Back from retirement, Daniel Day Lewis has become open about acting.
In his recent sit-in with “The New York Times,” the three-time Oscar winner says “I don’t like thinking about acting from a craft perspective,” and by focusing too much on the process, performers get caught up in “the less important details of the work.”
“Of course there are techniques you can learn. I know this method has become an easy target these days,” he said. “I’ve been crossing a bit lately to hear people of all sorts gobbling and say things like ‘Fong Full Method’.
He continued, “Everyone tends to focus on less important details of the work, and those details always seem to involve experiences of imposition of some kind of autofluorescence or serious discomfort or mental instability on oneself. But of course, in the life of an actor, it must be primarily about internal work.”
Day-Lewis retired from acting in 2017, just months before the release of his second Paul Thomas Anderson Collaboration “Phantom Thread.” His representative said at the time, “Daniel Day Lewis will no longer be working as an actor. He is extremely grateful to all his collaborators and audiences over the years. This is a private decision and neither he nor his representative will make further comments on the subject.”
Recently, Day-Lewis returned to the spotlight by starring in “Anemone,” an indie drama directed by his son, Ronan. In the film, Day Lewis plays a former British soldier named Ray. His quiet life is covered as his brother (Shaunbean) pursues him and forces him to stand up to his complicated past.
Day-Lewis told Variety that he and his son were lifelong collaborators and working on the film together felt like a natural progression in their relationship.
“Over the years, Ronan was very, very small, so we’ve worked together on a lot of different things,” he said. “It’s always been easier for each other’s companies. This was really an extension of that. It was a big toy box to play.”
