Daniel Day-Lewis once picked his favourite actor of all time: “Because he was different”
Following his work on Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread in 2017, for which he earned an Oscar nomination, British actor Daniel Day-Lewis announced his retirement at the age of 60. Of course, we no know that this was only a partial retreat to obscurity and that he would, once more, return to the big screen for a role in his son’s movie Anemone.
However, for a long while it seemes as though the legend was gone for good, and the much-mourned hole he left in the world of cinema was only partly filled by his breathtaking oeuvre, which includes notable moments like The Last of the Mohicans, My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, Gangs of New York and There Will Be Blood, among many others.
The meticulous method actor is one of the most celebrated talents of the past half-century. He has swiped three competitive Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for his trouble. It makes him one of the most decorated actors in the history of the industry. But perhaps most importantly, few of his counterparts would beg to argue against the acclaim he has achieved. He isn’t just recognised as the best by audiences but by his profession too.
Likewise, Day-Lewis has always been happy to acknowledge the work of others and how it infiltrated his own decision-making while performing. During his time studying at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and beyond, Day-Lewis was deeply inspired by his fellow actors. In 2013, he had a chance to reflect on his pool of influence.
In March of that year, Day-Lewis was invited to take a seat at Port, a UK lifestyle magazine, to work on the quarterly issue. During his stint writing for the publication, the actor cited 29 actors and 62 films that helped shape his illustrious career.
Among the names were likely candidates such as Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Richard Burton and Orson Welles. More obscure was the inclusion of Montgomery Clift, a gifted but troubled Hollywood star that Day-Lewis described as “an extraordinary actor… Not because he covered a big range, but because he was different.” Elsewhere, Phil Davis, best known for his work in TV dramas like Whitechapel, was rooted out as a distinct talent.
The one actor who surfaced above all others in Day-Lewis’ eyes was Robert De Niro. Day-Lewis said he admires the Taxi Driver star for his deft portrayal of inarticulate men struggling to express themselves. It was a key facet of De Niro’s ability and one which signified what a truly gifted actor he was.
“I’m gathering all these things to me like a crazy hoarder, arms around them, fingers clasped, sweeping them toward me, penning them under the roof of this magazine – or like a flailing game-show winner given three minutes to ransack the shelves of their favourite department store, who now sits panting on the floor to examine the surprising sum-total of their plunder,” Day-Lewis said in a statement during his stint at Port.
Reflecting on Day-Lewis’ tenure, Port editor Dan Crowe told The Diary that working with the Oscar-winning actor was an unforgettable experience. “It is a very humbling issue. Daniel brought in a real sense of respect for the people who make the movies – everyone who makes the film happen. He was very clear that he didn’t want to focus on the celebrity aspect, and it was a very refreshing angle, so completely to do with empathy.”
Day-Lewis reportedly conjured up most of the ideas for the quarterly issue and liaised with Crowe frequently over a series of phone calls and a trip to New York to ensure it was completed to the best of his ability. “He’s a better editor than I am,” Crowe added. “He was always surprising and has fantastic taste.”
While, thankfully, in recent interviews Day-Lewis has confirmed that he was never truly retired but simply taking a break from the acting world, and therefore, hinted that more roles may soon be opening up for him, it’s hard not to mourn the years being lost without his presence in the industry. One hopes he takes even more inspiration from De Niro and continues working for decades to come.
