Hollywood Popular Artists

Aug 7th 2012, 18:21

The first official photo of Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's new movie has made its way online (via EW), and the resemblance is as uncanny as we knew it would be. It looks like Day-Lewis has once again dove into a role, this time giving the world an Honest Abe that looks like the honest-to-God real thing.

Day-Lewis isn't the first actor to slip into the famous chin strap beard and toss on a jaunty stovetop hat. The IMDb character page for Abraham Lincoln lists 300 appearances by the sixteenth president in movies, starting all the way back in 1911. But who wore the beard the best?

We score the cinematic Lincolns from 1 to 10 after the jump!

Daniel Day-Lewis in "Lincoln"

Day-Lewis looks more weathered/leathery than we've ever seen before and more like the prez because of it.
Score: 9

Benjamin Walker in "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

Walker plays Abe throughout his life and dons extensive prosthetics for the later years. The results are impressive at times, creepy at others, but overall kept us longing for Day-Lewis.
Score: 4 (Ha!)

Will Ferrell in "Drunk History"

It's Will Ferrell. Playing Abraham Lincoln. In an inebriated retelling of history. Nothing but the beard and the hat required.
Score: 2

Robert V. Barron in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure"

This portrayal of Lincoln is unique from any other because it explores the president's love of partying on, dudes.
Score: 7

Sam Waterston in "Gore Vidal's Lincoln" and "The Civil War"

For this miniseries, "Law & Order"'s Jack McCoy basically looked like Sam Waterston with a partially grown Lincoln beard and some new hair gel. Extra points for sweet coif.
Score: 3

Gregory Peck in "The Blue and The Gray"

Peck's take on Lincoln brings the importance of eyebrows to the foreground of the discussion. It's all about the eyebrows.
Score: 8

Hal Holbrook in "North and South" and "Lincoln"

It's hard to fault Holbrook with looking too nice to play Lincoln, but the actor's naturally genial face doesn't really match up with the actual man's serious expression.
Score: 6

Henry Fonda in "Young Mr. Lincoln"

Fonda has the distinction of playing a pre-beard younger Lincoln, so the resemblance doesn't matter quite as much, but it's hard to see anything else but Fonda.
Score: 5

Walter Huston in "Abraham Lincoln"

While not as natural as Day-Lewis' Lincoln, Huston comes just as eerily close to resembling the man himself.
Score: 9

Who is your favorite on-screen Lincoln? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Media files:
Lincoln-Huston.jpg (image/jpeg)
Lincoln-Fonda.jpg (image/jpeg)
Lincoln-Holbrook.jpg (image/jpeg)
Lincoln-Peck.jpg (image/jpeg)
Lincoln-Waterston.jpg (image/jpeg)
Lincoln-Bill-and-Ted.jpg (image/jpeg)
Lincoln-Ferrell.jpg (image/jpeg)
Lincoln-Walker.jpg (image/jpeg)
Lincoln-Day-Lewis.jpg (image/jpeg)
Lincoln-Banner.jpg (image/jpeg)
Lincoln-Banner-70x53.jpg (image/jpeg)