Actor Daniel Day-Lewis’ upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson drama Phantom Thread may be his final film.
Daniel Day Lewis has stated that as soon as his promotional duties are completed for his latest film, Paul Thomas Anderson’s drama Phantom Thread, that he will retire from acting.
During a recent interview with W magazine the actor revealed why he has decided to bring down the curtain on his career;
“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. One of my sons is interested in musical composition, so I showed him the film Tous Les Matins Du Monde, about the French composer Sainte-Colombe. My son was deeply struck by the sobriety that it took to create that work, Sainte-Colombe’s refusal to accept less than what was extraordinary from himself or anyone else”.
Without sounding the least bit pretentious, the actor added;
“I dread to use the overused word ‘artist,’ but there’s something of the responsibility of the artist that hung over me. I need to believe in the value of what I’m doing. The work can seem vital. Irresistible, even. And if an audience believes it, that should be good enough for me. But, lately, it isn’t”.
And so the actor issued a statement confirming his intention to retire;
“I did want to draw a line… I didn’t want to get sucked back into another project”.
Set in 1950’s London, Phantom Theead tells the story of Reynolds Woodcock, a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover.
Fans of the Oscar winning actor will probably know that this isn’t the first time that he’s suggested retiring from acting or at least taken a considerable break from the profession. Whether he stays true to his current intentions remains to be seen or, this could all be a clever ruse to get fans to see their favourite actor ‘one last time’, something which we’re sure wouldn’t hurt the box office of his latest collaboration with P.T. Anderson.
Phantom Thread opens in the US on December 25th and in the U.K. February 2nd 2018.