The thin line between nepotism and legacy that brought Daniel Day-Lewis back to acting
In 2017, Daniel Day-Lewis proclaimed Phantom Thread to be his final movie. The legendary actor, often hailed as the greatest of his generation, bowed out on a good one – the film was highly praised, and his performance was heralded as one of his finest. Yet, it has now been uncovered that he will be returning to the screen to appear in Anemone, the debut feature by his 26-year-old son, Ronan Day-Lewis.
This has led fans of the actor to wonder why Day-Lewis has made the big decision to return. Not only will he be starring alongside actors like Sean Bean and Samantha Morton, but he has also co-written the movie with his son, earning himself his first-ever writing credit. So, is this just a case of a father using his talent to help his son? Is this an instance of Day-Lewis perpetuating Hollywood’s rife nepotism problems? Is he destroying his ‘legacy’ by returning following his ‘final’ performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterpiece?
Perhaps the question should be – does legacy matter at all? Many actors and filmmakers are concerned with their legacy, like Quentin Tarantino, who wants to end his career on a perfect note, limiting himself to a set number of films that will cause stress for no one but himself.
Day-Lewis has one of the most impressive filmographies in all of Hollywood. Take a look at the credits he has been in – ranging from My Beautiful Laundrette in the ‘80s through to The Age of Innocence, In The Name of the Father, My Left Foot, and There Will Be Blood. He’s only made a few missteps, and even then, his performances have always been spectacular. Will Day-Lewis tarnish his legacy by starring in his son’s film? Once the movie is released, people can decide that for themselves, but perhaps we should consider that, really, legacy isn’t all that important.
What is important, however, is that Day-Lewis will return to our screens with an inspiring performance, no doubt. He clearly hasn’t been able to shake the acting bug, and it seems as though he’s also caught a new one: writing. It will be interesting to see how Day-Lewis’ acting experiences will shape his approach to writing a film, considering he has worked with some of modern cinema’s most impressive filmmakers in the past, like Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Paul Thomas Anderson.
Still, we can’t ignore the fact that Day-Lewis is only returning to be involved in his son’s project, feeding into Hollywood’s rife issue of nepotism. The ease with which the children of famous figures get a leg up into the industry – that’s not to say that they don’t still have passion and a strong work ethic – only leads to fewer opportunities for lower-class, budding filmmakers who don’t have these ready-made connections from the moment they’re born. We shouldn’t be surprised, though; Day-Lewis was born into a famous family and then married into another.
So much of Hollywood operates in this way, with the relatives of famous stars getting opportunities they likely wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. At the same time, it is understandable that someone would use their influence to help out their child because, at the end of the day, they want to see them succeed. Whether Day-Lewis should’ve allowed his son to make his debut without his help is a question up for debate and one that will likely divide opinion.
We will have to wait and see whether Anemone is a worthy return for Day-Lewis – or perhaps that shouldn’t matter. It seems as though Day-Lewis is exploring a new avenue in his career as a screenwriter, and there’s a high chance that he’ll produce something great. He has had an impressive enough career to now do as he pleases, and the opinions of the general public, in regards to his legacy or nepotism, probably couldn’t bother him less.
