Daniel Day-Lewis Reveals Why He's Quitting Acting

Daniel Day-Lewis is on the cover of W magazine’s holiday issue.

Here’s what the 60-year-old actor had to share with the mag:

On why he released a statement saying he was quitting acting: “I knew it was uncharacteristic to put out a statement But I did want to draw a line. I didn’t want to get sucked back into another project. All my life, I’ve mouthed off about how I should stop acting, and I don’t know why it was different this time, but the impulse to quit took root in me, and that became a compulsion. It was something I had to do.”

On why he’s quitting: “I need to believe in the value of what I’m doing. The work can seem vital. Irresistible, even. And if an audience believes it, that should be good enough for me. But, lately, it isn’t. I’ve been interested in acting since I was 12 years old, and back then, everything other than the theater�”that box of light�”was cast in shadow. When I began, it was a question of salvation. Now, I want to explore the world in a different way.”

For more from Daniel, visit WMagazine.com.