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>Paul Dano wasn't actually originally cast in 12 Years a Slave.[6]
>At some point during the shoot he randomly wandered onto the Louisiana set and started ordering the black actors around, screaming obscenities at them. Steve McQueen, having the deft touch and artistic integrity that he does, kept the cameras rolling and was able to capture most of the footage. They even made some adjustments to the original story in order to work the harrowing footage into the film.[7][8]

>The offensive limerick "Run Nigger Run" in 12 Years a Slave was originally penned as a short limerick only four lines long. The extended lyrics and decision to sing them while clapping to the beat were improvised on the spot by Paul Dano during shooting, much to the confusion of the crew and his fellow cast members.[9] It is reported that in original cuts of the scene, other cast members can be seen shifting uncomfortably for several minutes as Dano continues to sing and clap his hands.

>Paul Dano reportedly stayed in character during the filming of 12 Years a Slave.[10][11] This led to a number of awkward interactions with the predominantly black cast and the film's director, who is also black. According to lead actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dano took to calling the black actors "minstrel niggers" and would feign a stereotypical slave accent when conversing with director Steve McQueen, calling him "massa" and "boss nigger".[12][13]