Interview
DA NI EL DAY-LEW I S Chris Sullivan meets the triple Oscar-winning actor to look back at his entire cinematic career, and tries to find out why Daniel Day-Lewis works so damn hard at immersing himself in the difficult roles he chooses
O
n meeting actor Daniel Day-Lewis, one gets the distinct impression that, whether successful or not, he has no other option than to do things his way. A man who subconsciously defies convention at every turn, he is rarely seen at Hollywood shindigs, only acts in films he really believes in and doesn’t give two hoots about money or fame. Furthermore, since 1997 he has lived as far from the madding crowd as possible, basing himself in Ireland’s wild and wet Wicklow Mountains with his writer-director wife Rebecca Miller ‒ daughter of US playwright Arthur Miller ‒ and his two teenage boys Ronan and Cashel. A several year hiatus between movies is par for the course for the London-born actor, who is known to choose his projects carefully and sparingly.
“And of course I had to prepare, so I just went mad and remembered the halcyon days of fighting on the terraces at the Den, memories that stood me in good stead as Bill the Butcher. He was a bit of a punk and a marvellous character and a joy to be – although not so good for my physical or mental health” 22
