Hailed as one of the greatest actors and the brightest of gems of all time in the world of acting, Daniel Day-Lewis is a talent unparalleled. From his method acting to his uncanny ability to disappear behind his roles and become one with his characters, the actor deserves all the credit in the world for his unforgettable performances.
Whether he is playing Christy Brown, an artist with cerebral palsy, in My Left Foot, the menacing oil tycoon Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood, or Honest Abe in Lincoln, the actor has always delivered performances that hit right in the hearts and remain in our minds for eternity to come.
While he is notorious for taking long gaps between films to immerse himself in characters or recover from them, it was a tragic day for the film industry and cinema lovers all over the world when Day-Lewis announced he would be retiring from acting for good. While the world respected his decision, many longed for his return to the silver screen one last time. Now, the wishes of his fans have finally come true since the legend will be making a comeback, potentially for the last time.
As he gears up for his return, questions are once again being raised about his initial exit from the industry and retirement and why he is willing to return after all these years. If you’re someone who has been wondering the same, here is everything we know about Daniel Day-Lewis’ retirement and what brought him back to the big screen.
Daniel Day-Lewis announced his retirement in 2017
All of Hollywood should probably be grateful to Priapus for the gifts he bestowed upon Cecil Day-Lewis and Jill Balcon, for without such gifts, one of the most legendary stars of film history would have not existed today. Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis was born on April 29, 1957, in Kensington, London. Having started his career in the 1980s in theatre and television, it didn’t take him long to get recognized for the gifts he had.
The result was that over the course of a few decades, Day-Lewis was awarded not one but three Best Actor Academy Awards, four Best Actor in a Leading Role BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globes for Best Actor, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role. Apart from more than a hundred accolades, he was also awarded Knighthood for his services to drama. Given the range of his talent and the feats he has achieved, it was more than a shock when he suddenly announced in 2017 that he was retiring.
In 2017, it completed five years since Daniel Day-Lewis had last appeared on the big screen and was gearing up for the release of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread. While fans had their hopes high that their favorite had finally made it to the land of acting after dreadfully long five years, one of his spokespersons stated the following to Variety on June 20, 2017.
Daniel Day-Lewis will no longer be working as an actor. He is immensely grateful to all of his collaborators and audiences over the many years. This is a private decision and neither he nor his representatives will make any further comment on this subject.
Known for movies like Gangs of New York, In the Name of the Father, Lincoln, and more, this announcement came as a bolt from the blue. While it wasn’t his first time trying to ‘retire’ from acting, this time, it appeared more real than ever. The actor, over the course of his extraordinary career, had attempted to quit the industry several times but had always made it back.
Daniel Day-Lewis on why he wanted to retire
It was back in 1989 that while performing Hamlet at the National Theatre, where the character speaks to his dead father’s ghost, uncontrollably collapses into sobs, and walks off, Daniel Day-Lewis too walked off the stage for good. In an interview with Time in 2012, he recalled having seen his own dead father every night while performing, impulsively taking the decision to quit the craft then and there.
However, he continued acting on the big screen, perplexing audiences with his remarkable acting range in movies spread across different genres. Then again, after filming 1997’s The Boxer, the actor took another five years off, spending his time doing woodworking and shoemaking instead. He then appeared in Martin Scorsese’s The Gangs of New York in 2002. But then again, in 2013, after Lincoln, the actor took another one of his five-year sabbaticals (via Vanity Fair).
Known for living a private life and rarely giving interviews, in the period after, he often stated that his time away from cameras was just as fulfilling to his curiosity as it was on set. As for why he quit acting in 2017 for good, he gave an extensive answer to W Magazine in the same year. Having immersed himself completely in the Phantom Thread, Day-Lewis confessed that making Phantom Thread left him deeply unsettled. Although he did not elaborate on the specifics, the role seemed to have had an emotional impact on him.
I dread to use the overused word ‘artist,’ but 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.
Stated Day-Lewis while talking about the French film Tous Les Matins, where the French composer Sainte-Colombe refuses to accept less than what was extraordinary from himself or anyone else. As for the statement he had put out, the legend stated that while it was uncharacteristic of him, he wanted to draw a line this time, not wanting to get sucked back into another project. Calling his decision a sort of compulsion he had placed upon himself, while he was sad, he expressed his desire to explore the world in a different way.
Why did Daniel Day-Lewis return to acting?
It must have been a moment of great peace for his colleagues and fellow industry stars when Daniel Day-Lewis decided to step away from acting. In his remarkable, one-of-a-kind career, he is the only actor to have won three Best Actor Oscars Awards out of 6 nominations, despite being in a relatively short number of films when compared to his contemporaries.
So, when he compelled himself to quit the craft in 2017, it was a shock equally in measure, when in October 2024 it was announced that Daniel Day-Lewis is once again making his return to Hollywood (via The Hollywood Reporter). The reason for his return is comparatively sweet, as he will be starring in the film Anemone, a film he co-wrote along with his son Ronan Day-Lewis, who will be directing the flick in his directing debut.
His first film since Phantom Thread, Day-Lewis will star alongside Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley, and Safia Oakley-Green. Apparently, the upcoming film has a family theme, based on the bonds between fathers, sons, and brothers. Shot in Manchester, Anemone will be produced by Focus Features.
Well, despite their best efforts, it seems some actors cannot truly stay away from acting as if the craft itself was part of their DNA. While we cannot say that for all actors out there, for Daniel Day-Lewis, it probably is true without so much as a hint of doubt.
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