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Reportedly Daniel Day-Lewis didn’t bathe while filming The Crucible. Several actors use method acting in order to get into character. Some celebrities have even taken their method acting to extremes.
There have been several stories of celebrities staying in character while filming a TV show or film, even when the cameras weren’t rolling. Daniel Day-Lewis has been known to use method acting in order to fully inhabit his characters.
There are numerous stories about the actor staying in character during filming. Day-Lewis also does a lot of preparation before filming even begins. The Oscar winner does seem to truly come alive as his characters on screen, no matter who he is playing.
This is probably because of the massive preparation he has put into his roles. Daniel Day-Lewis apparently didn’t bathe while filming The Crucible.
Did Daniel Day-Lewis Bathe While Filming ‘The Crucible’?
There are several celebrities who have used method acting in order to better inhabit the characters they’re playing. Method acting means an actor stays in character even when they are not shooting scenes.
A few celebrities have even taken things to extremes with certain roles, including Daniel Day-Lewis. The Gangs of New York actor is well-known for his method acting.
Reportedly, Daniel Day-Lewis didn’t bathe while he was filming The Crucible. During filming, he lived in a house he built himself for his character. He also tried to live as people did in the 17th century while living on location in his characters’ house.
Because there was no running water during that time period, it’s doubtful he was able to bathe, at least not the way people do in modern times.
It’s possible the actor was able to collect water to rinse off, or maybe wash off in a water source. But considering his commitment to living the way people did in the 1600s, it’s doubtful he was using modern shampoo or soap.
Day-Lewis also lived without electricity and used the appropriate tools from the 17th century to plant fields.
One of his co-stars, Charlayne Woodard, who plays Tituba in the film, discussed his behavior during filming. According to Entertainment Weekly, she said, “It was funny to observe him. When they said ‘Cut,’ he didn’t just go to craft services and eat some jelly beans. He would sit on something and take out a knife and start whittling a piece of wood.”
Daniel Day-Lewis’ Intense Preparation Before Filming ‘The Crucible’
After landing a role, many celebrities will start to prepare for the character they will be playing. Some go through a more grueling process than others, depending on the character being played.
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Before Daniel Day-Lewis even started filming, he was already on location, a Massachussetts Island, where he would be shooting. He apparently lived there for at least a month before filming began, preparing for his role.
He even built his characters’ cabin, and lived in it. He also helped the carpenters build some of the set.
Daniel Day-Lewis discussed his preparation for the role, according to Entertainment Weekly, “It seemed that the important thing to do was some kind of physical work. So I spent some time on the island, because so much of the story of those people’s lives was contained within the way they took possession of that land.”
Although Daniel Day-Lewis didn’t get an Oscar nod for his performance as John Proctor in The Crucible, he has won three best actor Oscars for other performances, the only male actor to do so, so far. Day-Lewis spoke with CBS News about “what appeals to him” about acting.
“What appeals to him, he says, is authenticity – getting every word, every gesture just right – down to the dirt in his fingernails. ‘That’s the ideal. That’s the task, I suppose, that we set ourselves. That’s the narcotic almost, as well. Certainly that illusion is a very intoxicating one, I think.'”
Daniel Day-Lewis Is Known For His Method Acting
The Crucible isn’t the only role Daniel Day-Lewis fully inhabited with method acting. He’s known for using the process with all of his roles. He is known for going to extremes to get into character, and even might have taken things too far with at least one of his roles: Gangs of New York.
When Day-Lewis played William, Bill the Butcher, Cutting in Gangs of New York, he apparently trained as a butcher and learned to throw knives. He also insisted on only wearing clothes his character would wear, meaning he wore a thin coat and refused a warmer one.
This caused the actor to become seriously ill with pneumonia. It seems the actor was so focused on staying in character he wasn’t thinking about his health.
For Daniel Day-Lewis’ role in My Left Foot, he apparently insisted on being spoonfed. It seems he also remained in his wheelchair during filming, and had others lift him or carry him in it when needed. For the film The Last of the Mohicans, Day-Lewis reportedly learned to live off the land and built a canoe.
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Speaking with The Guardian about his method acting, Day-Lewis revealed, “When you don’t know from experience, or you can’t explore through the imagination, you better do some sort of practical work that is at least going to stimulate the imagination, because finally the whole thing is an act of imagination.”
