Paul Dano on De Niro, Linsanity, and NSFW Book Titles

He's the gentle hugger.

What do you think he likes?

I usually I like to pick them up and kind of shake them up a little bit, go like this.

What's up, guys?

Nicky Novack here in the Young Hollywood Studio with Being Flynn star Paul Dano.

What's up?

Great to have you here.

Yeah.

I like the tweed tie.

You do?

The tweedish tie.

You like it?

Thank you.

Yeah, the tweedish tie.

This is nice.

With the new balance.

Yeah.

And it goes with the the the the jacket sort of.

I noticed that.

Did you self-style or do you have a stylist?

Are you one of those Hollywood actors that have I feel like you're not.

I uh my my girlfriend and my mom are my my stylist.

Your mirrors?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Who tell you when you got it right?

Who tell you when you got it?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Actually, my somebody who works with me said, "Oh my God, you you finally dressed nice."

And I said, "Yeah, well, it's my girl."

Well, you're known to be you're more of a I don't want to say indie actor, but you choose roles that are more I mean, they're not blockbuster big like type movies.

Yeah.

I don't know.

I guess that's just what I'm interested in as a person.

You know, you read something and you either get excited about it or you don't.

And I guess I like characters like this who are really conflicted.

It just gives you something to really sink your teeth into and and it feels more challenging.

Right.

Well, the film is based on a memoir with my favorite title of all time.

I know.

They had to change it.

Should we say it together?

Yeah, sure.

Let's do it to the camera.

Another full I can suck City.

Man.

Such a good title.

Such a good title.

Yeah.

So it's it's based on your character is

It's based on this memoir by this guy Nick Flynn who I play and when he was in his 20s, he was in uh a rough spot.

His mom had passed away and he decided to work at a homeless shelter just to do something positive in his life, give him something to hold on to.

And one day in walks his dad into the homeless shelter who he has not seen in in over 20 years.

And his dad is now homeless and is sort of a lunatic uh aspiring writer and uh the the film is their journey uh together.

What's your vocation?

My vocation?

Uh I've done lots of different jobs.

I wish I knew you'd end up a writer like your old man.

Actually, I do write uh you know, sometimes I try.

Well, there's no such thing as trying to write.

One writes or one doesn't.

And Robert De Niro.

Yes.

I heard you say it was one of his best performances in years.

He's I mean, the the the first time I met him, I went to his apartment and I he opened the door and he was in a bathrobe and he just gave me a big old hug.

He sounds kind of like the first, you know, one of the.

I know it is actually.

I wonder, you know, I wondered if he'd you know, was doing that on purpose or not.

Wait, you're talking about hugs.

We talked to you at Sundance about him giving hugs and you said he gives gentle hugs.

Yeah.

That's true.

He's he's gives a nice warm bear hug.

He's very disarming.

And, you know, as a young man when you get to work with somebody like that, you know, are you going to be nervous?

What is he like?

He's the gentle hugger.

What do you think he likes?

I usually I like to pick him up and kind of shake him a little bit.

Go like this.

I heard a great story about something about a bookstore that you picked up the the memoir and there was a note to you in it.

Yeah.

The day I got the part, probably the first thing I did was I went to my local bookstore.

And I got the book off the shelf and I went up to the register and they said, "Oh, no.

Actually, we have a copy for you."

And I said, "Okay."

And he gives me the book and he said, "Nick left this for you."

And I went, "What?

Like, I just got off the phone getting the part.

How does he know?"

And I found out he lives not only in my neighborhood, but he probably lives like three or four blocks away from me in Brooklyn.

Wow.

He guessed that I was going to go there to buy the book and he left me a copy that was signed and it was really nice.

And then, you know,

Did you call him and say thank you?

You know.

Yeah.

Well, when I met him, I said, "Dude, yeah, it was a little creepy."

I was like, "How did you know?"

I mean, it was just such a great coincidence.

Uh and then, you know, he was a great resource uh for the film obviously.

And and we got to kick it a lot in our in our neighborhood.

So I know I was saying earlier about you being sort of like the indie guy.

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Like, do you watch any of that sort of big blockbustery stuff?

Any I feel like if Is there porn?

That's great.

I Yeah, sure.

Yeah, I do.

Definitely.

That's a great American pastime these days, isn't it?

Yeah.

Yeah.

You know, I watch a lot of sports.

That's kind of a nice you know, Which are good.

I guess basketball is my favorite sport.

Football is just ended, but I like, you know, that's uh it's a nice sort of relaxing thing for me for some reason sports.

It's a Knicks fan.

Linsanity right now.

Well, I think, you know, a lot of you sort of started out now you're getting these roles that you're working with like a De Niro and things like that.

Anyone in particular that you would still I mean, he's sort of like the pinnacle, but

Yeah, he's he's he's he's really one of the greats.

You know, there's there's a there's a lot of actors I want to work with.

There's a lot of directors I want to work with.

Um I really value getting to work with some of these people who who I've sort of studied and learned from and just to have that opportunity to get in the ring with them and uh um you know, I I I relish that experience.

Uh and so there there's too many that to list.

So, thank you for coming in.

Yeah, of course.

Thanks for having me.

I won't ask you for a hug.

Well, you're willing?

Yeah.