Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the choosiest thespians ever to grace the big screen, meaning the iconic method actor has turned down a bunch of high-profile roles. Often regarded as one of the greatest motion picture stars of his generation, Daniel Day-Lewis has accumulated a slew of prestigious awards to back his selectiveness up. To date, Day-Lewis has earned a record three Best Actor Academy Awards for his performances in My Left Foot, There Will Be Blood, and Lincoln - cementing his place in the pantheon of acting greats.
Whether he is chewing the scenery as 19th Century gangster Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York or striding elegantly as a 1950s fashion designer in Phantom Thread, few can deny that Day-Lewis is a highly versatile actor. Originally nicknamed the “English Robert De Niro” during the early part of his career, the financially successful Day-Lewis often graces filmmaker's casting lists, while his name has become a common reference point when describing acting dedication and prestige.
In addition, Daniel Day-Lewis is notorious for taking large hiatuses between roles and dedicating himself to ruthless preparation, such as living off the land for The Last of the Mohicans and learning how to fight in the ring for The Boxer. This stringent, almost overzealous approach to method acting has meant that most of the roles Day-Lewis has taken on, particularly in his later career, were films he turned down or took a lot of convincing to initially commit to. As a result, Day-Lewis has always had a bevy of casting rumors floating around him, such as how he was once in the running to play James Bond or is considered for every Paul Thomas Anderson movie, meaning there are plenty of roles that he has rejected over the years. Here's every movie role Daniel Day-Lewis has turned down, including his reasons why.
Sid and Nancy (1986)
The British drama about Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious was a role Day-Lewis wanted to play in his early career, but he backed out when Gary Oldman, who had initially turned the role down, finally showed interest. Day-Lewis took on The Unbearable Lightness of Being instead, while Sid and Nancy subsequently put Gary Oldman on the proverbial map.
Philadelphia (1993)
Day-Lewis was the first choice to play Andrew Beckett in the 1993 drama cast Denzel Washington. While the high-profile Hollywood film reportedly held appeal for Day-Lewis, he ultimately chose to take on a more personal project at home in Ireland with frequent collaborator Jim Sheridan called In the Name of the Father. This led to Tom Hanks being cast in the lead role of Andrew Beckett, with he and Day-Lewis going head-to-head at the 1993 Oscars for Best Actor, with Hanks ultimately winning.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Quentin Tarantino's character of Vincent Vega. Quentin Tarantino, who was still reworking the ending and the character of Jules, wanted essentially no one but John Travolta, meaning Day-Lewis' name was eventually taken off the table for the 1994 cult classic.
Interview With The Vampire (1994)
Initially cast in Tom Cruise's role as Lestat, Day-Lewis dropped out of the Interview with the Vampire project despite author Anne Rice's endorsement as the right choice to play the iconic vampire. The fantasy film was highly successful and Rice, after seeing Cruise's performance, felt the star was the right actor - reversing her initial criticism of Cruise's casting following Day-Lewis’s exit.
Batman Forever (1995)
When Michael Keaton announced he would not be returning as the caped crusader for the third Batman installment, everyone under the sun was considered to The Dark Knight Rises, but nothing was ever confirmed.
The English Patient (1996)
Epic wartime drama The English Patient earned Best Picture at the Academy Awards and was and was a massive success, despite being lampooned on Seinfeld for its sizable runtime. Daniel Day-Lewis was considered for Ralph Fiennes' romantic leading role in 1996, but he opted to work on Arthur Miller’s The Crucible adaptation instead.
Shakespeare In Love (1998)
The controversial Best Picture winner, produced by Harvey Weinstein, was initially set to star Julia Roberts, who was convinced only Day-Lewis could play opposite her as young Shakespeare. She too dropped out when she failed to get him for the role, meaning Gwenyth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes were subsequently cast for John Madden's Shakespeare In Love.
The Lord Of The Rings (2001 – 2003)
Daniel Day-Lewis was offered the iconic part of Aragorn multiple times by director Peter Jackson for his epic chose not to return for The Hobbit series some thirteen years later.
The ion Of The Christ (2004)
If initial reports are to be beleived in 2004, British method actor Day-Lewis was the top choice to play Jesus Christ in the bloody Mel Gibson religious epic The ion of the Christ. However, Day-Lewis' facial features were considered "too European" to play such a specific, coveted role, by The ion of the Christ's casting team, so he was quickly taken out of the running.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows (2011)
During successful Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes adaptation generated massive hype in 2011, with a laundry list of star names lining up to play Moriarty. However, Day-Lewis quietly turned the role down, citing that he was not interested in doing blockbuster films at the time.
Black Mass (2015)
Day-Lewis was the first choice to play real-life Boston gangster Whitey Bulger in Black Mass, but he quickly turned the role down, leaving it free for Depp to step into - who also apparently nabbed the role of Ichabod Crane when Day-Lewis turned down Sleepy Hollow in 1999. Daniel Day-Lewis officially retired from acting in 2017 and has given no interviews or reportedly looked at further projects, but it is important to note that the actor has walked away from the craft numerous times before. Perhaps there is still hope that there will be another performance or two from the lauded actor, but what is for certain is there will be plenty more scripts and projects that he will inevitably say no to in the years to come.
