Why Sir Daniel Day-Lewis is ending his acting retirement

The triple Oscar winner quit acting after Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2017 film Phantom Thread, based on the fashion world of 1950s London, and has since largely avoided public life.

The 67-year-old is set to star in a film titled Anemone, with his son Ronan Day-Lewis at its helm, according to US independent production company Focus Features.

The film will feature actors including Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley and Safia Oakley-Green.

Daniel Day-Lewis is officially returning to acting

•Will star in his son’s directorial debut ‘Anemone’

• He co-wrote the script

• Film explores the intricate relationships between fathers, sons and brothers, and the dynamics of familial bonds

• His first role in 7 years pic.twitter.com/mCYEhPLCIq

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) October 1, 2024

The father and son duo wrote the screenplay which explores the relationships between fathers, sons and brothers, according to US outlet Deadline.

Reacting to the news on social media, some of Sir Daniel's fans shared their excitement.

Posting on X, one said: "daniel day lewis possibly coming out of retirement i could cry."

Another shared: "Oh. My. God. Daniel Day Lewis is my favorite actor and arguably the greatest actor of all time. This will be a treat!"

One account commented: "Daniel day Lewis coming back to the screen will make movie going exciting again."

Someone else tweeted: "It's so great to see Daniel Day-Lewis acting again even if it's just to help his son's directorial debut for a film."

Focus Features & Plan B partner on Ronan Day-Lewis’s feature directorial debut ANEMONE, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley, & Safia Oakley-Green. pic.twitter.com/k52KCaIjzO

— Focus Features (@FocusFeatures) October 1, 2024

Sir Daniel is known for his powerful performances including as Nathaniel "Hawkeye" Poe in Michael Mann’s 1992 epic The Last Of The Mohicans.

He has won three Best Actor Oscars, for playing disabled Irish writer Christy Brown in My Left Foot (1990), oil man Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood (2008) and the former US president in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln (2013).

He made his screen debut as a teenager in Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) before moving on to a number of memorable period drama roles.

Sir Daniel was made a Knight Bachelor of the British Empire by the Duke of Cambridge in 2014.

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In June 2017 it was announced he was retiring from acting in a statement from representative Leslee Dart, which said: “Daniel Day-Lewis will no longer be working as an actor.

“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.”

Sir Daniel took a break from retirement in January this year to present US filmmaker Martin Scorsese with an award after his western epic Killers Of The Flower Moon.

The actor, who starred in Scorsese’s Gangs Of New York (2002) and The Age Of Innocence (1993), called working with the director “one of the greatest joys and unexpected privileges of my life”.