Daniel Day-Lewis is widely regarded among his fraternity and audiences as one of the most talented and versatile actors of his generation. A multiple award winner, the star has been part of many memorable films and has played iconic characters throughout his career. An exponent of method acting, Day-Lewis is famously known to dig deep into his roles to extract the best out of each character.
This trait has also resulted in the Oscar winner missing out on certain films due to being emotionally and physically invested in a role. Day-Lewis was offered a marquee part in the 90s in Interview with a Vampire, a film that went on to become a cult classic. The celebrity though, turned it down owing to his commitment to another project, thereby giving way to Tom Cruise to fill in.
Daniel Day-Lewis Was Almost Cast In Interview With A Vampire
In 1994, two of Hollywood’s most desirable celebrities Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt starred in Interview with a Vampire which catapulted both stars to the big leagues. The film became a hit at the box office with critics and audiences praising the narrative. Cruise’s role though, was originally offered to Daniel Day-Lewis. Known for his intense preparation with his characters, the Oscar winner refused the role owing to his commitment to another film, In the Name of the Father.
The Lincoln actor played Gerry Conlon, a young Irish man living in London who is wrongly sentenced to life in prison with his father after the IRA bombing of 1974 and spends the next 15 years trying to prove his innocence. This role demanded a lot of emotional introspection for Day-Lewis who therefore refused to read any other scripts that came his way during this time period including Interview with a Vampire despite being asked multiple times to consider the part.
Method Acting Made Daniel Day-Lewis Retire From His Profession
Hollywood star Daniel Day-Lewis holds a record of sorts in the acting department by being the only star to win 3 Best Actor Oscars in the history of the Academy Awards. The My Left Foot star is an exponent of the arduous method acting concept in which he would completely submit to his role and remain in character on and off screen for the duration of the filming. While this method reaped rich dividends for Day-Lewis as his records show, it also took a toll on him with the star announcing his retirement in 2017 owing to possible burnout. In a statement that did not get into specifics, the actor said,
“I didn’t want to get sucked back into another project.”
While Daniel Day-Lewis’ unique method forced the star to take multiple breaks between films, the celebrity decided after the release of Phantom Thread in 2017, that it was finally time to hang up his boots and call it a day.
Source: Mental Floss
