James Dempsey : Why we should give Daniel Day Lewis some peace (INDEPENDENT)

By James Dempsey
Saturday January 26 2013

This weekend marks the Irish release of Lincoln, director Steven Spielberg's biopic of the American president's efforts to outlaw slavery and end the civil war in the final few months of his life.

A project eight years in the making, recounting the shady dealings often required to turn ideological moralities into political realities, Lincoln is a chamber piece of subtle speeches and exquisite performances. And in the same week as Barack Obama's second inauguration, Lincoln's political toing and froing feels distinctly fresh and timely.

To the forefront of the film, of course, is Daniel Day Lewis' work as Honest Abe, in what is perhaps the quietest and most restrained performance of the esoteric actor's career. It should come as no surprise that the most-celebrated actor of his generation playing the most-celebrated American president of all time has already resulted in mass award celebrations.

Day Lewis, famous for living for months on end in character, originally turned down the role, concerned that he couldn't do justice to this idol of American politics. But after tireless campaigning by the director, Day Lewis signed on. Perhaps it was written in the stars – who better to play the man whose face graces the penny and five dollar-bill than the man whose face has appeared on an An Post stamp?

Of course, awards' season presents its own nationalistic difficulties with regard to Day Lewis. The son of an Irish-born Poet Laureate to Queen Elizabeth II, raised and educated in England's green and pleasant land, Day Lewis made his way across the Irish Sea in 1989, taking up dual citizenship in 1993.

As such, we Irish have taken him to our hearts, and at times have become rather militant about it. When The Daily Mail listed the actor among the "Britons" to have found triumph at the Golden Globes earlier this month, the furore was felt across social media.

READ MORE:http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/film-cinema/james-dempsey-why-we-should-give-daniel-day-lewis-some-peace-3367576.html

Will Daniel Day-Lewis be first actor to win 3 Academy Awards for Best Actor? (SCREEN INVASION)

By John H. Foote

Who else might have been deserving?

In the history of the Academy Awards, since 1927, no single actor has managed to win three Academy Awards for Best Actor. Nine have won twice, while Jack Nicholson has won twice for Best Actor and once for Best Supporting Actor. Character actor Walter Brennan won three times as Best Supporting Actor before 1950 and at least one actor should have won three Best Actor awards in a span of six years in the sixties, but did not. Incredibly Katherine Hepburn won four times as Best Actress, the first in the thirties, back to back awards in the sixties and the final one in 1981 putting her far ahead of both the men and women.

Thirteen women have won twice for Best Actress, with Ingrid Bergman and Meryl Streep each winning another for Best Supporting Actress, and many of the ladies, could have won more than they did. Is it not bizarre that Streep just became a two time Best Actress winner only a year ago??


Daniel Day-Lewis will likely become the first actor to be a triple Best Actor winner for his magnificent performance in Lincoln (2012), the years best film. Day-Lewis first won for his stunning work in My Left Foot (1989) and just five years ago for There Will Be Blood (2007) arguably the greatest male performance ever put on film. His win for Lincoln (2012) will place him where no other actor has ever been, but in hindsight, several could have been perhaps should have been three time winners (or more) before now.

Fredric March, Spencer Tracey, and Gary Cooper were all deserving two time Oscar winners, with not one of them having a chance at a third. However, the other six all should be three time winners.


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Daniel Day-Lewis on verge of Oscar history as he wins Critics Choice (HERALD)

By Kirsty Blake Knox
Friday January 11 2013

Daniel Day-Lewis has taken his first step towards triple-Oscar glory by winning the coveted Best Actor gong at the Critics Choice Awards.

The Critics Choice Awards, held in California, are regarded as the most reliable guide to who will bag an Academy Award at next month's glitzy show.

And Day-Lewis (55) has taken one step closer to that golden statuette which, if he wins, will make him the only male actor in history to win a hat-trick of Best Actor Oscars. Katharine Hepburn, a 1930s super star wholater enjoyed a career revival, won four academy awards for best actress.

The 18th annual Critics Choice ceremony was attended by some of Hollywood's biggest names last night.

Anne Hathaway (30) showed off her pixie do in a shimmering Oscar de la Renta gown. Emily Blunt (29) showed off her petite physique in a fitted white dress with an embellished pearl neckline.

Her film Looper picked up the award for Best Sci-Fi.

But all eyes were on Day-Lewis, who lives in Co Wicklow, and is on the verge of making Oscar history.

Only nine men including Marlon Brando, Spencer Tracy, Tom Hanks and Dustin Hoffman have taken home the Oscar for Best Actor twice. But Day-Lewis, who holds both an Irish and British passport, will over take them all over if he wins his third award.

It is the actor's fifth nomination in the category. In 1989 he won the gong for his portrayal of Christy Brown in the movie My Left Foot.

And in 2007 Day-Lewis struck Oscar gold again for his role as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood.

READ MORE: http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/daylewis-on-verge-of-oscar-history-as-he-wins-critics-choice-3349206.html