Poll: Daniel Day Lewis' Insane Method Acting

Results of 1,253 votes:

1. 1.
   

   My Left Foot (1989)

    

   While playing the paralyzed poet Christy Brown, he refused to leave his wheelchair and had crew members carry him around the set. He also insisted that all of his meals would be spoon-fed to him.…
2. 2.
   

   There Will Be Blood (2007)

    

   His insistence to stay in character made a fellow actor leave the production. He also learned how to use real oil mining gear for the role, and threw real bowling balls at his co-star Paul Dano in …
3. 3.
   

   Gangs of New York (2002)

    

   He took up lessons as an apprentice butcher and always stayed in character on-set. This included talking in a New York accent and sharpening knives between takes. He refused to wear a warm j…
4. 4.
   

   The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

    

   He taught himself how to live as a survivalist and learned how to hunt animals for food. He refused to eat anything that he hadn't killed, whether it was with his flintlock rifle, or a tomahawk bot…
5. 5.
   

   Lincoln (2012)

    

   He demanded that everyone, including director Steven Spielberg, would refer to him as "Mr. President" and wouldn't let English cast members speak to him (in their own accents) while tryi…
6. 6.
   

   In the Name of the Father (1993)

    

   He spent several nights at a time in solitary confinement in the abandoned prison that the film crew were shooting in. He kept himself awake for three days in preparation for an interrogation…
7. 7.
   

   The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)

    

   Learned the Czech language for the role of Tomas and refused to break character for nearly the entire 8-month shoot.
8. 8.
   

   The Crucible (1996)

    

   He didn't wash himself for the duration of the shoot so he could see what living in 17th century hygiene standards was like. He also built the house that his character lived in in the movie and …
9. 9.
   

   The Boxer (1997)

    

   He trained for 1½ years to be a professional-standard boxer with former heavyweight champion Barry McCuigan. He also tattooed his own hands.
10. 10.
    

    The Age of Innocence (1993)

     

    He checked into the Plaza Hotel in New York under his character's name and walked around New York in period clothing.
11. 11.
    

    The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)

     

    He arranged to live separately from his wife (the director of the film) so he could properly experience the isolation of his character.