In the past few weeks, I have seen a surprising number of candid photo sets of Daniel Day-Lewis. He lives in New York with his wife and children, and all of the photos recently have been of DDL just out and about in the city. The thing is that he’s lived in New York for years! And until he now, he rarely gets pap’d. I seriously doubt DDL is calling up the paps, Ashley Greene-style (sorry, that thought makes me laugh), but I also have to wonder what has changed so much? Is it just that Daniel won his third Best Actor Oscar this year? Are the paparazzi camped out at DDL’s house like he’s suddenly Brangelina? HA! Anyway, these are some nice pap photos of Daniel on Monday in New York. Although I don’t want to interfere in his life at all, I wouldn’t mind seeing more candid photos of Daniel from here on out. Why not?

Speaking of Daniel’s surging fame – and by that I mean he’s always been a famous actor, but he just seems to be getting more attention lately – Daniel was named in this year’s Time 100. I think it’s “100 Most Influential” right? You can see all of Time Mag’s stuff here – the online Time 100 feature is very well-organized this year, so you don’t have to wade through enormous galleries to find what you’re looking for. Daniel was given “ICON” status by Time, and Tony Kushner (who wrote the Lincoln screenplay) honored Daniel:

In person, in interviews and on the screen, inhabiting the characters by which he’s become the world’s most celebrated actor, Daniel gives the impression of an uncanny interiority. It fills us with admiration, and it makes us nervous; it’s the origin, most likely, of our obsessive and alarmed interest in his method, in his legendary discipline and effort. The power and grace of Daniel’s performances seem to emanate from something he’s made contact with, deep within, intensely private and specific to his experience but also mysteriously universal.

There’s something in the innermost human heart that our greatest artists connect to and, in making that connection, manage to sublime — the process of causing a substance or a quality to take to the air, to infuse the atmosphere and then to condense, to solidify, attaining greater palpability through the impalpable.

Daniel carries his talents and achievements modestly, charmingly and generously. Like the President he brought to life in Lincoln, he’s a deep-sea creature who’s unexpectedly approachable and thoroughly delightful company. He’s a concerned and active world citizen, a spectacular husband and father. But when Daniel acts, he makes the physical metaphysical, and vice versa. He’s an actor-creator whose performances aren’t just great — they’re essential.

[From Time Magazine]

Wouldn’t it be funny if Daniel just started doing sh-t for the money now? He could be all, “Whatever, I got three Oscars, it’s time to do some dumb rom-roms and action movies! GET ME MICHAEL BAY!” No, he would never! But it would be funny.

PS… I like that he carries a book whilst walking the streets of New York. You never know when you’re going to be waiting for some meeting to start and you can get through a few chapters. Except that he’s Daniel Day Lewis and who is going to make him wait?!

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

Daniel Day Lewis has won the Academy Award for Best Leading Actor for his phenomenal performance in Spielberg’s Lincoln. DDL was widely expected to take home the statue after sweeping the awards season this year. It’s not like he campaigned for it, I didn’t notice any press he did except for 60 Minutes, where he talked about inhabiting his character and being sad to leave the great statesman’s point of view. With Daniel, his acting seems like a compulsion and a dedication mixed up with enormous ability. He’s a notorious method actor, and the result is unparalleled.

Daniel is now one of only six actors to earn three or more acting Oscars during their career. (He last took home an Oscar in 2008 for There Will Be Blood. His first was in 1990 for My Left Foot.) During his acceptance speech, DDL was as witty and plain spoken as we’ve come to expect from him. I love his speeches, he can weave a story and tell topical jokes instead of just listing off names or giving rehearsed lines. Or maybe he does rehearse his speeches and they sound like he’s making them up on the spot, he’s that good. Here’s some of what he said:

I really don’t know how any of this happened. I do know that I’ve received so much more than my fair share of good fortune in my life, and I’m so grateful to the Academy…

It’s a strange thing because three years ago, before we decided to do a straight swatch, I had actually been committed to play Margaret Thatcher and Meryl was Steven’s first choice for Lincoln. I’d like to see that version.

