Daniel Day-Lewis Net Worth

What is Daniel Day-Lewis's net Worth and Salary?

Daniel Day-Lewis is an English actor who has a net worth of $40 million. Daniel Day-Lewis is widely regarded as one of the greatest performers in film history. Known for his intense preparation, total immersion into character, and selective approach to roles, he built a career defined by both artistic excellence and mystery. Over the span of four decades, Day-Lewis delivered a remarkably small but flawless body of work, earning three Academy Awards for Best Actor—the most ever by a male actor—for "My Left Foot" (1989), "There Will Be Blood" (2007), and "Lincoln" (2012).

Born in London in 1957 to poet Cecil Day-Lewis and actress Jill Balcon, he trained at the Bristol Old Vic before beginning his film career with small parts in "Gandhi" (1982) and "The Bounty" (1984). His breakout came with "My Beautiful Laundrette" (1985), followed by "A Room with a View" and "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" (1988). In "My Left Foot," his portrayal of Christy Brown, an Irish writer with cerebral palsy, earned him his first Oscar and established him as a master of deeply physical and emotional roles.

Day-Lewis became synonymous with method acting, immersing himself fully in his characters—learning to build canoes for "The Last of the Mohicans" (1992), staying in character as a 19th-century aristocrat in "The Age of Innocence" (1993), and living as a frontiersman for "Gangs of New York" (2002). His transformative performances were few but monumental, each film an event in itself.

After announcing his retirement following "Phantom Thread" (2017), Day-Lewis retreated from public life, remaining one of cinema's most enigmatic figures. In 2025, he returned to acting in "Anemone," directed by his son Ronan Day-Lewis, marking a rare and deeply personal comeback. His career stands as a testament to artistry, integrity, and the power of total creative commitment.

Early Life

Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis was born on April 29, 1957, in Kensington, London, England. His father, Cecil Day-Lewis, was an acclaimed Irish-born poet who served as the United Kingdom's Poet Laureate, and his mother, Jill Balcon, was a respected stage and film actress. Growing up in a highly cultured household, Daniel was exposed early to literature, theater, and the creative process.

At the age of 11, he was sent to Sevenoaks School in Kent, where he developed an early reputation as a mischievous, restless student. Unhappy in the strict environment, he transferred after two years to Bedales School in Hampshire, a progressive arts-focused boarding school that better suited his creative temperament. His sister, Tamasin Day-Lewis, also attended Bedales and went on to become a prominent food critic and documentary filmmaker. In 1972, Daniel's father died of pancreatic cancer, a loss that deeply affected him and would later shape his introspective nature.

After leaving school, Day-Lewis briefly considered pursuing cabinetmaking but instead turned his attention to acting. He enrolled at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, where he spent several years training extensively in classical theater. There, he developed the discipline and physicality that would define his methodical acting approach in the decades to come.

Early Career

Day-Lewis made his film debut at just 13 years old with a small role in John Schlesinger's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (1971). Though his screen time was brief, the experience sparked a lifelong fascination with acting. After formal training at Bristol, he spent several years working in repertory theater, appearing in plays by Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Farquhar while sharpening his command of voice and character transformation.

By the early 1980s, Day-Lewis began appearing in British television dramas such as "Frost in May" and "How Many Miles to Babylon?" His first feature role in over a decade came with a small part in "Gandhi" (1982), followed by his stage breakthrough in "Another Country," where he took over the lead role and drew significant attention from London critics. In 1984, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, performing in "Romeo and Juliet" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream," earning praise for his emotional intensity and precision.

Breakthrough and International Success

Day-Lewis's film career took off in 1985 with two critically acclaimed performances that showcased his remarkable range. In "My Beautiful Laundrette," he played a working-class punk who enters a relationship with a Pakistani man, earning international acclaim for his nuanced portrayal of vulnerability and rebellion. That same year, he appeared as an uptight Edwardian aristocrat in "A Room with a View," proving his versatility and solidifying his reputation as a rising star.

In 1988, he delivered another transformative performance in "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," playing a sensual Czech surgeon in love and exile. The following year brought his first Academy Award for "My Left Foot" (1989), in which he portrayed Irish writer and painter Christy Brown, who had cerebral palsy. Day-Lewis immersed himself completely in the role—studying patients at Dublin's Sandymount School Clinic and remaining in character throughout filming. The result was one of the most acclaimed performances in cinematic history.

