Daniel Day-Lewis: The Biography - Hardcover

Jackson, Laura

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1857825578 ISBN 13: 9781857825572

Publisher: John Blake, 2005

Synopsis

Daniel Day-Lewis is regarded by many as the finest actor of his generation. His portrayal of Christie Brown in My Left Foot won him an Oscar, and his roles in The Age of Innocence, The Last of the Mohicans, and In the Name of the Father further established his reputation and grossed millions at the box office. More recently, his riveting performance in The Gangs of New York earned him more accolades as well as an Oscar nomination and a BAFTA award. Yet despite, or perhaps because of, his success, wealth, and fame, Daniel Day-Lewis is a man prone to bouts of melancholy and extreme self-doubt. In this new biography, Laura Jackson, who has talked with many of his colleagues and friends, provides us with fascinating insights. In addition to his artistic accomplishments, she also looks at Day-Lewis’ personal life, including his tempestuous, highly publicized relationship with French actress Isabelle Adjani and the happiness he’s found with Arthur Miller’s daughter, Rebecca.

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Reviews

There was a rumor that introspective, sinewy and Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis spent time as a cobbler in Florence to get away from the stress of show business. It's an unsolved myth that suits Lewis' reputation for aloofness toward his audience, perhaps stemming from his insecurities about his profession. The problem with acting, he says, is "you always believe you're a fraud." His first appearance on film as a young vandal in Sunday Bloody Sunday was a seamless transition for Lewis, who was in the middle of an upstart adolescence, rebelling against his father, acclaimed poet Cecil Day-Lewis, and the culture of English private schools. Yet later, when confronted with characters very much unlike him, he was still able to strike the right note, as he did in his breakthrough role in My Beautiful Laundrette, and in the films that shot him to heartthrob status, The Unbearable Lightness of Being and Last of the Mohicans. Jackson, author of numerous celebrity biographies including those of Mick Jagger and Bono, inventories Lewis' film and stage roles, revealing the actor's immersion into his work. Other than the revelations of Lewis' dyslexia, there are few surprises in learning that he can be difficult, quite committed to his roles and easily spooked by his own personal ghosts, as was evidenced by his vacating the stage in the middle of a performance of Hamlet. While the depiction here syncs with popular perceptions of Lewis, a son of privilege and intellectual elites, the insight into his preparation, choice of roles and motivations might serve well the budding actor looking for inspiration. Photos.
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Edition details

• Publisher: John Blake
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1857825578
• ISBN 13: 9781857825572
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 273