Ep. 130 – Daniel Day-Lewis (feat. Fiona Underhill)

The B-Side: A Film Stage Podcast

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. We discuss everyone's favorite method man: Daniel Day-Lewis. Our B-Sides are 1988’s Stars and Bars, Eversmile, New Jersey (1989), Jim Sheridan's The Boxer, and Rebecca Miller's The Ballad of Jack and Rose. Returning guest Fiona Underhill joins us to discuss the myth-making around the actor, his process, as well as a few hot takes on whether some of his most lauded credits are properly rated. Naturally, we also discuss his peak ‘90s hotness (it’s a tie between, Mohicans and The Crucible, by the way), and his influence, for better or worse, on a younger generation of actors. The scope of our B-Sides unlock a few lesser-seen tools in Day-Lewis’ belt, from the farcical to the oddball. These are modes he doesn’t necessarily seem comfortable in as a younger star, but that serve as practice for when he deconstructs his own serious image with his career peak in Phantom Thread. We can all be glad he gave us Reynolds Woodcock before retiring. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.