Daniel Day-Lewis, one of Hollywood's heartthrobs of the late 20th century, has acted in a wide range of films as many different types of characters. This method actor is known to be exceedingly dedicated to his craft, even to the point of living "in the Alabama wilderness where he learned to hunt, track and skin animals, as well as build canoes," according to BBC.
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Method acting has worked to Daniel Day-Lewis' favor; because of his realistic portrayal of characters, his filmography is rated rather highly on Rotten Tomatoes.
Gandhi's Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
The film Gandhi, which was released in 1982 focused on the non-violent protests of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. While Daniel Day-Lewis did not play a major role in the film, Gandhi is his tenth best film on the Rotten Tomatoes ranking system.
Daniel Day-Lewis played a character named Colin, who is a minor cigarette-smoking character in the narrative who heckles and berates people in an attempt to "clean up the neighborhood," as his character claims.
Sunday Bloody Sunday's Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Daniel Day-Lewis played the character, Child Vandal, in the 1971 film Sunday Bloody Sunday. This was his first film appearance. Day-Lewis's character is shown keying cars with a broken bottle.
While his part was minor, the controversial film was highly rated on Rotten Tomatoes as Daniel Day-Lewis' ninth highest ranking production.
Lincoln's Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
Daniel Day-Lewis starred as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln. This film is highly regarded for its strong narrative, emotional soundtrack, and Daniel Day-Lewis' moving performance as the President of the United States amid the Civil War and the fight to abolish slavery.
To immerse himself in the role, Day-Lewis studied Civil War photographs and Abraham Lincoln's historic letters extensively.
Phantom Thread's Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Daniel Day-Lewis played the character Reynolds Woodcock, in the 2017 film Phantom Thread. Reynold's Woodcock was a dressmaker know for styling heiresses, movie stars, and aristocrats in the late 1950s. The conflict of love comes into play when this noncommittal bachelor lands himself a woman who won't give up on showing him what love is.
Phantom Thread was Daniel Day-Lewis's final film before retiring from acting.
There Will Be Blood's Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Daniel Day-Lewis played the character Daniel Plainview, in the 2007 film There Will Be Blood. Daniel Plainview is an ambitious prospector on the quest for black gold (oil).
This haunting performance leaves audiences on the edge as Day-Lewis hones in on the darkness within this character and what the lengths he would go to to be successful.
In The Name Of The Father's Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Daniel Day-Lewis played the character Gerry Conlon, in the 1993 film In The Name of the Father, which was directed by the same director of My Left Foot (Jim Sheridan).
This film follows Irishman Gerry Conlon after he is wrongfully involved with the fatal IRA bombing and thus spends fifteen years in prison alongside his father trying to prove his innocence.
The Last Of The Mohicans' Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
One of Daniel Day-Lewis' most famous roles is as Hawkeye in the 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans. This film is an adaptation of the book of the same title that was authored by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826. In this historical romance, colonial America is war-torn and the Mohicans are caught in the brutal web as Hawkeye, an adopted son of the Mohicans, falls in love with a British Colonel's daughter. Madeleine Stowe stars alongside Daniel Day-Lewis as Cora Munro.
This film is highly regarded for its intense soundtrack, thanks to composers Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman, as well as the beautiful scenery of the film's set. Though this film is slow-moving at times, overall The Last of the Mohicans is a must-watch production for literary enthusiasts, historical fiction audiences, and those who enjoy Daniel Day-Lewis' acting style.
My Beautiful Laundrette's Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Daniel Day-Lewis played the character Johnny, in the 1985 comedy-drama My Beautiful Laundrette. Day-Lewis costars with Gordon Warnecke as Omar in this film centered on the relationship between the two male characters in a racially tense era in London.
This quirky film is a cult classic and a must-watch for movie enthusiasts and Daniel Day-Lewis embodies a character unlike those he's played in other films.
My Left Foot's Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Daniel Day-Lewis played the character Christy Brown in the 1989 film My Left Foot. This picture is a biopic of the writer and painter, Christy Brown, who was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and was only able to fully use his left foot. Daniel Day-Lewis's portrayal of the man is extremely moving and shows audiences how dedicated the actor is to his craft. His performance is uncanny.
Daniel Day-Lewis received his first Oscar for his role in My Left Foot. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay
A Room With A View's IMDb Score: 100%
Daniel Day-Lewis played Cecil in the 1986 film A Room With A View. This film, which was directed by James Ivory, is based on the novel by E. M. Forster. Daniel Day-Lewis plays a character that has fallen in love with an Englishwoman (played by Helena Bonham Carter) and the woman must choose between her social standing and a different love affair she found herself enamored by while in Italy.
Ranking 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, none of Daniel Day-Lewis's film can exceed this prestigious score; they can only tie. This film is remarkably well-done. While there's some heated debate between whether a movie adaptation of a novel can stand at the same level of craftsmanship as its novel (i.e. the line, "The book did it better"), this film resonates with its audiences and lovingly hearkens to the book that inspired such a narrative.
