Daniel Day-Lewis claims he didn't know he could sing when he was approached to star in the eagerly anticipated new musical Nine.
The all-star cast of the picture - already an Oscar favourite having garnered five Golden Globe nods - sat down together on U.S. TV with Larry King last night.
The film - an interpretation of Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 - tells the tale of a burnt-out, middle-aged director named Guido (Daniel Day Lewis) who is stuck in the position of beginning production on a lavish new film without a script.
Director Rob Marshall said of all the cast, which includes Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Marion Cotillard and Fergie, two-time Oscarwinner Daniel Day-Lewis was the hardest to land.
'At the time when he found me, my wife had just finished making a film in the States and it wasn't a good moment for me,' Day-Lewis said.
The actor said he eventually succumbed to Chicago director Marshall once he heard the names of the actresses cast in the picture. 'It was these lovely ladies,' he said. 'And you can't resist him [Marshall] - he's irresistible.'
Day-Lewis said his biggest fear was that he would not be able to sing and despite not being asked to by the director, he insisted on auditioning for the part.
'I certainly didn't know,' Day-Lewis said of his singing ability. 'I don't think the director did either but he managed to convince me that he knew.'
