Daniel Day-Lewis comes out of retirement for son’s directorial debut, ‘Anemone’
Daniel Day-Lewis’ retirement from acting is looking more like a hiatus.
The only man to win the best actor Oscar three times is returning after seven years away from Hollywood to act in his son Ronan’s directorial debut, “Anemone.” The film, which the Day-Lewis duo co-wrote, is pegged as “an exploration of the intricate relationships between fathers, sons and brothers” and the “dynamics of familial bonds,” Variety reported.
The “Tragedy of Macbeth” star could tie an old Oscar record, or even go one step better.
On Sunday, the elder Day-Lewis, 67, was photographed on the set of the film in Manchester, England, as he rode a motorcycle with co-star Sean Bean (“The Lord of the Rings”). Two days later, Focus Features and Plan B Entertainment announced they would be co-leading the project.
“We could not be more excited to partner with a brilliant visual artist in Ronan Day-Lewis on his first feature film alongside Daniel Day-Lewis as his creative collaborator,” Peter Kujawski, chair of Focus Features, told the Associated Press. “They have written a truly exceptional script, and we look forward to bringing their shared vision to audiences alongside the team at Plan B.”
Ronan Day-Lewis, 26, is a painter who has previously shown his work in New York. His first international solo exhibition, “That Summer We All Saw Them,” debuted Tuesday in Hong Kong.
When Daniel Day-Lewis announced his retirement from acting in 2017, shortly before he received yet another best actor nomination for 2018’s “Phantom Thread,” he didn’t offer an explanation for the move.
“Daniel Day-Lewis will no longer be working as an actor,” his representative Leslee Dart told Variety at the time. “He is immensely grateful to all of his collaborators and audiences over the many years. This is a private decision and neither he nor his representatives will make any further comment on this subject.”
The “Lincoln” star later told W Magazine that there hadn’t been a clear impetus for his decision.
“I haven’t figured it out. But it’s settled on me, and it’s just there,” he said. “All my life, I’ve mouthed off about how I should stop acting, and I don’t know why it was different this time, but the impulse to quit took root in me, and that became a compulsion. It was something I had to do.”
The actor continued: “I have great sadness. And that’s the right way to feel. How strange would it be if this was just a gleeful step into a brand-new life. I’ve been interested in acting since I was 12 years old, and back then, everything other than the theater— that box of light — was cast in shadow.”
Each new film from writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson now arrives on a wave of expectation and mystique.
At January’s National Board of Review Awards, Day-Lewis reunited with his “Gangs of New York” director Martin Scorsese — who hinted at the actor’s potential return to the industry.
“We did two films together, and it’s one of the greatest experiences of my life,” Scorsese said while accepting directing honors for “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
“Maybe there’s time for one more,” he mused.
Focus Features has yet to reveal a release date for “Anemone,” but the distribution company announced Ben Fordesman (“Love Lies Bleeding”) is the director of photography, Jane Petrie (“The Crown”) is the costume designer and Chris Oddy (“Zone of Interest”) is the production designer.
It’s unclear whether Day-Lewis plans to join other acting projects in the future. The Times was unable to reach a representative immediately Wednesday for further comment.
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