Jan 9, 2013
The classy note Daniel Day-Lewis sent Spielberg declining to play Lincoln
Before accepting the role of Lincoln in Spielberg’s Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis said No several times. On Monday night at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, Spielberg read the first note declining the role that Day-Lewis sent him back in the early 2000′s…
It was a real pleasure just to sit and talk with you. I listened very carefully to what you had to say about this compelling history, and I’ve since read the script and found it, in all the detail in which it describes these monumental events and in the compassionate portraits of all the principal characters, both powerful and moving.
I can’t account for how at any given moment I feel the need to explore life as opposed to another, but I do know that I can only do this work if I feel almost as if there is no choice; that a subject coincides inexplicably with a very personal need and a very specific moment in time. In this case, as fascinated as I was by Abe, it was the fascination of a grateful spectator who longed to see a story told, rather than that of a participant.
That’s how I feel now in spite of myself, and though I can’t be sure that this won’t change, I couldn’t dream of encouraging you to keep it open on a mere possibility. I do hope this makes sense Steven, I’m glad you’re making the film, I wish you the strength for it, and I send both my very best wishes and my sincere gratitude to you for having considered me.
Finally, after two complete rewrites of the script, Day-Lewis took the part.
(via The Sly Oyster, The Hollywood Reporter)
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So glad he found that connection, because he is uncannily brilliant as Abe in the film; it’s hard to imagine anyone else who could have done what he did. A revelation.
I agree completely.
does the film have the part where he’s killing vampires? just making sure it’s historically accurate :-D
It’s always been clear that DDL is passionate about his characters but now we have it in writing.