When You Actually Become the Character - Daniel Day-Lewis

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Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the best actors. With three Best Actor Oscars across three different decades, a handful of the most iconic performances ever seen on screen (There Will Be Blood, Gangs of New York, My Left Foot, Phantom Thread), and the honor of knighthood, there aren't many that can compete with him. But what he does is so much more than acting, as he truly transforms into the character. He took what Marlon Brando did with method acting and kicked it up a notch, becoming the character throughout the entire film production.

We're talking about using only one foot while on set, spending a few days in a jail cell, and even dedicating a year to learning how to make dresses for a role. This is by far the most interesting actor we've done a deep dive on. If you thought Christian Bale was dedicated, then you're in for a ride. So today we're diving into all the best moments of Daniel Day-Lewis' career both on and off-screen, that really prove he's one of the best.

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:05 - Rise to Fame
07:11 - Busiest Decade
11:31 - Most Iconic Roles
16:41 - Best Actor Ever?

Sir Daniel Day Lewis. Most Oscar Wins. There Will Be Blood. Gangs of New York. My Beautiful Laundrette. A Room with a View. The Unbearable Lightness of Being. My Left Foot. Christy Brown. The Last of the Mohicans. Age of Innocence. Martin Scorsese. In the Name of the Father. The Crucible. Winona Ryder. The Boxer. Leonardo DiCaprio. Bill the Butcher. The Ballad of Jack and Rose. Daniel Plainview. Paul Thomas Anderson. Nine. Lincoln. Steven Spielberg. Phantom Thread.

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#danieldaylewis #dedication #bestactor

[radiantlight]

In case you didn't know, this man has 12 solid films as lead actor, 6 of them he was nominated as best actor and won 3.
That's the most solid career of all time.

[Ingens_Scherz]

I saw his Hamlet at the National Theatre in 1989 when I was 17. At one point, his intensity was so fierce I thought the front row was in danger of radiation burns. At other moments, when he was at his most vulnerable, I wanted somebody to jump on the stage and give him a hug - or maybe save him somehow.
He was just, I don't know, beyond acting. He transported you, and you had no choice in that darkened room but to go with him. Left an indelible impression; impossible to forget.

[giodhuha]

Sir Daniel Day-Lewis deserves his own biopic, portrayed by Christian Bale.

[t.o.double]

Day Lewis was fuckin robbed of the Oscar for Gangs of New York. Bill the Butcher is the best acting I've ever seen. That role alone made Gangs one of my favorite movies. He was amazing. Seeing that face in the thumbnail forced me to click

[antipop]

I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE!
It's one of the greatest lines ever in a movie.

[gregoryrome]

His performance in Gangs of New York was incredible. Bill the Butcher is one of the most terrifying characters ever put on screen.

[giovanbattistafichera]

There's only one thing you didn't stress enough in my opinion: he's SO DAMN good at doing accents!

[andrewbeckett]

As a film composer, I deeply resonate with Daniel Day-Lewis's intimate bond with his art. There are months where I am joyous yet creatively blocked, touching an instrument only to produce empty, rule-bound notes. But the universe demands balance. Sometimes, as dawn breaks, I find myself effortlessly composing a string quartet's first movement before my coffee cools. Recently, after a session of creativity hypnosis, I awoke to a complete symphony on my screen—a six-minute masterpiece composed in real-time, featuring a passionate cello, a boys choir, and an orchestra. It's a mysterious process: when inspiration eludes me, I wait; when it strikes, I am its vessel.

[RichD]

“There Will Be Blood” is a film I can never forget solely because of Day-Lewis. Master performance👏🏾

[amirsyoutube]

Last of the Mohicans is a movie I will never get bored watching. Great film, great score, great performances.

[ChristianAnida]

without knowing who he was I remember being impressed and mesmerized by his performance in Gangs of New York. The way he play a character is very different compared to any other actors out there, after I saw Lincoln I realized that he acts like there are no cameras around him, no audience to impress, just him being the character.

[marcusvachon]

Daniel Plainview is the best thing about "There Will Be Blood". This is the movie that allowed me to understand the hype about Daniel Day Lewis. Icon

[carlgrimeseyepatch]

it is kind of sweet to hear that he loved portraying Lincoln so much. No one like him!

[foxdavion]

You know someone has perfected their craft, because whenever I see him acting, I don't see Daniel Day-Lewis, I see the character; I only see him when people remind me it was him who played the character. That makes for a successful actor, it goes beyound being typecast, it goes beyound being better known for the character you play than the real you, it is succeeding at your objective to subvert reality and see only the character.

[stevecowder]

Daniel Day is totally extraordinary. He’s convincingly down to the core in every role he plays. And ‘ My Left Foot ‘ put him on the map for eternity. Not an easy movie to watch, but worth it because of him.

[blackchewy]

I showed my elderly father There will be blood. About half way through he whispered “that man is gone”.

I said yes he is totally immersed in the character.

[AnhedoniaParty]

As far as I am concerned, Sir Daniel Day-Lewis is without question the greatest actor of his generation. There are a ton of solid actors and actresses, and some truly great ones as well, but I am hard pressed to think of a single one that has the range, devotion, and seemingly innate ability to not just portray a character, but to actually become another human being. It is unreal. Add in that he leads a quiet life free from tabloid scandals and seems to be a genuinely kind and caring person... The man is a role model.

[ChantalS-iw]

The last 20 minutes of There Will Be Blood is an absolute MASTERCLASS in acting, directing, scoring, editing, lighting, cinematography, and storytelling. It the best performance by an actor that I have ever seen. I compare every single Best Actor Oscar nominee and winner to this performance, which is the yardstick for how all actors should strive to be. Paul Dano deserved a Supporting Oscar nomination for his work. Marion Cotillard is the equivalent in La vie en rose for the exact same reasons as Day-Lewis. 2007 was an OUTSTANDING year for cinema!

[marcio]

Daniel Day-Lewis is definitely among the few greatest actors. I'm glad he loved Lincoln the way people who have studied Lincoln do. His portrayal of Lincoln was like no portrayal at all.

[JackAcid]

I can personally attest to the sheer brilliance of this man's talent. As I type, I'm sat behind a set with both D.D. Lewis and Sean Bean filming a ten minute take for a new film (come back to this comment in 2025 and you'll know I'm not lying). I'm literally typing this as I sit and listen to them (I work in SFX) doing what they do.
The blood has run cold today because I'm in the company of two TITANS of screen acting - ten minute takes are practically unheard of in the film business, but here I am, listening to them fleshing out their characters in real time. I've worked with loads of TV actors, mainly on the BBC, and recently had the unpleasant experience of having to endure Schuti Gattwa (sic) as Dr Who. He's an arrogant, obstreperous brat who gets annoyed when he's asked to hit his mark...and yet here I currently am watching how screen acting ought to be done, which is an order of magnitude higher than literally anything I've had the pleasure of watching before.
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