Dillon Freasier
Encyclopedia
Dillon Freasier was born in the town of Fort Davis
, Texas
. Freasier was not an actor when chosen for his role in There Will Be Blood
. After several unsuccessful attempts to cast established Hollywood child actors, casting director Cassandra Kulukundis began searching for potential actors in rural schools near Marfa, Texas
, the film's primary filming location. At a Fort Davis school with "maybe eight boys of the right age", Freasier was singled out by his principal. Kulukundis said, "he just stayed in my mind, so I called [his mother] at home and asked if it was all right if I could come over that night." While racing to another school to see more boys, Kulukundis was pulled over by a traffic cop, who happened to be Freasier's mother, and was let off with a warning. According to The New York Times
, director Paul Thomas Anderson
"...really wanted a kid who'd grown up around ranches and horses rather than someone coming in and trying to fake that." In an interview, Daniel Day-Lewis told the story of what happened when Freasier's mother researched the past roles of the man who would be playing alongside her son: "She thought she better check out this bunch of people taking care of her son. So she got Gangs of New York
. Absolutely appalled! She thought she was releasing her dear child to this monster. And so there was a flurry of phone calls and somebody sent a copy of The Age of Innocence
."
In the Los Angeles Times
, Day-Lewis spoke about his concerns of how Freasier would react to the more serious scenes: "I started to worry a little bit because we were very close, and I thought, 'Man, how's he going to feel when I start treating him harshly?' So I kind of sat him down. I created this sort of atmosphere…portentous atmosphere. 'Dillon, you know how I feel about you and there are going to be moments … I'm not going to treat you nicely. I want you to understand that I love you.' He looked at me like I was insane." Christy Lemire
, the movie critic for the Associated Press
, praised Freasier as a "confident newcomer", and the Los Angeles Times
labeled him "a budding star". In a film review published in Christianity Today
, political philosopher Jean Bethke Elshtain
called Freasier's performance "astonishing". During his Academy Award acceptance speech for Best Actor
, Day-Lewis said, "I wish my son and my partner H.W. Plainview were up here with me, the mighty Dillon Freasier." Freasier, who had decided to skip the Oscars, was asleep at the time. He was nominated for a Young Artist Award
in 2007 for his role in the film.
near Abilene
, where he attends Albany High School and plays football. A rodeo enthusiast, he competes in horse roping and has won numerous medals for his ranching skills. Having moved to Albany in January 2007 with his mother and his two sisters, he is unsure about continuing his acting career. Since There Will Be Blood, Freasier has looked at two roles, but ultimately chose not to pursue them.
Fort Davis, Texas
Fort Davis is a census-designated place in Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,050 at the 2000 census and 1,041 according to a 2007 estimate. It is the county seat of Jeff Davis County...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Freasier was not an actor when chosen for his role in There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood is a 2007 drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The film is based on Upton Sinclair's 1927 novel Oil!. It tells the story of a silver miner-turned-oilman on a ruthless quest for wealth during Southern California's oil boom of the late 19th and...
. After several unsuccessful attempts to cast established Hollywood child actors, casting director Cassandra Kulukundis began searching for potential actors in rural schools near Marfa, Texas
Marfa, Texas
Marfa is a town in the high desert of far West Texas in the Southwestern United States. Located between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park, it is also the county seat of Presidio County. The population was 1,981 at the 2010 census....
, the film's primary filming location. At a Fort Davis school with "maybe eight boys of the right age", Freasier was singled out by his principal. Kulukundis said, "he just stayed in my mind, so I called [his mother] at home and asked if it was all right if I could come over that night." While racing to another school to see more boys, Kulukundis was pulled over by a traffic cop, who happened to be Freasier's mother, and was let off with a warning. According to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, director Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He has written and directed five feature films: Hard Eight , Boogie Nights , Magnolia , Punch-Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood...
"...really wanted a kid who'd grown up around ranches and horses rather than someone coming in and trying to fake that." In an interview, Daniel Day-Lewis told the story of what happened when Freasier's mother researched the past roles of the man who would be playing alongside her son: "She thought she better check out this bunch of people taking care of her son. So she got Gangs of New York
Gangs of New York
Gangs of New York is a 2002 historical film set in the mid-19th century in the Five Points district of New York City. It was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian, and Kenneth Lonergan. The film was inspired by Herbert Asbury's 1928 nonfiction book, The Gangs of New...
. Absolutely appalled! She thought she was releasing her dear child to this monster. And so there was a flurry of phone calls and somebody sent a copy of The Age of Innocence
The Age of Innocence (film)
The Age of Innocence is a 1993 American film adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1920 novel of the same name. The film was released by Columbia Pictures, directed by Martin Scorsese, and stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder....
."
In the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Day-Lewis spoke about his concerns of how Freasier would react to the more serious scenes: "I started to worry a little bit because we were very close, and I thought, 'Man, how's he going to feel when I start treating him harshly?' So I kind of sat him down. I created this sort of atmosphere…portentous atmosphere. 'Dillon, you know how I feel about you and there are going to be moments … I'm not going to treat you nicely. I want you to understand that I love you.' He looked at me like I was insane." Christy Lemire
Christy Lemire
Christy Lemire is the film critic for The Associated Press and co-host of Ebert Presents at the Movies with Ignatiy Vishnevetsky. She also co-hosts the weekly online movie review show, What The Flick?!....
, the movie critic for the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, praised Freasier as a "confident newcomer", and the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
labeled him "a budding star". In a film review published in Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
, political philosopher Jean Bethke Elshtain
Jean Bethke Elshtain
-Biography:She is the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Professor of Social and Political Ethics at the University of Chicago Divinity School, and is a contributing editor for The New Republic. She is, in addition, newly the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Chair in the Foundations of American Freedom at...
called Freasier's performance "astonishing". During his Academy Award acceptance speech for Best Actor
Academy Award for Best Actor
Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
, Day-Lewis said, "I wish my son and my partner H.W. Plainview were up here with me, the mighty Dillon Freasier." Freasier, who had decided to skip the Oscars, was asleep at the time. He was nominated for a Young Artist Award
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
in 2007 for his role in the film.
Personal life
Freasier currently lives in Albany, TexasAlbany, Texas
Albany is a city in Shackelford County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,034 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Shackelford County.-History:...
near Abilene
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
, where he attends Albany High School and plays football. A rodeo enthusiast, he competes in horse roping and has won numerous medals for his ranching skills. Having moved to Albany in January 2007 with his mother and his two sisters, he is unsure about continuing his acting career. Since There Will Be Blood, Freasier has looked at two roles, but ultimately chose not to pursue them.