Retired actor Daniel Day-Lewis made a rare public appearance to honor Martin Scorsese at the National Board of Review (NBR) Awards Gala. Day-Lewis presented Scorsese the award for Best Director for his work helming Killers of the Flower Moon. While presenting the award, Day-Lewis spoke fondly of the acclaimed filmmaker, recalling discovering his work (via Variety):
"I was a teenager when I discovered Martin's work. With a light of his own making he illuminated unknown worlds that pulsed with a dangerous, irresistible energy — worlds that were mysterious to me and utterly enthralling. He illuminated the vast beautiful landscape of what is possible in film and he clarified for me what it is that one must ask of one self to work in faith."
Day-Lewis, who collaborated with Scorsese for 1993's The Age of Innocence and 2002's Gangs of New York, said that "one of the greatest joys and most unexpected privileges of my life was to find myself one day working with him."
"I'm grateful to the National Board of Review for so justly recognizing the supreme, inimitable artistry of this mighty man. To every person that works in the crucible of the imagination, he's a living treasure. As a man and as a filmmaker, I love and revere him. For his devastating telling of the story of the Killers of the Flower Moon, best director award goes to Martin Scorsese."
As Scorsese accepted the award, he called working alongside Day-Lewis "one of the greatest experiences of my life," adding:
"Maybe there's time for one more."
As the crowd reacted positively to the idea of another Scorsese and Day-Lewis collaboration, the actor smiled and held out his hands.
The NBR also chose Killers of the Flower Moon as its film of the year, with Lily Gladstone earning the Best Actress Award. The crime epic, based on the real-life murders of members of the oil-rich Osage, also earned one Golden Globe (for Gladstone) out of 7 nominations. Killers of the Flower Moon is expected to earn multiple Academy Award nominations, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (for Robert De Niro), and Best Actress. Should Gladstone receive an Oscar nod, she'll make history as the first Native American nominee in the Best Actress category.
Could We See Another Martin Scorsese and Daniel Day-Lewis Film?
While a third Scorsese and Day-Lewis project seems unlikely (given that Day-Lewis has not acted in seven years), it wouldn't be Day-Lewis' first time coming out of retirement. In 1997, the actor quit acting, later returning to the entertainment industry in 2000. In 2002, he re-appeared on the big screen. The film? Scorsese's Gangs of New York.
Through his decades-long career, Day-Lewis earned much praise and three Academy Awards (for My Left Foot, There Will Be Blood, and Lincoln). His lengthy list of notable credits include A Room with a View, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Last of the Mohicans, In the Name of the Father, The Crucible, Gangs of New York, and The Boxer.
Day-Lewis' last film appearance was in Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread. He has largely stayed out of the public eye since.
