Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the most distinguished actors of his generation, winning three Academy Awards for Best Actor and possessing a charisma like no other, yet he abruptly gave up on his acting profession. Despite his reasons, he seems to have found new love in the fashion industry.
The former actor has been very private about his life and even rarely appeared in interviews. He shocked his fans after he announced in 2017 that he would formally retire from making movies right after he starred in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread.
Daniel Day-Lewis On Quitting Acting And Finding Passion In Fashion
In an interview with W Magazine, former actor Daniel Day-Lewis opened up about quitting acting and explained how his last project with Paul Thomas Anderson affected him so much.
“Before making the film, I didn’t know I was going to stop acting. I do know that Paul and I laughed a lot before we made the movie. And then we stopped laughing because we were both overwhelmed by a sense of sadness. That took us by surprise: We didn’t realize what we had given birth to. It was hard to live with. And still is.”
He watched all of his other movies but chose not to see Phantom Thread, and it made sense to him that he already wanted to give up his career. Still, Day-Lewis could not figure out why it evoked so much emotion from him.
“I haven’t figured it out, but it’s settled on me, and it’s just there. Not wanting to see the film is connected to the decision I’ve made to stop working as an actor. But it’s not why the sadness came to stay. That happened during the telling of the story, and I don’t really know why.”
In Phantom Thread, Day-Lewis starred as the haute couture dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock. Fashion played a huge part in the movie, thus introducing the former actor to the industry. Now, the world of fashion has got its hook on him, and he is certainly rocking every look.
Day-Lewis has been spotted wearing statement outfits during his walks in the city. A lot of people have speculated years ago that he would become a fashion designer, a thought that he did not dismiss. Instead, he was open to it.
“Who knows? I won’t know which way to go for a while. But I’m not going to stay idle. I don’t fear the stony silence.”
Indeed, even when he is out of the acting industry, Day-Lewis still creates some noise every time he makes an appearance in public – through his fashion.
Rumors Claimed Daniel Day-Lewis Gave Up Being An Actor To Become A Dressmaker
In a post from Page Six, a source told the outlet that Daniel Day-Lewis did intense research and learned a lot about couture fashion for Phantom Thread that it fascinated him to become a dressmaker, hence giving up on acting. An insider also claimed:
“He’s so method it takes him three years to prepare for a role. He was telling friends he really wanted to go out with a bang.”
Indeed, he delivered a spectacular performance in the film, and even though this was only tagged as rumors back then, the former star has already displayed his own sense of style that a lot of fans admired.
