Daniel Day Lewis has hit the red carpet again after coming out of retirement to star in his son Ronan’s debut film, Anemone.
The actor is known for being incredibly private and shying away from the public eye, mostly for the sake of his family, and he even moved his family to Ireland to escape the paparazzi.
When speaking to USA today about working with son Ronan on Anemone, the talk soon turned to the efforts he went to, to shelter his children from the glaring eye of the public, recalling how when they moved to New York at the height of his fame in the 90s/00s, people were following them in the street.
Ronan Day-Lewis and Daniel Day Lewis attend the Anemone Red Carpet during the 63rd New York Film Festival Pic: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for FLCDaniel revealed that he didn’t ‘take too kindly to that’ considering how young the boys were at the time, but in Ireland, the locals don’t really care who you are and just let you get on with your life.
Speaking of his Irish abode, he said: ‘It’s a quiet place [in Wicklow]. The nearest small town is about five or six miles away. People in those rural areas take you as they find you, and they just allow you to be who you are.
‘If you’re accepted in the community, they just let you get on with your life and you do the same for them.’
Ronan Day Lewis, Daniel Day Lewis and Rebecca Miller. Pic: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesWith him shying away from the spotlight so much, many people have assumed he is something of a hermit, which Day-Lewis acknowledges but insists he isn’t one and just likes to lead ‘a quiet life amongst people’.
However, his character in Anemone is a hermit who moved away from civilisation after an incident, so while some might see him playing Ray as life imitating art, Daniel insists it was ‘in no way connected to my own experience.’
Anemone marks not only Ronan’s directorial debut, but also the pair’s collaboration on the script, making it a passion project for both men.
Sean Bean stars as Jem and Daniel Day Lewis stars as Ray in director Ronan Day-Lewis’s Anemone Pic: Focus FeaturesThe official synopsis for the film doesn’t give away much detail, simply stating: ‘Anemone explores the complex and profound ties that exist between brothers, fathers, and sons.’
Anemone also stars Samantha Morton, Samuel Bottomley and Safia Oakley-Green alongside Daniel Day-Lewis and Sean Bean, and is executive produced by Daniel and Brad Pitt.
Check out the trailer for Daniel Day Lewis’ Anemone below and the film lands in Irish cinemas on November 7