Often regarded as the greatest screen actor of his generation, if not all time, Daniel Day-Lewis has left audiences wanting more. The actor, who last appeared in Phantom Thread in 2017, is currently retired from the industry. Along with his infrequent screen appearances, he was press-shy and averse to the limelight of a celebrity, giving him an added air of mystery. Day-Lewis committed himself to intense method acting, transforming himself into the characters he played such as Bill "The Butcher" Cutting and Abraham Lincoln to such a degree that his true identity feels hard to pin point. Despite this, many film buffs are rightfully skeptical of the status of the 65-year-old actor's retirement status, as this is not the first time he has supposedly called it quits.
Daniel Day-Lewis and His Rigorous Method Acting
Born in London, Day-Lewis began his career working in British television and film, not so long before he won his first of three Academy Awards for Best Actor for playing Christy Brown in My Left Foot. With this acclaimed role as a writer and painter with cerebral palsy, the legend of Day-Lewis as the ultimate method actor was conceived, staying in character throughout filming, including riding in a wheelchair on-set as well as being spoon-fed by crew members. From just about every role forward, he would go to extreme lengths to morph into his characters. For The Last of the Mohicans, he learned how to live off the forest where his character lived, and trained himself how to camp, hunt, and fish. Vowing to experience the pain and trauma of a wrongfully convicted prisoner, Day-Lewis had crew members throw cold water at him and verbally abuse him when shooting In the Name of the Father. Needless to say, Laurence Olivier would have a few words with his outrageous antics, as the iconic actor once famously asked Dustin Hoffman, who performed similar method acting techniques on the set of Marathon Man, "my dear boy, why don't you just try acting?"
Why Daniel Day-Lewis Quit Acting in 1997
Method acting became Day-Lewis' calling card. With The Boxer in 1997, he did more of the same preparations. Following shooting the film, he abruptly went into an acting hiatus. While in an ambiguous state of semi-retirement, the actor moved to Florence, Italy to pursue the craft of shoe cobbling. This is an important crossroad in Day-Lewis' career and the element that help audiences best understand the mindset of one of our finest actors. This career break from the release of The Boxer to his return in 2002 with Gangs of New York is a strong signifier that the door may not be closed for his return to acting. Not to mention, Day-Lewis has specialized in taking long gaps between projects, especially since the 21st century. It has been over 5 years since the release of Phantom Thread, and the actor has yet to make a public appearance in this period. Regarding his second and deemed final retirement, Day-Lewis stated "There's something of the responsibility of the artist that hung over me. I need to believe in the value of what I'm doing. The work can seem vital, irresistible, even. And if an audience believes it, that should be good enough for me. But, lately, it isn't."
His remarks on his state as an artist and his initial hiatus in 1997 speak volumes about Day-Lewis and his potential return to the screen. As previously mentioned, he left the filmmaking industry to learn the craft of shoemaking in Italy. It should be noted that this venture never amounted to any acting role. The actor appropriating himself to the background or circumstance of one of his characters is nothing out of the ordinary, but never does The Butcher from Gangs of New York or Daniel Plainview from There Will Be Blood pride himself on his abilities to design footwear. In fact, Reynolds Woodcock of Phantom Thread is an expert dressmaker but is not in the field of shoe cobbling. In Italy, Daniel Day-Lewis learned the craft under the apprenticeship of Stefano Bemer, an Italian shoemaker — always striving for perfection.
What Daniel Day-Lewis' First Retirement Says About His Second Retirement
Daniel Day-Lewis' career approach and general selectiveness towards projects can be traced back to his desire for perfectionism. Regardless of any film role behind it all, he is first and foremost committed to immersing himself in uncharted territory. When considering the aforementioned statement about his current retirement, Day-Lewis is someone who welcomes and prospects a difficult endeavor. For whatever reason, in the timeframe between The Boxer and Gangs of New York, he saw no parts that fancied his appetite for transformation. Throughout his career, he was resistant to the idea of himself as a movie star. He once defined his life as a “study in evasion.” Not only is he running away from the spotlight of the media, but his own self as well.
When Daniel Day-Lewis returned to acting in 2002, basic thinking would conclude that he was drawn to working with Martin Scorsese for the second time (the first being The Age of Innocence in 1993) and starring alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. On a deeper analysis of his psyche, Day-Lewis identified that the role of The Butcher allowed him to transform into a sociopathic gang leader, learning how to accurately throw knives and keep a distinctive New York accent. From this film onward, he worked less frequently and intensified his method acting with each respective part.
Another piece of information that could help clarify the ambiguity behind Daniel Day-Lewis' first retirement would be the meeting of his future wife, Rebecca Miller. During this hiatus, he started a family with Miller. In most cases, this could be a reasonable explanation as to why an actor would take time off from their career. Because of Daniel Day-Lewis' secluded lifestyle, no outsider will likely ever know the true answer behind his multiple retirements. He is arguably, though, one of the most skilled actors to ever walk the planet, so public discourse over his retirements and returns is understandable. Whenever he stars in a film truly becomes an event, and there were so many more roles and movies left on the table by his decision.
Daniel Day-Lewis' two-time collaborator Paul Thomas Anderson stated on the actor's most recent retirement that "I would like to hope that he just needs a break. But I don't know. It sure doesn't seem like it right now, which is a big drag for all of us." The best scenario for all cinephiles is that Daniel Day-Lewis just happened to discover another trade skill or hobby in the realm of shoemaking, and the moment when the perfect role for him to transform once again arises, his glorious acting abilities will reemerge.