What can be said about Daniel Day Lewis’s acting that already hasn’t been said. A career spanning over four decades, Lewis has given some of the best performances you will ever see and is often regarded as the best actor of the 21st century. Being the only actor to win three Best Actor awards at the Oscars, Lewis definitely has had a great career in Hollywood. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent: Did You Know Daniel Day-Lewis and Christian Bale Were Considered for the Lead Role Before Nicholas Cage?

Lewis is great at playing challenging roles where a person will go through some rigorous development. Every character he plays, he makes sure that they have an immense amount of character development to them, that by the end of the movie the character is completely unrecognisable. That’s the power of Daniel Day Lewis. So to celebrate Daniel Day Lewis’ 65th birthday, let’s take a look at five of his best roles. Daniel Day-Lewis Birthday Special: From Gangs of New York to Phantom Thread, 7 Best Films of This Acting Legend Ranked As per IMDB (LatestLY Exclusive).

Nathaniel Poe (The Last of the Mohicans)

This epic historical drama directed by the legendary Michael Mann saw Lewis play the role of Nathaniel Poe. One of Lewis’ most memorable roles, Nathaniel Poe is a fearless warrior that fights alongside his Mohican brothers. It’s a great role that really helped Lewis flex his acting muscles here.

Bill “The Butcher” Cutting (Gangs of New York)

Gangs of New York is a film that gave us one of the best villains in Lewis’ Bill the Butcher. A role that really delved on the craziness of the character, he is portrayed perfectly over here. Bill is a despicable human being that Lewis really helps bring alive.

Abraham Lincoln (Lincoln)

Lewis completely transformed himself over here as the American President Abraham Lincoln. A great biographical drama, the film showcases the final four months of Lincoln’s life and his efforts in abolishing slavery. Lewis truly gives a great performance here.

Reynolds Woodcock (Phantom Thread)

Well in the mood of seeing a toxic relationship develop on screen? Then Phantom Thread is the perfect watch for you. Lewis stars as the extremely talented but occasionally immature and shrewd Reynolds Woodcock. Being one of his final roles, Lewis made sure to bring it his all over here.

Daniel Plainview (There Will Be Blood)

Now finally coming on to his best roles, Daniel Plainview is one of the best protagonists you will ever see. A cruel man who gets the hunger of success and money, Lewis is unrecognisable in this role. From his accent to his posture, you won’t recognise that it’s Lewis under there. Not to mention, he gives it his all over here in the climax.

While Daniel Day Lewis has retired, he has still left us with one hell of a filmography filled with some of the most diverse and original roles ever. With this, we finish off the list and wish him a very happy birthday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 29, 2022 09:56 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).