Why Daniel Day-Lewis Still Won't Return To Acting

You won't be seeing Daniel Day-Lewis at a theater near you anytime soon. When it comes to the list of the greatest actors of all time, chances are a top spot is usually reserved for the "Gangs of New York" star. A sensation from England, the actor quickly became an international star after starring in the Oscar-winning "Gandhi" and the seminal romance "My Beautiful Laundrette." By the 2000s, Day-Lewis was on fire, headlining certified contemporary classics like Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" and Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln." Then, a peculiar thing happened in 2017, around the release of "Phantom Thread" — he was done with acting.

Aside from a brief statement issued to Variety that confirmed his retirement, not much is known about his current day-to-day. Now, filmmaker Jim Sheridan, who has directed Day-Lewis thrice, has once again confirmed that the three-time Oscar winner is done with the silver screen. "He says he's done. I keep talking to him," Sheridan told Screen Daily. "I'd love to do something with him again. He's like everybody else. He opens up the streamers and there's seven thousand choices, none of them are good," Sheridan added. Daniel, we feel you — there's simply too much stuff on Netflix (that always happens to get canceled).

Amongst his contemporaries, Day-Lewis was always known for being extremely selective with the projects he chose, rarely delivering duds. In a career spanning some 35 years, Day-Lewis only afforded audiences with only around 20 credited theatrical offerings. And, like everyone else, Sheridan wants to see his friend back on the big screen, saying, "It'd be great to see Daniel coming back and doing something because he's so good."

The Oscar winner is known for many things, one of which is being dramatic. Daniel Day-Lewis is often remembered for his commitment to method acting — he's also well known for taking lengthy breaks between projects.

In the late '90s, he seemingly retired from acting and took a gig as a shoemaker in Florence, Italy. It was, ultimately, a brief retirement, but take a look at the actor's filmography, and it's clear that large gaps are consistent. Between "Lincoln" and "The Phantom Thread," his supposedly final film, Day-Lewis took a five-year break. While chatting with The Observer in 2008, the actor candidly discussed how, for him, there's more to life than just his career, which he likes to take breaks from. "My life as it is away from movie set is a life where I follow my curiosity just as avidly as when I am working," he said. "It is with a very positive sense that I keep away from the work for a while. It has always seemed natural to me that that in turn should help me in the work that I do."

Will Day-Lewis ever return to acting? That's anyone's guess, but history has shown that the Englishman isn't opposed to stepping away from his craft for extended stretches. And if he ever returns to the big screen — there will be headlines. For any "Gangs of New York" and "Lincoln" fans out there, be sure to check out Looper's rankings of Daniel Day-Lewis' best movies.