(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Method Acting and Later Roles

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Day-Lewis became synonymous with immersive, physically demanding preparation. For "The Last of the Mohicans" (1992), he spent months living in the wilderness, learning to hunt, skin animals, and live off the land. For "In the Name of the Father" (1993), he lived in a jail cell and subjected himself to harsh conditions to better understand his character, the wrongfully imprisoned Gerry Conlon. He followed with Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" (1996) and the boxing drama "The Boxer" (1997), training rigorously to embody each role.

After "The Boxer," he withdrew from acting, moving to Florence to apprentice as a cobbler. This semi-retirement lasted several years until Martin Scorsese persuaded him to return for "Gangs of New York" (2002), in which he delivered a ferocious performance as Bill "The Butcher" Cutting. The film marked a triumphant comeback and earned him another Oscar nomination.

He reached new heights with Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" (2007), playing oil baron Daniel Plainview—a performance so commanding it earned him his second Academy Award and widespread recognition as one of the greatest actors of his generation. In 2012, he portrayed Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," a role that required a year of preparation and resulted in his third Oscar for Best Actor—making him the first male actor ever to win three Academy Awards in the lead category.

Day-Lewis announced another hiatus after "Lincoln," retreating to his home in County Wicklow, Ireland. He later reunited with Paul Thomas Anderson for "Phantom Thread" (2017), portraying a fastidious fashion designer in 1950s London. After the film's release, he again declared his retirement from acting, stating that the decision was deeply personal.

In 2025, however, Day-Lewis quietly returned to the screen in "Anemone," a film written and directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis. The project marked both a creative reunion and a poignant exploration of family and legacy.

Beyond awards, Daniel Day-Lewis has been praised by critics, peers, and directors as a performer of extraordinary depth and discipline. His performances continue to be studied in film schools and revered across generations, earning him a permanent place among the legends of cinema.

Accolades

Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the most decorated actors in the history of cinema. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has earned universal acclaim for his uncompromising dedication to his craft and transformative performances. He is the only male actor to have won three Academy Awards for Best Actor, a distinction that cements his status as one of the greatest performers of all time.

Major Awards and Honors:

Academy Awards (Oscars)

• Best Actor – "My Left Foot" (1989)
• Best Actor – "There Will Be Blood" (2007)
• Best Actor – "Lincoln" (2012)
• Nominated – Best Actor, "In the Name of the Father" (1993)
• Nominated – Best Actor, "Gangs of New York" (2002)
• Nominated – Best Actor, "Phantom Thread" (2017)

BAFTA Awards (British Academy of Film and Television Arts)

• Best Actor – "My Left Foot" (1989)
• Best Actor – "Gangs of New York" (2002)
• Best Actor – "There Will Be Blood" (2007)
• Best Actor – "Lincoln" (2012)
• Britannia Award for Excellence in Film (2012)

Golden Globe Awards

• Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama – "There Will Be Blood" (2008)
• Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama – "Lincoln" (2013)
• Nominated – Best Actor for "My Left Foot" (1990), "The Last of the Mohicans" (1993), "In the Name of the Father" (1994), "Gangs of New York" (2003), and "Phantom Thread" (2018)

Screen Actors Guild Awards

• Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role – "There Will Be Blood" (2007)
• Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role – "Lincoln" (2012)

Critics' Choice Awards

• Best Actor – "There Will Be Blood" (2007)
• Best Actor – "Lincoln" (2012)

New York Film Critics Circle Awards

• Best Actor – "My Left Foot" (1989)
• Best Actor – "There Will Be Blood" (2007)

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

• Best Actor – "There Will Be Blood" (2007)

Other Honors

• Time magazine feature: "The World's Greatest Actor" (2012)

Beyond awards, Daniel Day-Lewis has been praised by critics, peers, and directors as a performer of extraordinary depth and discipline. His performances continue to be studied in film schools and revered across generations, earning him a permanent place among the legends of cinema.

Personal Life

Day-Lewis is famously private, known for his reluctance to engage with the media and his desire to separate his personal life from his public persona. He dated French actress Isabelle Adjani for six years, and their son, Gabriel-Kane Day-Lewis, was born in 1995 after their separation.

While working on "The Crucible" in 1996, he met filmmaker Rebecca Miller, daughter of playwright Arthur Miller. The two married later that year and have two sons, Ronan Cal Day-Lewis and Cashel Blake Day-Lewis. The family divides their time between their home in County Wicklow, Ireland, and their residence in Manhattan.

Reserved, introspective, and driven by artistic integrity, Daniel Day-Lewis remains one of the most enigmatic and revered figures in modern cinema—a performer whose devotion to craft and unparalleled range continue to inspire actors and filmmakers around the world.

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