Steven didn’t have to persuade me to do Lincoln, but I had to persuade him that perhaps if I was going to do it, that Lincoln shouldn’t be a musical…

Since we got married 16 years ago my wife Rebecca’s lived with some very strange men… luckily she’s the versatile one in the family, she’s been the perfect companion for all of them.

Daniel then gave his thanks as only he can, and he even thanked the “mysterious mind, body and spirit of Abrahama Lincoln.” He’s so awesome, and his speech made it worth it for me to stay up this late. He told better jokes on the spot than the Oscar writers could come up with in weeks. (I mean it’s not bad, but it’s long. I always forget how long it is.) Congratulations to DDL! I have to admit that I was rooting for Hugh Jackman to take it home, but I do think the right actor won this year.

Daniel Day Lewis is shown at the BAFTA Awards with his daughter niece, Charissa Shearer, on 2-10-13. (Thanks Maureen for the update!) Credit: FameFlynet

Here is your Open Post for tonight’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. Generally, this awards show is somewhat low-key (compared to the Globes and the Oscars), but some years there will be some big news. Like, Angelina Jolie debuted her bump (when she was pregnant with the twins) at the SAGs in 2008. And last year at the SAGs she was apparently boozing it up with Tilda Swinton. Alas, I don’t think we should expect anything that spectacular for this year’s SAGs. And by that I mean, all of the drama will be left to who actually wins the awards, because none of them are sure things.

So I’m giving you the two biggest competitors for this year’s Best Actor race – Daniel Day Lewis and Hugh Jackman. Hugh won the Globe for Comedy/Musical for Les Miserables and DDL won the Globe for Drama for Lincoln. I think DDL has come into this awards season as “the one to beat” and Hugh has been running a solid, look-at-my-happy-family, everybody-loves-me campaign. Hugh seems genuinely grateful and gratified when he wins something. Daniel seems… well, he’s happy when he wins something too, and everybody likes and respects him. I think the instinct for a lot of people will be to give them both something, so it will be interesting to see who wins tonight. The SAGs are a great predictor for the acting awards at the Oscars.

So, if you had an Oscar ballot, who would you choose? I’m not sure! I would angle more towards Hugh just because… DDL already has two Oscars. But it will be fun to watch! And tomorrow we’ll have all of the fashion & awards coverage!

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

Everyone seemed to enjoy those photos of Daniel Day Lewis last week, so let’s try to do it again! These are some assorted photos of DDL in Italy, Paris and Dublin, Ireland over the past four days or so. Much has been made of Daniel’s performance in Lincoln and whether or not he’ll win his third Oscar for the role, but I think it’s interesting that DDL seems to be okay with campaigning for the Oscar this time around. I guess he campaigned in 2008 as well? That was when he won for There Will Be Blood. I kind of like DDL’s style of Oscar campaigning – he’s not getting in people’s faces, he’s not doing 20 million interviews, but he’s being low-key and gentlemanly and shaking everybody’s hand. I wonder… is his campaign different because he’s a man? Or is it different because he’s Daniel Day Lewis?

I wouldn’t hate it if Daniel won his third Oscar for Lincoln – I saw the movie, and at various times, it truly felt like I was watching archival footage of Abraham Lincoln. It’s Daniel’s award to lose, I think, but I would love it if Hugh Jackman won. I think Hugh is Daniel’s only real competition (sorry Bradley Cooper). Anyway, speaking of Oscar campaigns and the like, Daniel wants us to know that he’s ONE OF US. He says he doesn’t mean to come off as mysterious or anything. He’s just a normal guy!

