Daniel Day-Lewis is famous – some might say infamous – for his dedication to method acting. He is probably the most prominent contemporary actor associated with the strict approach to the craft, and his performances sure haven’t suffered from it. Find out more about his method – and more – below in part one of our list.
Number Fifteen: He Has Learned a New Language for a Role
The actor has done a lot of different things in his dedication to his craft. But you probably wouldn’t have guessed that he learned to speak Czech for his role in The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
Number Fourteen: He Was in a Wheelchair for Months
But it wasn’t required because of any physical disability. He chose to do so for his role in My Left Foot, and he was lifted around set and spoon-fed during his time on the film.
Number Thirteen: He Only Ate Food He Killed for Last of the Mohicans
He learned how to track, hunt and skin wild animals in order to do this. Looks like he was using the same approach Leo DiCaprio used for The Revenant, only two decades earlier.
Number Twelve: He Walked Around New York City Wearing a Top Hat and Cane for Two Months
Again, this is not just because he felt like it. As you may have guessed. He did this while preparing for the period piece The Age of Innocence.
Number Eleven: Daniel Day-Lewis Spent Nights Locked in Solitary Confinement
This one was for a role in which he played a character who was wrongly imprisoned. It is a movie about The Troubles in Northern Ireland entitled In the Name of the Father.
Number Ten: He Once Didn’t Bathe for an Entire Shoot
And we don’t mean for a day. He didn’t bathe for the entirety of the shooting of The Crucible.
Number Nine: He Trained for Months to Play a Boxer
The film is another one about the conflict in Northern Ireland called The Boxer. The actor spent 18 months training with ex-champ Barry McGuigan, who said he could have turned pro. Check back for part two coming soon!