Daniel Day-Lewis: Five standout films from the actor’s career

Daniel Day-Lewis has announced his retirement from acting. “Phantom Thread”, due out December 2017, will be his last movie. Image: AFP/Robyn Beck via AFP Relaxnews

Although he has only starred in 20 or so movies in his 46-year career, British actor Daniel Day-Lewis is considered one of the world’s best. With his recently announced retirement now on the horizon, here’s a look at five standout movies from the actor’s career.

“My Left Foot”
In 1989, Daniel Day-Lewis won his first Oscar for his portrayal of the Irish artist, painter and poet Christy Brown, who had cerebral palsy. The actor asserted his method acting style by staying in character at all times, an approach that soon became the actor’s trademark. As a result, Daniel Day-Lewis spent months in a wheelchair being spoon fed, even when not filming, in order gain a better understanding of his character.

“In the Name of the Father”
Four years later, the actor was nominated for another Oscar for his role as Gerry Conlan, falsely convicted of carrying out IRA bombings in the 1970s, in this movie based on a true story. Once again, the British actor took the role to heart, losing over 50 pounds in weight, spending time in a jail cell and undergoing tough interrogations, just like his character.

“Gangs of New York”
After a five-year break, Daniel Day-Lewis returned to the big screen in this movie directed by Martin Scorsese, with whom the actor had previously filmed “The Age of Innocence”. Day-Lewis played a violent character called Bill the Butcher, a gang leader in 19th-century New York. The role scored the actor a third Oscar nomination and was a box-office hit.

“There Will Be Blood”
Nineteen years after winning his first Oscar, the actor scooped a second golden gong thanks to his incredible performance as Daniel Plainview in Paul Thomas Anderson’s movie. This dark and violent character makes a fortune in oil in the American West in the early 20th century. The actor’s profoundly encompassing portrayal received widespread acclaim.

Lincoln
During his career, Daniel Day-Lewis turned down roles in Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List”, as well as “The English Patient”, “Philadelphia”, “The Lord of the Rings” and “Interview with the Vampire”. The actor almost turned down this Abraham Lincoln biopic too, but his friend Leonardo DiCaprio finally helped convince him to accept. However, the actor asked Steven Spielberg for one year to prepare for the role, during which he read around a hundred works on the subject and focused on internalizing the American President’s demeanor, gestures and voice. As a result, the actor won his third Oscar in 2012 and sealed his status as an acting legend. JB

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