Daniel Day‑Lewis said he never intended to retire from acting and that his decision to return to the screen was driven by a desire to collaborate with his son, Ronan Day‑Lewis, on the younger man’s directorial debut, "Anemone."
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the 68‑year‑old actor described his 2017 announcement that he was leaving acting as unnecessarily dramatic and said that while he stepped back from big productions, his love for the work never faded. "Looking back on it now — I would have done well to just keep my mouth shut, for sure," he told the magazine. "I never intended to retire, really. I just stopped doing that particular type of work so I could do some other work."
Day‑Lewis, a three‑time Academy Award winner, said that he had long struggled with aspects of the actor’s life that left him "feeling hollowed out" when a production concluded. After completing his last film before the break, 2017’s "Phantom Thread," he said he questioned whether the cycle of immersion and regeneration that sustained him would continue. "I began to feel quite strongly that maybe there wouldn’t be that regeneration anymore," he said, adding that those feelings were partly rooted in fear.
The actor said he experienced "residual sadness" when he learned Ronan, 27, was making films and that idea of working together helped draw him back. Day‑Lewis described the experience of collaborating with his son as "pure joy" and said the project allowed him to contain the theatrical and logistical trappings of larger productions.
"As I get older, it just takes me longer and longer to find my way back to the place where the furnace is burning again," he said. "But working with Ro, that furnace just lit up." Day‑Lewis and his son co‑wrote the screenplay for "Anemone," which Focus Features says "explores the complex and profound ties that exist between brothers, fathers, and sons." The film also stars Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley and Safia Oakley‑Green.
Day‑Lewis announced in June 2017 that he would "no longer be working as an actor," and his representative at the time said the decision was private and that there would be no further comment. In interviews that year, he described the choice as settled upon him though he admitted he did not fully understand why he felt drawn away from acting and said the sensation came with "great sadness."
In the Rolling Stone interview, Day‑Lewis revisited that moment and framed it as a period when he wanted to pursue other kinds of work rather than an absolute end to his acting career. He said he is "a proud person" and that some of his earlier statements about retiring sounded "grandiose gibberish." He reiterated that his affection for the craft "has never diminished."
Industry observers noted the rarity of high‑profile actors returning after publicly announced retirements, and Day‑Lewis’s decision to appear in a smaller, family‑led production drew attention as an atypical route back into filmmaking for a performer known for immersive, transformative roles. His filmography includes landmark performances in "My Left Foot," "There Will Be Blood" and "Lincoln," each of which contributed to his three Academy Awards.
The actor’s reappearance in promotional and industry settings since the announcement of his involvement with "Anemone" has reignited discussion of his career and his working methods. He has said he wanted to limit the scale and paraphernalia of production on the new film, suggesting an intent to balance creative involvement with a more contained way of working.
Day‑Lewis did not outline plans for further projects beyond "Anemone" in the interview. The film’s release plans were described by Focus Features, and details on production and distribution will be released by the studio as they are finalized. For now, Day‑Lewis characterized his return as purposeful and personal — a reunion with a craft he said he never stopped loving and an opportunity to work with his son on a story about family connections.