Daniel Day-Lewis Ends Retirement, Reveals He ‘Never Intended to Retire, Really’
Key Takeaways
- Daniel Day-Lewis publicly admitted that his 2017 retirement announcement was a mistake and that he never intended to retire permanently.
- His return to acting is marked by the film 'Anemone,' directed by his son Ronan Day-Lewis, which rekindled his passion for acting.
In his first major interview in nearly a decade, three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis has opened up about ending his highly publicized retirement from acting, candidly admitting that announcing his departure in the first place was a mistake .
The reclusive actor, who has been away from the screen since 2017’s Phantom Thread, is returning with a deeply personal project: Anemone, a film directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis, which he also co-wrote . The project, he says, rekindled a joy for his craft that he feared was extinguished.
A Decision Reconsidered
Back in 2017, a statement from Day-Lewis’s representative announced he would “no longer be working as an actor,” a decision that was presented as final and private . However, speaking with Rolling Stone, the actor reframed that announcement as “grandiose gibberish” .
“I never intended to retire, really,” Day-Lewis clarified. “I just stopped doing that particular type of work so I could do some other work. Apparently, I’ve been accused of retiring twice now. I never meant to retire from anything! I just wanted to work on something else for a while” .
He expressed regret over the formal announcement, stating, “I would have done well to just keep my mouth shut” .
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The Spark of Collaboration with His Son
The impetus for his return was the chance to collaborate with his 27-year-old son, Ronan, on his directorial debut . The two began batting around ideas for a story about two brothers before the COVID-19 pandemic, initially envisioning a small, contained project .
“I had some residual sadness because I knew Ronan was going to go on to make films, and I was walking away from that,” Day-Lewis shared. He suggested collaborating, thinking, “Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could do something together?” . What started as a writing exercise between father and son slowly evolved into a full-length script.
Despite his excitement for the project, Day-Lewis admitted to reservations about stepping back in front of the camera, citing a “low-level fear” about re-engaging with the film industry . He told his son that he would understand if Ronan wanted another actor for the role. However, Ronan was adamant: “He made it pretty clear that he wasn’t going to do it if I didn’t do it” .
Overcoming the “Hollowed Out” Feeling
Day-Lewis explained that his initial withdrawal was driven by a feeling of being emptied by his intense method acting process. After Phantom Thread, he feared the “regeneration” he usually felt after a role might not happen again .
“There’s something about that process that left me feeling hollowed out at the end of it,” he said. “It was only really in the last experience that I began to feel quite strongly that maybe there wouldn’t be that regeneration anymore. That I just probably should just keep away from it, because I didn’t have anything else to offer” .
Working with his son, however, proved to be a transformative experience. “As I get older, it just takes me longer and longer to find my way back to the place where the furnace is burning again,” he said. “But working with Ro, that furnace just lit up. And it was, from beginning to end, just pure joy” .
At a Glance: Daniel Day-Lewis’s Hiatuses and Returns
Looking to the Future
This joyful experience seems to have permanently changed his outlook on acting. When asked by Empire if he would act again, Day-Lewis sounded open to the possibility .
“The appetite always seems to emerge in relation to something that I’ve become fascinated with, and I believe that could very easily happen,” he said. “I’m certainly not going to shy away from it” .
Anemone, which also stars Sean Bean and Samantha Morton, is scheduled for release in October 2025 . For fans of the legendary actor, the film marks not just the end of a long hiatus, but the beginning of a new, more open chapter in his celebrated career.
FAQs
Q1: Why did Daniel Day-Lewis retire from acting?
He stepped back in 2017 after Phantom Thread due to feeling “hollowed out” by his intense method acting process.
Q2: What is Daniel Day-Lewis’s comeback film?
He is returning with Anemone (2025), directed by his son Ronan Day-Lewis, which they co-wrote together.
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