Blog Posts by Meriah Doty

Day-Lewis, left, and Spielberg in early November (Photo: REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)It's now pretty well known that Daniel Day-Lewis didn't want to play the part of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln -- at first. It took several years, Liam Neeson bowing out, and a new script before Day-Lewis would even reconsider.

On Monday night, as Steven Spielberg presented Day-Lewis with an award for Best Actor at an annual New York Film Critics Circle dinner, the "Lincoln" director recited a letter the actor had written him, initially turning him down for the role. Reminiscent of a breakup letter Lincoln himself actually wrote, Day-Lewis set out to let Spielberg down gently, ending his note with "I send both my very best wishes and my sincere gratitude to you for having considered me."

Sally Field in Palm Springs on Saturday (Photo: John Shearer/Invision/AP Images)Sally Field has romanced the best of them onscreen — James Garner, Paul Newman, Burt Reynolds, Daniel Day-Lewis — but a pelican?

Field — whose weepy "Norma Rae" acceptance speech lives in Oscar history — scored another memorable one at the Palm Springs International Film Festival this past Saturday when she accepted the career achievement award. The Wrap dubbed her look back as a "killer speech," and the Los Angeles Times said she "brought down the house."