Daniel Day-Lewis, the three-time Oscar-winning actor, has remained largely out of the public eye since retiring in 2017. His absence has not gone unnoticed, and this summer sees his role in the 1985 classic My Beautiful Laundrette revived in cinemas across the UK and Ireland from 1 August.
Following his performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread (2017), Day-Lewis announced his shock retirement. He told W Magazine: 'All my life, I've mouthed off about how I should stop acting. I don't know why it was different this time, but the impulse to quit took root in me, and that became a compulsion. It was something I had to do.'
Day-Lewis, now 68, has taken extended breaks before, including two five-year gaps. He briefly returned to screens in 2024 for Anemone, the directorial debut of his son Ronan Day-Lewis, which they co-wrote. The film explores 'the intricate relationships between fathers, sons and brothers, and the dynamics of familial bonds'.
Earlier in his career, he stepped away to apprentice as a cobbler in Florence under master craftsman Stefano Bemer. Married to Rebecca Miller since 1996, the actor keeps a low profile at their home in Wicklow, Ireland.
