Barack Obama obviously loves pop culture, as evidenced by his public playlists and involvement with Netflix. He even wanted to visit the set of the presidential biopic “Lincoln” during his own first term, but was actually barred from doing so by director Steven Spielberg and his lead actor Daniel Day-Lewis, who portrayed Abraham Lincoln in the 2012 film.
While filming “Lincoln,” Spielberg was committed to immersing the entire cast and crew in the world of the film. Throughout the shoot, Spielberg addressed each actor by the name of their character. Per Spielberg, the cast was only to address Day-Lewis as “Mr. President” or “Mr. Lincoln.” For his part, Day-Lewis never broke character on-set. He walked like Lincoln, talked like Lincoln, and even texted like Lincoln, remaining completely in-character in his text message exchanges with co-star Sally Field, who played Mary Todd Lincoln in the film.
However, this process complicated things when Obama offered to stop by the set of “Lincoln.” When Spielberg discussed this prospect with Day-Lewis, he was careful not to say anything that would cause the actor to break character. In an interview for The A.V. Club, “Lincoln” star Tim Blake Nelson recalled the director telling Day-Lewis, “Mr. President, the current occupant of your office would really like to come and watch the proceedings as we try to get this amendment passed.” Day-Lewis would have none of it, though. He reportedly said, “I don’t think that would be a good idea if we allowed that. It might just be a distraction, skipper.” Spielberg respected his wishes, because you simply do not argue with President Lincoln.
One actor broke Spielberg’s rules on the set of Lincoln
Steven Spielberg went through great lengths to make sure the entire crew maintained the illusion of authenticity on the set of “Lincoln.” To create a period-appropriate atmosphere, Spielberg insisted none of the cast or crew members bring cell phones to work. As well, he forbade the cast from wearing shorts or sneakers. Spielberg explained to Deadline, “It just has to do with authenticity and having the actors come to work in the morning and feel like they were stepping back into time.”
However, one actor accidentally broke the spell Spielberg was trying to create. As Tim Blake Nelson recalled to The A.V. Club, when Hal Holbrook met Daniel Day-Lewis for the first time, he said, “Daniel, it’s great to be working with you. I’m a big fan.” He did not yet know that Day-Lewis would only answer to “Mr. Lincoln.” Spielberg quickly stepped in to do damage control, pointedly reminding Holbrook that he was speaking with the President of the United States. At last, Holbrook finally seemed to catch on. “Okay, I understand, sir,” he said, “I understand.” Yet he couldn’t resist slipping in one last bit of praise for the veteran actor. Holbrook reportedly added, “But you were f***ing great in that wheelchair movie.”
In retrospect, perhaps it was for the best that Obama didn’t drop by. If experienced actors like Hal Holbrook could cause a bit of a tizzy just meeting Daniel Day-Lewis, then it’s safe to say that a visiting president would have caused even more of a distraction.