Second time lucky

Paul Dano as Eli Sunday, “There Will Be Blood”

Original Casting Choice: Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson has kept mum on the details and revealed only that he shot some early footage with a different actor playing the film’s young, power-hungry preacher. But it’s believed that the mystery actor was Kel O’Neill (“Redacted”) and that the reason for the switch was that O’Neill couldn’t keep up with formidable co-star Daniel Day-Lewis.

Why the Switch Worked: Keeping up with Day-Lewis is enough of an accomplishment on Dano’s part to justify the recasting, but Dano manged to go above and beyond the call of duty. Marked by insinuating vocal cadences, boldly theatrical flourishes, and a wiry physical expressiveness, Dano’s performance is positively James Spader-esque in its sinister strangeness.