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Known as one of the world’s greatest actors, Daniel Day-Lewis has a net worth of $60 million and has stunned audiences with his roles in The Last of the Mohicans, Gangs of New York and There Will Be Blood to name a few.
Day-Lewis is a method actor, often shutting himself off from the rest of the cast and crew to become his character. For instance, he learned to live off the land; camping, hunting and fishing while playing the role of a Native American. He read every book he could find and adopted the perfect accent for Abraham Lincoln in Director Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln.
He’s the only actor to win three times in the Oscars, Best Actor category and one of three male actors to win three Oscars.
Many of his admirers have tried to emulate his acting style, but not much is known about his private life. Day-Lewis has taken breaks from the stage several times over his career, at one point, learning wood-working and shoe-making in Florence. However, each time he returns, fans are riveted to see what he does next.
Check out the top grossing films starring Day-Lewis to date.
My Left Foot – $15 Million
The one that started it all, stars Day-Lewis as Christy Brown, a person with cerebral palsy who learns to paint and write with his only controllable limb – his left foot. The film debuts in 1989, well before Day-Lewis has honed his craft and audiences at the time didn’t respond in droves, however, it’s the first Oscar Day-Lewis earned in his career for Best Actor in the film.
A Room with a View – $21 Million
If you’re a Day-Lewis fan, you don’t want to miss one of his first on-screen performances in 1985 featuring a young Helena Bonham-Carter in a summer romance that tends to never end. The young actor plays on the screen with Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and others, giving him experience and expertise to follow. According to The Famous People, A Room with a View is the film Day-Lewis began receiving public recognition.
The Age of Innocence – $32 Million
Based on the novel by Edith Warton, The Age of Innocence is the tale of New York high society and a young lawyer falling in love with the wrong woman. Day-Lewis takes the lead role alongside Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder. It’s the first film in which Day-Lewis and Martin Scorsese work together and though it doesn’t earn critical acclaim, it’s a glimpse of what the two successful men will become.
Nine – $54 Million
Day-Lewis plays a famous film director struggling to find harmony in his professional and personal life. Of course, the stardom he finds in Hollywood leads to a cast of beautiful women, including Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson and many more. Even the recently passed Sophia Loren plays Day-Lewis’ mother in the film, surrounding him with tough choices in the drama.
In the Name of the Father – $66 Million
A film featuring Day-Lewis and Emma Thompson did not receive critical acclaim, however, fans enjoy the crime drama based on a young man’s coerced confession to a bombing he didn’t commit. Thompson plays the English lawyer fighting to free the young man and his father from unjust imprisonment. The film debuted in 1993.
The Last of the Mohicans – $76 Million
A film set during the French and Indian War, Day-Lewis depicts everything from the true life of one living off of the land to a romance with Madeleine Stowe, captivating audiences in the drama. As is typical for Day-Lewis, he worked to immerse himself in the culture, environment and behavior of his character to bring us the best story based on history.
There Will Be Blood – $76 Million
It may not be the highest grossing film featuring the star, but critics consider it one of his best. According to IMBD, the story of a family, religion, hatred, oil and madness in the early days of a prospector comes after Day-Lewis has stepped away from acting for a few years and he returns with a bang in 2007. The film icon received a Best Actor Oscar for his role in the film.
Gandhi – $128 Million
Back in 1982, Day-Lewis was still landing smaller roles on the big screen. Gandhi featured stars like Ben Kingsley, Martin Sheen and Candice Bergen. According to Celebrity Net Worth, aside from Day-Lewis’ first film at the age of 13, he had worked in theater and television before landing this role a decade later. He doesn’t receive widespread notice until the mid to late 80’s.
Gangs of New York – $194 Million
Just the first few minutes of the film about the five boroughs of New York and a young man seeking revenge against his father’s killer, audiences are on the edge of their seat. Starring Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher, Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz, it’s a mixture of history, crime and drama and the performances can’t be denied.
Lincoln – $275 Million
The historical drama that tells of the story of President Abraham Lincoln, directed by Spielberg and included a stellar cast including Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Audiences clearly enjoyed the film, flocking to theaters in 2012 to learn more about the issues Lincoln dealt with throughout the Civil War and inside his own cabinet.
Sources: The Famous People, IMBD, Celebrity Net Worth