Claim: Daniel Day-Lewis earned numerous honorable trophies.

Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis -LRB- born 29 April 1957 -RRB- is an English actor who holds both British and Irish citizenship . Born and raised in London , he excelled on stage at the National Youth Theatre , before being accepted at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School , which he attended for three years . Despite his traditional actor training at the Bristol Old Vic , he is considered to be a method actor , known for his constant devotion to and research of his roles . He often remains completely in character for the duration of the shooting schedules of his films , even to the point of adversely affecting his health . He is one of the most selective actors in the film industry , having starred in only five films since 1998 , with as many as five years between roles . Protective of his private life , he rarely gives interviews and makes very few public appearances .   Day-Lewis shifted between theatre and film for most of the early 1980s , joining the Royal Shakespeare Company and playing Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and Flute in A Midsummer Night 's Dream , before appearing in the 1984 film The Bounty . He starred in My Beautiful Laundrette -LRB- 1985 -RRB- , his first critically acclaimed role , and gained further public notice with A Room with a View -LRB- 1985 -RRB- . He then assumed leading man status with The Unbearable Lightness of Being -LRB- 1988 -RRB- .   One of the most acclaimed actors of his generation , Day-Lewis has earned numerous awards , including three Academy Awards for Best Actor for his performances in My Left Foot -LRB- 1989 -RRB- , There Will Be Blood -LRB- 2007 -RRB- and Lincoln -LRB- 2012 -RRB- , making him the only male actor in history to have three wins in the lead actor category and one of only three male actors to win three Oscars . He was also nominated in this category for In the Name of the Father -LRB- 1993 -RRB- and Gangs of New York -LRB- 2002 -RRB- . He has also won four BAFTA Awards for Best Actor , three Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Golden Globe Awards . In November 2012 , Time named Day-Lewis the `` World 's Greatest Actor . '' In June 2014 , he received a knighthood at Buckingham Palace for services to drama .