Naomi Ackie: ‘I want to be like Daniel Day-Lewis’
For some actors, reaching fame is just the tip of the iceberg, with years of hard work that go unseen until they suddenly explode into stardom. Margot Robbie and Sabrina Carpenter have debunked this myth, explaining how while they might have risen to the top all at once, it was not a straightforward or easy path to get there.
This is absolutely the case for Naomi Ackie, who seemingly exploded this year after performances in Blink Twice and Mickey 17, with upcoming roles in the highly anticipated Thursday Murder Club, marking her as one of the quickest-rising stars in recent years.
Ackie has an abundance of talent and that undeniable feeling of watchability, captivating audiences in films like Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, in which she takes on the gargantuan task of portraying Whitney Houston and Sorry, Baby. However, while Ackie seems to be marching to the beat of her own drum, the actor has described the one actor whose career she’d most like to emulate.
While the idea of emulating somebody else’s career seems tricky, given that each performer leaves their own unique stamp on the industry, there are many who adopt a specific tactic or philosophy that others want to copy. Whether it be Robert Pattinson’s seemingly exclusive work with only the weirdest auteurs or Ayo Edebiri’s ability to revitalise the comedy genre single-handedly, there are many actors who find an approach that works for them and they stick to it, finding a niche and building on it throughout their career.
For Ackie, she noticed a pattern in the career of Daniel Day-Lewis, with the actor becoming increasingly reclusive throughout the years until he eventually retired entirely, although it seems to be dipping in and out of this so-called retirement for the right projects. With monumental performances in There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread and The Age of Innocence, the actor is considered one of the greatest modern performers, compared to the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson.
When describing the type of career she wants to build for herself, Ackie said, “I want to be like Daniel [Day-Lewis]. I want to be like one of those actors you see once every two years and, as I get older, once every five. To keep pushing, making great films. Get my nice little place with my nice little dog. Have a real chill life. Make great films. Bob’s your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt.”
It’s not a bad approach that hopefully staves off the effect of burnout, with periods of intensity as you resign yourself entirely to a project and then have a period of complete rest and recovery while audiences reel from your performance. It also builds more buzz and speculation around your next move, operating in a secretive and highly mysterious way that seems to work like catnip for film lovers. However, there is no doubt that whatever her next move is, everyone is firmly seated for Ackie’s next move.
