Tim Blake Nelson remembers the extreme work on Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. Nelson is an actor best known for his roles in films such as The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, O brother, where are youAnd The Incredible Hulk, and he played Richard Schell in Lincoln. The Spielberg film features a leading cast including Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook and Tommy Lee Jones.
Talk to The Hollywood ReporterNelson explains how intensive the work on Lincoln According to Nelson, lead actor Day-Lewis managed to “to commit not only oneself but the entire production to a work ethic and aesthetic principles with regard to the process.” This means that “there were never any anachronisms on the set,“ This affected everything from what people wore to what they were allowed to bring onto set. Read Nelson’s full statement below:
Then working with Daniel Day Lewis (on Lincoln) was another extreme. And how he was able to commit not only himself but the entire production to a work ethic and aesthetic principles about the process that elevated not only his own performance but also that of everyone around him. Just the fact that on Lincoln, no one was allowed to wear T-shirts with logos on them. There were never any anachronisms on set.
There was no paper coffee cup. You had to have something made of materials that would have been available in the late 1800s. So no shorts. No sneakers. Steven (Spielberg) wore a blazer and a button-down shirt every day when he was directing. No iPhones, did I mention that? It took everything to a new level. And then of course everything that everyone knows about him: that he stayed in character, that you could only address him as Lincoln. And that he did that in a way that somehow didn’t bother anyone – it didn’t bother me anyway – and it created more discipline on the set in a really good way. Which I think you see in the film.
Do I make similar demands as a director today? No, I wouldn’t dare. But I would if an actor wanted that and it was reasonable and doable. But I loved the process. I loved being a part of it. And it just made me better. It made me take what I do more seriously. Every film I’ve made has a version of that. I’m here in Hungary right now (on a Mona Fastvold film) and the privations and the seriousness of the crew and the gratitude of the crew here that the production is here and not somewhere else, the language barrier, all of that leads to its own unique clumping of approaches and forces that we bring to the telling of our story.
Why Lincoln had such strict rules
Daniel Day-Lewis is known as a method actor
The full list of requirements for the Lincoln The set was extensive and Nelson mentions that Day-Lewis was a key factor in this set decision. The actor is known for his method actingin which he tries to completely transform himself into roles by staying in character even when the cameras are not rolling. Nelson refers to this in his quote, saying that Day-Lewis “could only be addressed as Lincoln.” The actor used his more typical method acting techniques on set, but this time he projected this strategy onto his colleagues.
Although it sounds like Lincoln was one of the most comprehensive examples, Day-Lewis has used his method acting strategies in a number of other famous films. This included his 2017 film The silk threadwhere He spent years learning how to make clothes from scratch to better embody his role as an obsessive costume designer. To play John Proctor in Witch huntTwo months before filming, he lived a peasant life like in the 17th century, and for In the name of the Fatherhe locked himself in solitary confinement.
Do Daniel Day Lewis’ methods pay off?
Lincoln was well received
Although Day-Lewis’ requirements for the Lincoln The set was a bit extreme, but it was worth it for the film. I’m not the only one who says that Day-Lewis won me over with his portrayal of the 16th President of the United States. Lincoln received critical acclaim, with particular praise for the lead role. Day-Lewis won an Oscar for Best Actor for Lincolnand the film was nominated for several other awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor. As extreme as the set was, Lincoln remains one of the most talked about films of Day-Lewis’ career to this day.
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Lincoln (2012) Breakdown of key facts |
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budget |
65 million US dollars |
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Box office |
275 million US dollars |
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Critics’ rating at Rotten Tomatoes |
90% |
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Rotten Tomatoes audience rating |
80% |
Over and beyond Lincoln, Day-Lewis also won Oscars for Blood will flow And My left footand the latter was another example of the actor taking his method to the extreme. Lewis reportedly began to immerse himself in the role by visiting a clinic for people with cerebral palsy. However, he took it a step further when he forced the crew to give him his food and carry him between sets, just like his real-life character did. He also used his wheelchair off set, including to restaurants and more.
In addition to his Oscar wins for
My left foot
,
Blood will flow
And
Lincoln
Daniel Day-Lewis was also nominated for Oscars for
In the name of the Father
,
Gangs of New York
And
The silk thread
.
Looking back at Day-Lewis’ career, I wonder if all these method acting examples were really necessary. It is one thing for the actor to go to great lengths for his roles, but quite another for him to involve his colleagues or other crew members so much in that process. Whatever I or anyone else can say about the actor, one thing is clear: Day-Lewis is a great performer. Whether he is holding iPhones on the set of Lincoln or to be fed for My left footThese intense experiences have helped Day-Lewis in his career.
Source: THR
