Prior to bidding goodbyes to Hollywood, Daniel Day-Lewis once again delivered perfection in the role of Reynolds Woodcock, one of the best characters to appear in a Paul Thomas Anderson film. Unsurprisingly, Day-Lewis, who is notable for his inhumane commitment to his roles, had a similar approach to Phantom Thread, as he stayed in character even when the cameras weren’t rolling.
Opposite to him starred Vicky Krieps, who was a relatively unknown figure at the time. Although the actress had impeccable chemistry with the three-time Oscar winner, before the shoot began, Krieps recalled avoiding her costar.
Vicky Krieps Avoided Making Eye-Contact with Daniel Day-Lewis before the Shoot
To say that Daniel Day-Lewis‘ approach to method acting is intense would be an understatement. From wanting to be abused during the filming of In The Name Of The Father to living like a 17th-century Salem villager for The Crucible, his unreal commitment to the craft is unmatched. However, his intense aura can sometimes come as intimidating to the rest of the crew, and Vicky Krieps had to experience it firsthand.
After earning PTA’s attention following her performance in The Chambermaid Lynn, for which she won the German film Critics’ Award for Best Actress, she was cast to play Alma in Phantom Thread. But while she went toe-to-toe with Day-Lewis in terms of performance, making Alma one of the most memorable characters in a PTA film, the actress wasn’t immune from the actor’s intimidating aura.
As a result, a day before the shoot began, she recalled (via The Guardian) looking at the greenery and going on long walks by the sea to avoid making eye contact with the Lincoln star.
I spent a whole day staring into greenery to avoid him
Her nervousness can be seen in the scene, where Alma trips while approaching Reynolds to take his order, which did end up adding to the film’s authenticity.
Vicky Krieps Eventually Broke through Her Fear
Despite being initially agitated about joining forces with one of the greatest in the business, it didn’t take Vicky Krieps to get a grip over her fear. While not many weren’t keen on interrupting Day-Lewis off-camera, as he’s always in character, Krieps broke through her nervousness and visited the Oscar winner‘s green room. To her surprise, the Lincoln star greeted her, screaming “Alma!”, as she recalled sharing a tea with him while staying in characters.
One day, between takes, I left my green room, and said: ‘I want to see Reynolds.’ The first [crew member] said, ‘Oh, no, no, you can’t.’ But I kept walking. And then I walked past a few others who said, ‘No, really, you can’t do this.’ But I’d had it up to here… He opened the door and said, ‘Alma!’ And we had tea together and a lovely conversation about music and Virginia Woolf. From then on, it became a regular thing; we would meet between takes, in character, and just… talk.’
Considering how much the There Will Be Blood star tends to push himself following his devotion to the art form, it’s understandable why he opted to walk out after Phantom Threads.
Phantom Thread is available to stream on Netflix.
