Day-Lewis to bow out from acting

DANIEL DAY-LEWIS ( left), 60, has announced he is retiring from acting after more than 40 years in the industry.

Although he has yet to give a reason for his decision, the actor is said to be “immensely grateful” to his fans for their support over the years.

In a statement released to Variety magazine, Day-Lewis’ spokesman Leslee Dart said: “Daniel Day-Lewis will no longer be working as an actor. He is immensely grateful to all of his collaborators and audiences over the many years.

“This is a private decision and neither he nor his representatives will make any further comment on this subject.”

Day-Lewis, a master of method acting known for being extremely selective about his roles, is the only performer to have ever won three best actor Oscars.

Fans will be able to see him on screen for the last time when his upcoming drama movie, Phantom Thread – which is set in 1950s London – is released at the end of this year.

The movie will mark the first for the star since 2012’s Lincoln, which saw him pick up his third best actor Oscar – with the other two coming from 1989 flick My Left Foot, and 2007’s There Will Be Blood.

Phantom Thread will see DayLewis reunite with director Paul Thomas Anderson, whom he previously worked with on There Will Be Blood, after news of the feature was confirmed at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada last year.

There Will Be Blood was a drama fuelled by family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, and focused on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.

Anderson ( Punch-Drunk Love, Magnolia, Boogie Nights and Hard Eight) wrote and directed the title, which was his fifth feature-length film.

He also earned Oscar nods for Gangs of New York and In the Name of the Father. – Bang Showbiz