Daniel Day-Lewis had no intention to create an ”air of mystery” surrounding him. The 55-year-old actor is known for his extreme mental and physical preparation for each film he stars in and while he has been labeled as secretive, The ‘Lincoln’ star insists the reason he focuses so much on every role is because he finds embodying a new character a ”huge pleasure of discovery”.

He explained: ”I didn’t go looking for that [mystery tag], it was not my intention to create a specious air of mystery about what I do. But what’s misrepresented is the fact I take a long time [preparing for each character] because I enjoy the work and it pleases me to take time over it.”

”It’s pure joy. It’s a huge pleasure in discovery. It’s a game, and I’ve never thought to obscure that fact. But that image persists of some sort of lonely, strange figure going about an unholy business.”

Daniel has sworn never to reveal his training secrets but he worries people’s gossip will turn the reliable methods into something resembling a ”Satanic ritual”, rather than appreciating his hard work.

He added to Time Out magazine: ”I’ve been reluctant to talk about how I work because I don’t feel one should talk about it. But the problem is a lot of other people then talk about it and by a process of Chinese whispers it sounds like some strange Satanic ritual is taking place, with the whole thing about immersion and the method and the weight of those terms.”

[From Contact Music]

GAH, I love the way he speaks. Like, I adore his turn of phrase – “that image persists of some sort of lonely, strange figure going about an unholy business” is a good turn of phrase. As is “create a specious air of mystery.” Daniel might lose the Oscar, but he’s won something more important: my biscuit.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

Sigh… I wish I could find a peacoat that fit me as brilliantly as Daniel Day-Lewis’s peacoat fits him. I guess the problem is my rack? Large racks are not conducive to getting a great fit on peacoats. I just wanted to be able to button the top two buttons on my current peacoat, but that meant that the rest of my peacoat is ridiculously oversized. #Bigboobproblems.

Anyway, these are some lovely photos of DDL, Sally Field and Steven Spielberg at the Lincoln photocall in Madrid, Spain. Can I just say? This is the best DDL has looked in years and years. He looked pretty good when he was promoting Nine (remember?), but he was still working through his cowboy/Bob Dylan phase from There Will Be Blood, and I seem to remember that he had a thing with tassels? Or was I imagining that? But that phase is gone and now he just looks like your hot, intense neighbor down the street. Right? In other DDL news, there are some new quotes floating around:

Oscars favorite Daniel Day-Lewis is adamant money is never a factor when he is picking movie roles. The British-Irish actor has already won numerous prizes for his star turn in Steven Spielberg’s historical drama “Lincoln,” and he is among the front-runners for the coveted Best Actor Oscar at the upcoming Academy Awards.

Day-Lewis has now revealed he doesn’t let big pay checks sway his decision when he is choosing his projects, and insists money is never an important factor for him when he is considering jobs.

He says, “I’ve been offered a lot of things over the years. But the sad truth is that I can’t really be tempted by money. Money just doesn’t do it for me. I’m sure I could be tempted by other things and corrupted in other ways but not by cold hard cash. In fact nothing does it for me that’s going to steer me away from what I feel the need to do in my work.”

“It’s always been a very strong impulse and long ago I made a bargain with myself that I’d always follow my heart and that impulse.”

Day-Lewis has been in filmdom for over three decades but admits he is still sensitive about criticism and is a “sucker” for praise.

“I don`t go looking for reviews, but they tend to find you, good and band. People encourage you to look at both… I`m a sucker when people say nice things, and it`s unpleasant when people write unpleasant things. I`m still sensitive towards that.”

[From SF Gate & Zee News]

When is the last time someone wrote a bad review of a Daniel Day-Lewis performance? I have no memory of Daniel’s work ever being NOT well-reviewed. People may have mixed feelings about one of his films, but they always praise him because he’s always the best part of whatever film he does. As for the money stuff… I do wonder. I wonder how much he got paid for Lincoln? Probably more than he got for There Will Be Blood. Sure, he’s not flashy and by all accounts, he lives a simple life with his wife and sons, so I guess he just saves his money… or they live on Rebecca Miller’s money too? Her father was Arthur Miller – I’m sure she probably had/has a trust from her father, maybe?

Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

Here are some lovely photos from last night’s AFI Fest premiere/screening of Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. Daniel Day-Lewis is so beautiful, isn’t he? I don’t know why he looks so pained, though. I’m also including photos of Joseph Gordon Levitt (who plays Robert Lincoln), Sally Field (Mary Todd Lincoln) in an unfortunate dress (but I still love her) and Walton Goggins, who is actually in the film in a small role, and whom Agent Bedhead loves with all of her heart.

Obviously, DDL is getting a lot of Oscar talk. This is his first film in three years (since Nine) and he and Steven Spielberg were working on this project for years. There was some thought that Denzel Washington’s performance in Flight might put up a good fight when it came to the Best Actor Oscar race, but the reviews were Flight weren’t all that great, and while Denzel might get a nomination, I think everyone feels like this Oscar belongs to Daniel. Daniel has already started picking up awards for this role too! Two nights ago, DDL received the “Stanley Kubrick Britannia award for Excellence in Film” at the LA BAFTA event. During Daniel’s acceptance speech, he decided to have a little fun with Clint Eastwood:

In case you didn’t watch it, Daniel spoke about how happy he was that Pres. Obama was re-elected, and motioning to an empty chair, he said: “I’m so extremely grateful and glad that, taking time out of his very busy schedule, the recently re-elected president of this country was able to make it here tonight. I know as an Englishman that it’s absolutely none of my business, but I’m so very grateful that it was you… I love Clint Eastwood. This is no satirical comment on him or his politics or anything else. But I have to say, when I saw him talking to a chair in front of a room full of strangers, I thought, ‘I’ve got to try that. That’s a challenge.’ I didn’t pull it off as well as him, but anyhow, I’ve got some way to go.”

Quick question: Daniel and his American wife split their time between Ireland and New York, right? And when he married an American, he could have conceivably become an American citizen, right? So, it would be possible for him to vote in American elections…? My question is why he still identifies as an Englishman. Shouldn’t he call himself an “American by Choice”?

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

I’m looking forward to Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, but at the same time, it’s not one of my most-anticipated films of the year. I mean, it’s a Spielberg film, and it stars one of the (if not THE) greatest actors of all time, Daniel Day-Lewis, in what some say is the role he was born to play. DDL does look a great deal like Lincoln, and I have enough respect for DDL’s process and research that I’m guessing Daniel knows (better than me) how Lincoln sounded and what his mannerisms were. But is it weird that I still wonder if this film is going to be the slam-dunk that everyone seems to think it will be? First of all, it’s simply difficult to put all of Lincoln’s accomplishments, his epic American story, his presidency and his legacy and his genius into one little film. Second of all… there might be some people in the Academy who feel like Spielberg and DDL have already won enough awards, you know?

Anyway, Daniel has a new interview with the New York Times, and it’s a really good read. You can read the full thing here – it’s not a major, multi-page thing, but it just gives you a sense of how deep Daniel went into the role:

DDL doesn’t want to discuss his method: “There’s a tendency now to deconstruct and analyze everything and I think that’s a self-defeating part of the enterprise. It sounds pretentious, I know. I recognize all the practical work that needs to be done, the dirty work, which I love: the work in the soil, the rooting around in the hope that you might find a gem. But I need to believe that there is a cohesive mystery that ties all these things together, and I try not to separate them.”

Steven Spielberg says he didn’t question it either: “I never once looked the gift horse in the mouth. I never asked Daniel about his process. I didn’t want to know.”

