking Woodstock, Cowboys & Aliens, Ruby Sparks, Looper, Prisoners, 12 Years a Slave, Youth, Swiss Army Man, Okja, and Love & Mercy.
Dano made his directorial debut with the film Wildlife in 2018, which he co-wrote with his girlfriend Zoe Kazan. The couple has been together for over a decade and has a daughter.
In the 2020s, Dano provided the voice for a character in the thriller The Guilty and played the Riddler in the box-office hit The Batman. He received widespread acclaim for his role in The Fabelmans, a semi-autobiographical film about Steven Spielberg's childhood, in which Dano plays a version of Spielberg's father.
