Though Daniel Day-Lewis is up for all kinds of awards (and likely an Oscar) for his meticulous portrayal of America's 16th president, Stephen Spielberg spent a decade getting the method actor to accept the role. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Spielberg scrapped two versions of the script rejected by Day-Lewis, who finally settled on screenwriter Tony Kushner's version.
Both Day-Lewis and Spielberg attended Monday night's New York Film Critics Circle Awards dinner, where the famed director read the 55-year-old actor's thoughtful rejection letter to an earlier "Lincoln" draft: