Daniel Day-Lewis is cross that people equate method acting with ‘behaving like a lunatic’. That’s exactly why we love it

<p>The actor famous for intensely immersing himself in film roles has spoken out about the technique and the attempts of others to ape it</p><p>It has been a while since anyone saw or heard from Daniel Day-Lewis. After he issued the statement “Daniel Day-Lewis will no longer be working as an actor,” in 2017 before the release of The Phantom Thread, the man quietly faded from view. However, in his absence, it’s fair to say that his legend grew somewhat.</p><p>Largely, this legend revolved around his favoured style of working. As someone who famously prefers to disappear into his characters while making a film – for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jan/24/lincoln-review">Lincoln</a>, he had Steven Spielberg call him “Mr President” for the duration of the shoot – the world has grown increasingly obsessed with his process. Did he really send texts to Sally Field as Abraham Lincoln? Did he only eat animals he’d killed and skinned himself for The Last of the Mohicans? Did he insist on being spoon-fed food for My Left Foot?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/06/daniel-day-lewis-is-cross-method-acting-is-equated-with-behaving-like-a-lunatic-thats-exactly-why-we-love-it">Continue reading...</a>