Day-Lewis admits being a "savage"

Daniel Day-Lewis has admitted that he was a "savage" in his early days.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow night's Oscars ceremony, the Best Actor nominee revealed that he only settled down after deciding to launch a career in front of the camera.

"I was a savage for so many years of my life. There was some seed of determination in me that I was not conscious of," Daniel told The Sun. "I was mostly consciously getting into trouble and drunk.

"And I saw the efforts that others had to make to get me out of it. At a certain age it just became apparent to me that this was probably the work that I would have to do."

Day-Lewis confessed that his parents sent him to public school to stop him from behaving so badly.

"I was surrounded by very understanding people at a liberal arts school where I spent the last few years of high school," he explained. "So they kind of helped me to see things a little differently."

Daniel received the Oscar nomination for his portrayal of US oilman Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood.