In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, legendary director Steven Spielberg revealed that the iconic man-eating shark in JAWS was in fact played by none other than Daniel Day-Lewis. “Daniel is an absolute chameleon. His commitment to on-screen transformations is unparalleled,” praised the director.
Originally, Spielberg had envisioned using an animatronic shark for the film, but he says Day-Lewis was able to convince him to cast him for the role of Great White Shark. “Daniel took me to an aquarium, jumped in the tank, tread water, and gnashed his teeth for literally five hours straight. I was so terrified that I couldn’t say no to him.”
To prepare for the role, Day-Lewis put on 2,500 pounds in 12 weeks—something Spielberg attributes to the 53 cans of tuna fish Daniel consumed each day.
“As a method actor, Daniel’s transformation was horrifying to behold. On set you weren’t allowed to make eye contact with him or make any sudden movements. You had to hide your car keys because anything shiny would set him off. The executive producer’s son went missing and we sort of just chalked it up to Daniel’s creative process,” chucked Spielberg.
When asked to comment, Day-Lewis said, “You know how I got these stripes? You know I killed a man for this suit?"
Editor’s Note: Daniel Day-Lewis is currently researching a role as a gangster in an upcoming Paramount Pictures movie.