Daniel Day-Lewis Reflects on His Acting Retirement: ‘I Should Have Kept My Mouth Shut’

Daniel Day-Lewis is returning to acting after an eight-year break. He stars in Anemone, a film directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, he shared that he regrets saying he retired in 2017. He reflected, “I would have done well to just keep my mouth shut. I never really intended to retire; I just wanted to explore other things.”

His first break from acting happened in 1997 when he tried his hand at shoemaking in Italy. He returned to the screen in 2002 with Gangs of New York. After his role in Phantom Thread in 2017, he again stepped away from acting, but he never meant to leave for good.

“I’ve been accused of retiring twice now. I just wanted to work on something different. As I get older, it just takes me longer to find that creative spark,” he said. Working with his son reignited that spark, filling him with joy throughout the process.

He also expressed a feeling of sadness about stepping away from acting while his son pursued filmmaking. “I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could do something together?’” he explained.

Anemone tells the story of a middle-aged man, played by Sean Bean, who reconnects with his estranged brother, portrayed by Day-Lewis, during a journey into the woods.

Despite concerns about jumping back into public life, Day-Lewis felt compelled to join the project. “My son made it clear he wouldn’t do it if I didn’t,” he said. He admitted to feeling anxiety about returning to filmmaking, though his love for the work never faded.

He mentioned that, in the past, the filmmaking process sometimes left him feeling empty. “There was something about it that hollowed me out,” he admitted. He recalled feeling uncertain after Phantom Thread about his future in acting, thinking perhaps he had nothing left to give.

Anemone is set to hit select theaters on October 3 and will expand nationwide on October 10.

Additional Insights

Daniel Day-Lewis is known for his intense method acting. He has won three Academy Awards for Best Actor, a record in itself. His decision to work with Ronan signifies a shift in his approach, focusing on personal storytelling rather than large productions.

Recent surveys show an increasing trend among filmmakers to collaborate with family members, indicating a desire to blend personal and professional lives. This reflects a growing acceptance of diverse storytelling methods in the film industry.

For more insights into the dynamics of family in filmmaking, you can check out this Variety article.

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Daniel Day-Lewis,New York Film Festival