DDL turned down the Lincoln role twice before finally accepting it: “I found it quite intriguing. I thought it was a great idea — for someone else.” Even after accepting the part, “I thought this is a very, very bad idea. But by that time it was too late. I had already been drawn into Lincoln’s orbit. He has a very powerful orbit, which is interesting because we tend to hold him at such a distance. He’s been mythologized almost to the point of dehumanization. But when you begin to approach him, he almost instantly becomes welcoming and accessible, the way he was in life.”

DDL studied the photographs Lincoln by Alexander Gardner: “I looked at them the way you sometimes look at your own reflection in a mirror and wonder who that person is looking back at you,” he said.

Deciding that Lincoln had a high-pitched voice: Day-Lewis has a private theory that higher voices carry better in crowds, and that made Lincoln such an effective orator. “All these things are variables, luckily for me,” he said, smiling. “No one can categorically say this is or isn’t what Lincoln sounded like.” For any part, he went on, he listens for a voice, and generally he hears it at some point. “That to me was a genuine breakthrough for Lincoln,” he said, adding that being able to reproduce a voice after you’ve heard it is another matter and so, sometimes, is holding on to it.

DDL knows he’s not Lincoln, but still: Mr. Day-Lewis said that he felt a “great sadness” when the movie was done and that he still feels connected to it. “I’m woefully one-track-minded,” he said. “Without sounding unhinged, I know I’m not Abraham Lincoln. I’m aware of that. But the truth is the entire game is about creating an illusion, and for whatever reason, and mad as it may sound, some part of me can allow myself to believe for a period for time without questioning, and that’s the trick.” He laughed. “Maybe it’s a terrible revelation about myself that one does feel able to do that.”

[From The New York Times]

The NYT piece goes on and on about DDL’s epic preparations for every role, and quite honestly, it sounds exhausting. I fully acknowledge that he’s one of the most amazing actors to ever live, etc, etc, deserving of all of the accolades, etc. But I imagine his wife Rebecca Miller must put up with a lot, don’t you?

Oh, and the story includes a really funny anecdote from English actor Jared Harris, who plays General Ulysses S. Grant in the film and is also known as the late Lane Pryce on Mad Men, who admitted that all of the English actors were told not to use their natural accents around DDL, lest his Lincoln accent be tainted. But that’s not all! They even had to joke around IN CHARACTER. Jared Harris says: “It was sort of an extended improvisation. You didn’t go up to him and say, ‘Hey, did you see the Pirates game last night?’ It was important for him to retain the attitude, if you like, and the dialect he had created. So we would sit there and joke, for example, about the Vicksburg campaign. At the end of the day sometimes we’d ride back in the car, and he’d stay in character but talk about ‘Mad Men,’ which of course he couldn’t know about, because television hadn’t been invented then.” Ha! Abraham Lincoln watches Mad Men.

Header photos courtesy of Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times, additional photos by WENN.

I keep forgetting that Daniel Day Lewis was cast as President Abraham Lincoln in the mini-series film version of Team of Rivals. That’s right – FILM. I also keep thinking it’s going to be a mini-series. Originally, I thought director Steven Spielberg wanted Liam Neeson to be Lincoln, correct? But DDL ended up getting the part, and Spielberg and DDL are filming right now in Richmond, VA. Some Richmond spy snapped this photo and put it up on his Twitter page. While Daniel isn’t in costume as Lincoln, he seems to be sporting his Lincoln makeup and wiglet. Thoughts on Daniel’s current transformation? DDL’s version of Lincoln is hot, right? Am I supposed to think Lincoln is erotic? Because now I do.

Sidenote to CB: we should totally drive down to Richmond and try to bone Daniel Day Lewis (while he’s in his Lincoln makeup and wiglet). Are you up for it?

