Daniel Day-Lewis Confirms He Never Intended to Retire from Acting

LOS ANGELES – Actor Daniel Day-Lewis, known for his powerful performances, announced he “never intended to retire” during an interview with Rolling Stone on September 14, 2025. This revelation comes eight years after he publicly stated he was stepping back from acting following his film “Phantom Thread” in 2017.

The 68-year-old Oscar-winner is set to return to the big screen in a new film titled “Anemone,” which he co-wrote with his son, Ronan Day-Lewis, who is directing. The film, set to be released on October 3, explores complex familial relationships and features actors Samantha Morton and Sean Bean.

Reflecting on his decision to stop acting, Day-Lewis expressed some regret. “I would have done well to just keep my mouth shut,” he said. “It just seems like such grandiose gibberish to talk about. I never intended to retire, really. I just stopped doing that particular type of work so I could do some other work.”

Day-Lewis shared that he began writing the script for “Anemone” with Ronan in 2020. He noted that he felt a sense of sadness about stepping away as his son pursued filmmaking. “I thought, wouldn’t it be lovely if we could do something together and find a way of maybe containing it,” he said.

As the project developed, he contemplated whether he would act in the film again. Day-Lewis mentioned, “When we had a script and we weren’t sure what the next steps were, there was some part of me that began to feel, you know, certain reservations about being back in the public world again.” Ultimately, Ronan made it clear he would not direct unless his father agreed to star.

The film is anticipated to resonate with audiences and showcases the unique collaboration between father and son.