Daniel Day-Lewis (1957- )

Notably the best actor in the last 30 years, Daniel Day-Lewis takes method acting to a whole new level. Not only does he spend years working on developing the characters he portrays, but also stays in character off-screen during filming. This type of dedication has not gone unnoticed with only 30 films (five in the last 20 years) in his filmography, it is quite an achievement that he can be considered one of the greats with such few acting roles. To this day Day-Lewis remains the only actor to win three best leading actor Oscars. What is the secret to his success? According to Jim Sheridan (director of My Left Foot), “Day-Lewis completely rejects the idea of ‘acting’ an emotion or moment. Instead, he needs to fully embody a character.” (Ramos, 2022). That sounds easier said than done.