The movie Daniel Day-Lewis wants to delete from history: “I felt a sense of shame about it”
Even the greatest of performers struggle with imposter syndrome and feelings of imperfection, a battle that is no less familiar even to the best actors and those who seem most comfortable with their craft. For Daniel Day-Lewis, his expertise in the medium doesn’t make him immune to feelings of doubt, despite being widely acclaimed as one of the most successful actors of his generation. Whether it be his trailblazing performance in There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread or The Age of Innocence, Day-Lewis has worked across some of the most influential films of the 21st century, collaborating with renowned auteurs such as Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson.
Known for his keen sense of intensity and commitment when approaching his characters, the actor has forged a reputation for his ability to reach new emotional depths and leave no stone unturned, a technique that leads to incredibly convincing and rich performances. However, while these techniques usually work in his favour, there was one film in which they didn’t, with the actor citing it as one of his career failures.
When picturing the many characters that Day-Lewis has played, it’s hard to imagine any that could be considered subpar, with the actor developing a ferocious and forensic approach to his craft that leads to carefully thought-out yet surprising performances, allowing himself to be led by instinct while also cultivating an understanding of the character that informs these spontaneous ideas.
However, we are often our own worst critics, and Day-Lewis described one performance that didn’t live up to his impossibly high standards. After starring in My Left Foot, which follows the life of Christy Brown, a boy born with cerebral palsy who defies the odds and pursues a career as a painter and poet in Ireland.
This was one of the more demanding roles in his filmography, with the actor placing an enormous amount of physical and emotional strain on himself to embody the character, which led to an intense bout of burnout afterwards. However, there wasn’t a proper chance for a break, as a week after wrapping, the actor was booked for his next project, Ever Smile, New Jersey, describing his rattled state when approaching the film.
Ever Smile, New Jersey is an Argentine film directed by Carlos Sorin, which follows a travelling dentist in South America. While it was a new challenge for the actor, he later described it as one he wasn’t quite ready for after the strain he had placed on his body for My Left Foot. When discussing the film, he said, “I was like dog’s meat. It didn’t work out, and I felt a sense of shame about it.”
While Day-Lewis will most likely be reflecting on his work in a harsher way compared to his critics, creative burnout is a huge part of the job when working in the film industry, and rest and recuperation is essential after embodying the psyches of such challenging characters. Despite his regret about his performance, there is no doubt that he views it through a different lens and evaluates his work in a less kind way than others.
