Daniel Day-Lewis As ‘Lincoln’ — Or Is That Really Abe Lincoln?

Daniel Day-Lewis as President Abraham Lincoln

Source/Photo: EW.com

Yikes.  Just hand over the Academy Award to Daniel Day-Lewis right now.  He's already preparing us for another boring genius character that will receive loads of accolades in Steven Spielberg's biopic 'Lincoln'.  The film which opens November 9th is just three days after our Presidential election.

Of course we all know how "method" DDL is, right?  Did he forgo all modernity and its devices during filming?  You might remember that Daniel Day-Lewis, who won an Oscar for My Left Foot reportedly refused to leave his wheelchair while making that film. Spielberg basically rolled his eyes at the assumption that DDL stayed in character and refused to use a cell phone Morse Code or a car horseless carriage during the filming of 'Lincoln'.

Steven Spielberg and I TOLD YOU TO CALL ME 'PRESIDENT LINCOLN'!!

 

“Daniel was always conscious of his contemporary surroundings,” Spielberg says. “Daniel never went into a fugue state. He did not channel Lincoln. All that stuff is just more about gossip than it is about technique.”

People on set did refer to the actor as “Mr. President,” including Spielberg, but the director says that was just part of the effort to maintain atmosphere. “I was calling [all] the actors by their character names,” he says. “That was something I felt was important to establish a little authenticity, maybe even more for me than for them.”

Whatever.  I like thinking that DDL totally walked five miles, barefoot, in the snow, without a coat, uphill (both ways, of course) while carrying a baby calf, to and from the set every day...because he probably did.  Spielberg is undoubted over all this role-immersion as much as we are and doesn't want that crap publicized.

But from now on?  During the day, I'd like to be referred to as Pulitzer Prize Winning Publishing Magnate.  I'm SO method.