Hollywood legend George Clooney has come out in defense of actors Paul Dano, Owen Wilson, and Matthew Lillard following harsh comments from director Quentin Tarantino.

Clooney, 64, used his acceptance speech at the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards on January 10 to praise the performers and call for more kindness in the industry.

Clooney, who won Best Actor for his role in "Jay Kelly," said, "'Jay Kelly' is about... and made by people who love actors. I don't enjoy watching people be cruel to actors."

According to ENews, he continued, "By the way, Paul Dano, Owen Wilson, and Matthew Lillard? I would be honored to work with those actors. Honored! We're living in a time of cruelty, and we don't need to be adding to it."

The support comes after Quentin Tarantino, 62, described Dano as "the weakest f--king actor in SAG" during a December appearance on "The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast."

Tarantino criticized Dano's performance in the 2007 film "There Will Be Blood," calling him "such a weak, uninteresting guy" and also expressed disdain for Wilson and Lillard, claiming he did not care for them as actors.

Tarantino defended his opinion by noting, "I'm not saying he's giving a terrible performance. I'm saying he's giving a non-entity performance." Despite these remarks, Clooney and many others have rallied behind Dano.

Clooney Urges Kindness in Hollywood

In the days following the podcast, several Hollywood stars publicly supported Dano.

Reese Witherspoon praised him on social media, calling him "an incredibly gifted, versatile actor" and "a gentleman."

Ben Stiller tweeted, "Paul Dano is f-ing brilliant," while Alec Baldwin shared a video declaring, "I just want to say I love Paul Dano. And if you don't love Paul Dano, shh."

Clooney also took the moment to thank his own co-stars and friends, joking about aging and mentioning Laura Dern and Adam Sandler, with whom he has maintained long-term friendships, People reported.

His message emphasized the need to uplift rather than belittle fellow performers in Hollywood.

The actor's defense highlights a larger conversation in the entertainment world about respect and kindness on and off screen.

Clooney concluded his speech by offering encouragement, saying, "It's gonna be a long, tough couple of years, but we'll all get through it together, okay?"

Tags
George Clooney, Paul Dano