Daniel Day-Lewis’s Oscar Hopes Dashed for Gangs of New York
Daniel Day-Lewis, a triple Oscar winner, was especially keen to win for his role in Gangs of New York, showing deep respect for Scorsese and his fellow nominees.
For many in the film industry, nabbing an Oscar is the ultimate feather in the cap. Only a handful of actors have managed to collect more than one, with Katharine Hepburn still holding the record at four. Among the select few with three wins is Daniel Day-Lewis, who first took home the golden statue in 1989 for his performance in My Left Foot. Playing Christy Brown, an artist with cerebral palsy, Day-Lewis fully embraced method acting, even asking the crew to carry him around and feed him. This approach ruffled a few feathers on set, but it certainly paid off, launching him into the spotlight and setting the stage for a string of acclaimed roles throughout the ‘90s.
Day-Lewis became known for being choosy with his projects, picking films like The Age of Innocence, In the Name of the Father, and The Last of the Mohicans. Each role only boosted his reputation, and it seemed like every new project put him in the running for another Oscar nod. He missed out on a win for In the Name of the Father, losing to Tom Hanks, but it wasn’t long before he was back in the awards race.
Gangs of New York and the Oscar Race
In 2002, Day-Lewis took on the role of Bill the Butcher in Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York, a gritty historical drama with a star-studded cast including Leonardo DiCaprio. The film racked up ten Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. Day-Lewis was especially keen to win this time, facing off against heavyweights like Jack Nicholson, Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine, and Adrien Brody.
Despite his hopes, it was Brody who walked away with the Best Actor award for The Pianist. Day-Lewis, already an Oscar winner, still felt the sting of missing out. Before the ceremony, he told the Los Angeles Daily News,
“It would be a delight. I wouldn’t pretend not to be thrilled about it, but more than anything, my fingers are crossed for Martin.”
He added,
“I don’t know if it will happen this year, but that would give me as much pleasure as anything.”
Scorsese and Day-Lewis: Close but No Cigar
Scorsese also missed out that year, with Roman Polanski taking home Best Director for The Pianist. While the disappointment was real, Day-Lewis didn’t have to wait long for more recognition. He went on to win two more Oscars, first for There Will Be Blood and then for Lincoln. His performance in Phantom Thread earned him another nomination, though he didn’t win that time.
With talk of Day-Lewis returning to the screen in Anemone next year, there’s already speculation about whether he’ll add another Oscar to his collection and perhaps even match Hepburn’s record. For now, his near-miss with Gangs of New York remains a memorable chapter in a career full of standout moments.