Daniel Day-Lewis Didn’t Want to Get ‘Sucked Back’ Into Another Project After His Retirement
Actor Daniel Day-Lewis’ last project was 2017’s Phantom Thread. Since then, he vowed to stay away from acting, and committed to his retirement for a good four years. But it seems the acting bug has caught Day-Lewis again, which is exactly what he hoped wouldn’t happen.
Daniel Day-Lewis Initially Wasn’t Enjoying his retirement
Day-Lewis was pretty adamant that he was done with acting after his experience with Phantom Thread. It wasn’t the first time he had the itch to retire. But for reasons not even Day-Lewis could explain, he felt compelled to bow out of the spotlight for good after the project. In the process, he made sure to leave little room for a possible Hollywood comeback by making an announcement.
“I knew it was uncharacteristic to put out a statement,” he once told W. “But I did want to draw a line. I didn’t want to get sucked back into another project. All my life, I’ve mouthed off about how I should stop acting, and I don’t know why it was different this time, but the impulse to quit took root in me, and that became a compulsion. It was something I had to do.”
Phantom Thread wasn’t a bad note to go out on. The movie received high praise and was recognized for several categories from the Academy, earning Day-Lewis his sixth nomination. However, even after the Lincoln star left Hollywood, Day-Lewis admitted he wasn’t enjoying retirement just yet.
“Do I feel better?” Day-Lewis said. “Not yet. I have great sadness. And that’s the right way to feel. How strange would it be if this was just a gleeful step into a brand-new life. I’ve been interested in acting since I was 12 years old, and back then, everything other than the theater—that box of light—was cast in shadow. When I began, it was a question of salvation. Now, I want to explore the world in a different way.”
Danie Day-Lewis is making his return with ‘Anemone’
The My Left Foot actor made good on his retirement vow for quite a while until recently. The Hollywood Reporter announced not too long ago that Day-Lewis is coming out of retirement, but the circumstances for his comeback might be particularly special to him. Day-Lewis will be starring in a movie his son, Ronan Day-Lewis, directed titled Anemone.
It seems creativity runs in the family because the feature will be based on a script both Day-Lewis and his son wrote. Focus Features will help produce the film, and the studio’s chairman has already praised it.
“We could not be more excited to partner with a brilliant visual artist in Ronan Day-Lewis on his first feature film alongside Daniel Day-Lewis as his creative collaborator,” Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski said. “They have written a truly exceptional script, and we look forward to bringing their shared vision to audiences alongside the team at Plan B.”
This project will also be a huge opportunity for Ronan to show his skillset as a director. Ronan only has one movie under his belt so far, which is the short film The Sheep and the Wolf. The fact that his first major picture has his father coming out of retirement will surely put a lot of eyes on the young artist’s debut.
Day-Lewis, however, might have considerably less pressure. The actor has only done 20 films, but has consistently impressed audiences with his acting ability, which his numerous accolades can attest to.
