There Will Be Blood/Trivia

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Acting for Two: Paul Dano, originally cast as Paul Sunday, took the larger role of Eli Sunday (making the brothers twins) after Kel O'Neill departed the production.
  • The Danza:
    • The main character is played by Daniel "Plainview" Day-Lewis.
    • Eli's twin brother is named Paul; both are both played by Paul Dano.
  • Disabled Character, Disabled Actor: Deaf actor Russell Harvard as an older H.W. Plainview.
  • Enforced Method Acting:
    • Daniel Day-Lewis, naturally, went to town. He hit Paul Dano earlier than the intended mark during the scene where Daniel screams at Eli to heal his son. The look of shock when Eli tumbles to the ground is genuine. His hatred of Eli, which he continued even off-camera, led Paul Dano to confess he thought he would actually die during some points of the filming.
    • During the baptism scene, Paul Dano is actually smacking Daniel Day-Lewis around (although, knowing Day-Lewis, he probably told him to actually hit him).