Daniel Day Lewis has won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in “There Will Be Blood.” Lewis has already won the award for “My Left Foot” and was nominated for “Gangs of New York” and “In the Name of the Father.” Lewis was heavily favored for his tour-de-force performance in the film, and his “I Drink Your Milkshake!” line delivery is becoming legendary.

It’s a mark of a great screen performance that everyone wants to get in on the act. Daniel Day-Lewis’s Oscar-nominated lead in There Will Be Blood is rapidly becoming the most-imitated Hollywood turn since Jack Nicholson’s “Heeeere’s Johnny!” or even De Niro’s “You talkin’ to me?”. Everyone has their own favourite riff to mimic from Day-Lewis’s monstrous oilman Daniel Plainview: for some, it’s that strange shuffle from the final scene; for others, the furiously bellowed “I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!” – a line that’s been honoured with its own website.

That the performance has been seized upon as a buffs’ in-joke is just testament to the respect it has generally inspired, and if Day-Lewis wins the Best Actor award tonight, few will demur. Few, but certainly some: there are numerous internet forums dedicated to the “genius-or-ham?” debate.

For my money, Day-Lewis’s performance fits both the role and the film, which is conceived less like a realistic drama than some dark modernist opera. It’s the second time that Day-Lewis has acted in such an extravagant register: he was even more barnstorming in Gangs of New York.

[From The Independent]

I was not surprised Lewis won, but I was secretly rooting for George Clooney, for his restrained but earnest work in “Michael Clayton.” I tend to find Lewis’ work a bit over the top, but I can’t judge in this case because I haven’t seen the film yet. Lewis thanked his family and colleagues, calling out his wife specifically, referring to her as Mrs. Plainview:

That’s the closest I’ll every come to getting knighted… A deepest thanks to the members of the Academy for whacking me with the handsomest bludgeon in town, I’m looking at this gorgeous thing that you’ve given me, and I’m thinking back to the first whisper of a devilish idea that came to him and everything since, and it seems to me it sprang like a golden sapling out of the mad beautiful head of Paul Thomas Anderson. I wish my son and my partner HW Plainview were up here with me the mighty Dillon Frasier. So many people to thank, one amongst them would be Mrs. Plainview down there, the enchantingly optimistic, open minded and beautiful Rebecca Miller. I hope that all those to whom… I owe the deepest gratitude will forgive me if I just say “thank you all”… I would like to accept this in the memory of my grandfather… my father Cecile Day Lewis and my three fine boys Gabriel, Ronan and Cashel.

[Transcript of Daniel Day Lewis’ Acceptance Speech]

“There Will Be Blood” has also picked up a Best Cinematography award as well, and is up for Best Picture. Paul Thomas Anderson was nominated for Best director.

Thanks to WENN for these pictures.

Update by Celebitchy: Here’s Lewis’ flowery acceptance speech