Paul Dano

Born: June 19 1984
Where: Wilton, Connecticut, USA

The actor is best known for his sublime portrayal of venal evangelical preacher Paul Sunday opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in the drama There Will Be Blood.

After attending Wilton High School, Dano studied literature at New York's Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts.

He made his big screen debut in the family drama The Newcomers in 2000 but attracted real critical attention when he starred as Howie Blitzer in the indie movie L.I.E.

Subsequent appearances included the low-budget outings The Emperor's Club and Light and the Sufferer.

In 2004, he had a supporting role in the rom-com The Girl Next Door alongside Emile Hirsch and Elisha Cuthbert and the Angelina Jolie thriller Taking Lives.

Turning to TV, Dano had a recurring role in The Sopranos before he was cast in director Rebecca Miller's drama The Ballad of Jack & Rose alongside Daniel Day-Lewis.

(Milller's husband Day-Lewis was so impressed with his performance that he recommended him to Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood).

Dano went on to appear in the drama The King with Gael García Bernal and Richard Linklater's Fast Food Nation in 2006.

The same year he charmed moviegoers with his portrayal of angst-ridden, Nietzche-reading teenager Dwayne in Little Miss Sunshine.

Offscreen, he also provides vocals and lead guitar for the band Mook.

In 2007, he delivered a BAFTA-nominated performance as Day-Lewis's nemesis in the drama There Will Be Blood.