The film (NOT mini-series) will be called Lincoln, although it’s not an epic bio-pic – it really is based on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book, Team of Rivals, and it will show Lincoln in the last four months of his life, before he was assassinated in 1865. Would you like to know who else is in the film? Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Lincoln‘s son Robert Todd Lincoln, and Tommy Lee Jones as Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, the famous abolitionist. Other actors appearing in as-yet unknown parts – John Hawkes, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, Tim Blake Nelson, David Strathairn, Jackie Earle Haley and David Oyelowo. OMG, David Strathairn! Strathairn and Daniel Day Lewis in the same film!!! I’m totally driving down to Richmond, with or without CB. SEXY ROAD TRIP.

Header photo courtesy of Twitter user @UVAMichael and Slashfilm. Additional pics by WENN.

Last night was the New York premiere of Nine, and the entire cast (minus Sophia Loren) turned out to support the film. There was some good fashion, some bad fashion, and there was Daniel Day-Lewis is damn fedora. After the Madonna and Lourdes appearance, the biggest fashion statement of the night was probably Nicole Kidman.

Nicole decided to forgo the dust ruffle and opted for a rather gorgeous black strapless knee-length dress. I love, love, love the dress, but I have two complaints: first, Nicole should has gotten a better fit on the bust, because it’s cut so tight, her breasts are nearly being sliced in half. Second point: powder much?

As far as the other cast members went, there was really no one that special. Daniel wore his fedora and trench coat, Fergie and Marion Cotillard wore pretty white dresses, Dame Judi looked regal and lovely, and Penelope continues to bore the hell out of me. Kate Hudson did bring her mom to the premiere, and they both looked like they had been drinking.

Also, last night the Nine cast appeared on Larry King Live, and only three interesting things happened. One, Daniel Day-Lewis still rocks my loins. Two, Judi Dench said her 12-year-old grandson is “in love” with Fergie. And three, when Larry asked Kate Hudson about Alex Rodriguez, she said he was doing fine, and smiled, not denying or admitting that the two had broken up. Fascinating!

Nicole Kidman and the cast of ‘Nine’ on the red carpet for the New York premiere on December 15, 2009. Credit: WENN.

Last night was the London premiere of Nine, the musical spectacular starring Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Fergie and Sophia Loren. Everybody but Sophia, Marion and Fergie showed up for the big premiere, and there was some amazingly sketchy fashion happening. I’ve never really realized it before, but Kate Hudson’s fashion sense is really hit-or-miss, isn’t it? She either really gets it right, or she looks terrible. Now, I don’t really think Kate looks horrible here, she just looks overdressed, cold and uncomfortable. The dress would have been stunning on someone like Nicole Kidman, but it doesn’t look right on Kate:

Meanwhile, Nicole kind of underdressed. A simple yet gorgeous white suit with a short pleated skirt. It looks very summery, doesn’t it? She looks really cold too. I bet she wished she would have opted for a smart pantsuit. Oh, and the closeup of Nicole’s face is really frightening. I think she got a little “extra” put into her face for the premiere. Yikes.

Now, I love some Daniel Day-Lewis, but the man has been dressing like a spaghetti-western extra ever since he did There Will Be Blood. What’s strange is that the costumes for that film looked nothing like the kind of costume-y apparel Daniel favors. Still, I love him. He’s lovely and interesting to look at.

I swear I’ve seen Penelope wear this exact same dress before. If memory serves, it was about ten years ago, it was Versace, and it was to… the Golden Globes, maybe. In any case, it’s a pretty dress. Penelope’s fashion sense tends to go for the princess-y. Which is fine. It’s just not my taste. But her hair and makeup looks great.

And last but certainly not least in any way, we have Judi Dench. Do you know how much I love Judi? I love her so much I forgive this fug baby-puke color. You know why? Judi is so f-cking fabulous, she pulls it off rather well. The color looks great, and it really pops against her beautiful white-blonde hair. Lovely.

Yeah… my pick for best dressed is Judi. Penelope loses points for wearing either the same dress, or nearly the same dress. Kate loses points for looking so uncomfortable. Nicole loses points for her face. All in all… a great red carpet!

The cast of Nine at the London premiere. Credit for all: WENN.