Best ‘best actor’: Day-Lewis eyes up Oscars hat-trick

His acclaimed performances in the likes of My Left Foot and There Will Be Blood have already led many to believe Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the finest actors ever to grace our screens.

But if — as expected — the 55-year-old is named best actor for his performance in Lincoln at next month’s Oscars, he will officially become the Academy’s most successful actor.

At present he and eight others — Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gary Cooper, Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson, and Sean Penn — have won two best actor awards apiece. However, nobody has claimed a third.

At this stage though, the Lincoln actor is only halfway to matching the haul of four gongs awarded to Katherine Hepburn for best actress.

Day-Lewis, who has held Irish citizenship since 1993, lives in Wicklow with his wife Rebecca Miller.

Lincoln leads the Oscar nominations with 12.