WTF Happened to Daniel Day-Lewis?

Last Updated on November 14, 2022

Of all the actors who employ the “method acting” technique, none is more famous (or infamous) than the great Daniel Day-Lewis. In a surprising move, Day-Lewis, at the height of his popularity, opted to retire from acting following the completion of his film with Paul Thomas Anderson, The Phantom Thread. Many figured Day-Lewis was saying this as the result of a long and taxing shoot, but in the years since, it’s appeared that the actor has stuck to his guns, not appearing in a film since. Is this the end of Daniel Day-Lewis’ screen career? WTF Happened?

In this episode of WTF Happened to this Celebrity, we examine Daniel Day-Lewis’ legendary run, from his early triumph in My Left Foot to his North American breakthrough in a run of modern classics that include In the Name of the Father and Michael Mann’s The Last of the Mohicans. Interestingly, Day-Lewis has retired before, with him quitting acting for three years after The Boxer, only to be lured back into acting by Martin Scorsese and Gangs of New York. His Bill “The Butcher” became one of his most memorable creations and kicked off another spectacular run that included his triumphant turn as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood. While some of his choices seem odd, such as the decision to act in the tepid musical Nine, shortly after Day-Lewis won his third Oscar for starring in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. If his retirement is permanent, he will leave behind an incredible legacy.

This episode of WTF Happened to this Celebrity is written (with Brad Hamerly), narrated and edited by Taylor James Johnson.

What’s your favourite Daniel Day-Lewis performance? Let us know in the comments!
For fun – here’s a quick top 5:

1. There Will Be Blood
2. The Last of the Mohicans
3. In the Name of the Father
4. Gangs of New York
5. Lincoln