Biographies: Daniel Day-Lewis - Actor

Biographies

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Daniel Day-Lewis is a British-Irish actor widely considered to be one of the most talented, awarded and celebrated actors alive. He was born in London on April 29, 1957, to Cecil Day-Lewis, a British Poet Laureate, and his second wife, Jill Balcon, an actress. His name has become synonymous with method acting, for his in-depth research and 24/7 immersion into the character for the duration of filming. In high school, Day-Lewis developed a passion for woodworking, acting and fishing. He often describes his teenage behavior as disorderly, as he was often in trouble for shoplifting and petty crimes. Appropriately then, he made his film debut at 14 playing an uncredited vandal in "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (1971). Before pursuing acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, he applied for a five-year apprenticeship as a cabinet-maker, but was rejected for being inexperienced. Day-Lewis began working in television and theater in the 1980s, and soon made his way up to top billing in "My Beautiful Laundrette" (1985) and "A Room with a View" (1986). In 2012, Day-Lewis broke Oscar history to become the only male actor to have won three awards in the best actor category. He won for "My Left Foot" (1989) in which he plays an Irish artist afflicted with cerebral palsy who can only paint or write with one foot; "There Will Be Blood" (2007) in which he plays the rapacious and power-obsessed oilman Daniel Plainview, and Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" in which he renders a frightfully believable and moving Abraham Lincoln. He read over 100 books on Lincoln, and being the method actor he is, even texted with Sally Field, who played his wife Mary Todd Lincoln, in 1860s parlance throughout production. The famously private actor recoils from Hollywood's competitive culture and ever-prying eye. He's retired a number of times, and takes years-long breaks between projects. His other film credits include "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" (1988), "The Last of the Mohicans" (1992), "In the Name of the Father" (1993) and "Gangs of New York" (2002). He has two children with his wife, actress Rebecca Miller.

21 March 2013
Ines Farag