EXCLUSIVE: 'Broken' Daniel Day-Lewis Risking His Health by Returning to Big Screen After Eight Year 'Retirement' Due to Exhaustion
Daniel Day-Lewis has ended his retirement after eight years.
Aug. 12 2025, Published 4:30 p.m. ET
Academy Award-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis is coming out of his self-imposed "retirement" for his first movie in nearly a decade.
But RadarOnline.com can reveal the celebrated star could be putting his mental and physical health at risk, especially after his last film, eight years ago, nearly "finished him."
The actor returns in the new movie 'Anemone.'
Day-Lewis has returned from his lengthy absence with a first look at his new movie, Anemone. The Focus Features release is set to have its world premiere at next month's New York Film Festival.
The movie is a family affair for the 68-year-old, as it features the directorial debut of his son, Ronan. The two also co-wrote the film.
According to the festival: "The Northern England–set Anemone begins as a middle-aged man (Sam Bean) sets out from his suburban home on a journey into the woods, where he reconnects with his estranged hermit brother (Day-Lewis).
"Bonded by a mysterious, complicated past, the men share a fraught, if occasionally tender relationship, one that was forever altered by shattering events decades earlier."
The description continues: "An emotional powerhouse, this directorial debut is assured in both small details and grand gestures as it charts the path toward familial redemption against all odds."
Pushed Beyond His Limits
There are concerns for the method actor's mental health.
Day-Lewis hasn't been seen on screen since Phantom Thread, the 2017 drama that earned him his final Oscar nomination. At the time, the Lincoln star hinted he simply wanted to spend more time with his family.
However, RadarOnline.com reported the truth was far more taxing: his role of Reynolds Woodcock – a fastidious, emotionally cruel dressmaker – pushed Day-Lewis beyond his limits, personally and professionally.
A longtime crew member who worked on the film claimed: "He just couldn't shake Reynolds. The production was claustrophobic, and so was the role. You could see it grinding him down day by day. By the end, he looked haunted and broken."
'Draining' Last Role
Day-Lewis, who won an Oscar for his starring role in 'Lincoln,' throws himself into his roles.
Day-Lewis is well known for throwing his all into each character he portrays. He remained in a wheelchair throughout My Left Foot (1989), ate prison rations for In the Name of the Father (1993), and learned to hunt and skin animals for The Last of the Mohicans (1992).
His unyielding commitment brought him three Best Actor Oscars – for My Left Foot, There Will Be Blood (2007), and Lincoln (2012) – and a reputation for being the most intensely dedicated performer of his generation.
But with Phantom Thread, something changed. The atmosphere on set, said one insider, was "miserable."
The source claimed: "It wasn't just Daniel. The whole thing was draining. He was channeling this controlling, icy man, and we all felt like we were working for Reynolds."
Another crewmember claimed Day-Lewis, who often isolates himself to remain in character, struggled with the sustained emotional coldness of Woodcock. "He was difficult to approach. You didn't know if you were talking to Daniel or Reynolds."
New Health Concerns
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Day-Lewis said he was done with acting following his retirement.
Those close to the actor believe that his method acting on Phantom Thread caused his mental and emotional collapse.
An insider said: "He knew it would be his last role before we even wrapped. He told a few of us quietly. Said he couldn't do it anymore – not like this. That something had broken during the shoot."
Now, with his long-awaited return to acting, there are new fears for his health. For many in the industry, Phantom Thread marked the moment the actor's devotion tipped into self-destruction.
One producer said: "That role didn't just take something out of him – it finished him."
