Lincoln remains one of Steven Spielberg’s most passionate works to date, as he invested around 13 years in order to get everything right about his adaptation of America’s 16th president. This involved Spielberg being fixated on getting Daniel Day-Lewis on board for the project, as according to the Jaws director, there wasn’t a better fit to tackle the historic figure than the Phantom Thread Star.
But despite heading into filming with extensive research under his belt, the production process wasn’t exactly smooth sailing, as the filmmaker had to abide by one Day-Lewis’ demand.
Daniel Day-Lewis Made Sure He Was the Tallest Person in Lincoln
Like any of his other roles, Daniel Day-Lewis put his own research into the life of Abraham Lincoln, developing the perfect voice and demeanor for Spielberg’s passion project. But despite perfecting every aspect of America’s 16th President, there was a minute inconvenience that involved his height, as even though he is pretty tall, standing at a formidable 6.1 ft, Lincoln in real life was 6.4 ft. And being a perfectionist, the There Will Be Blood Star made sure Steven Spielberg was not casting anyone taller than him in the film, as he wanted Lincoln to be the tallest person in the room.
“Every time Steven said, ‘How ‘bout so and so?’ I said, ‘How tall is he?’” Day-Lewis told the LA Times, recalling the casting process. “It was like buying cloth by the yard. I wanted to be the tallest person”
Following the commitment that the Oscar winner brought into playing Abraham Lincoln, it’s easy to see why Spielberg refused to resort to another option, as Day-Lewis’ dedication was admirable.
Steven Spielberg Took Leonardo DiCaprio’s Help to Get Daniel Day-Lewis on Board
While Steven Spielberg has no problem taking no for an answer in most cases, for Lincoln, he wasn’t ready to resort to the second-best option despite Daniel Day-Lewis’ initial rejection. This resulted in the director asking Leonardo DiCaprio’s help, who eventually convinced Day-Lewis to give Tony Kushner’s script for Lincoln a shot.
“I’ve never gone on a campaign before, I pretty much take no for an answer. It’s one of the few times in my entire life where I was not willing to accept that answer.” Spielberg told Deadline.
But despite the actor’s brilliance, Daniel Day-Lewis did feel the weight of tackling such a historic figure, and his unreal effort that went into the film’s making did pay off, as he earned his 3rd Oscar.
