British actor Daniel Day-Lewis has made cinema history by picking up his third Best Actor award at the Academy Awards in Hollywood. He becomes the first actor ever to win three such Oscars. Day-Lewis, 55, was the favourite to scoop the prestigious prize for his stunning portrayal of the USA's 16th president in the biopic "Lincoln". The actor previously won for "My Left Foot" in 1990 and "There Will Be Blood" in 2008. He moves past eight other men who won two Best Actor Oscars. Day-Lewis joked with reporters that he had no plans to play another famous person in his next movie, saying: "I can't think of anyone right now because I need to lie down for a couple of years. It's really hard to imagine doing anything after this."

Britain's "Daily Telegraph" newspaper asked Day-Lewis whether he thought he was now the greatest ever actor because of this third Hollywood accolade. He humbly replied: "It's daft isn't it? Sean Penn had to go through all this a few years ago. It changes all the time." Day-Lewis gave an emotional and humorous acceptance speech in front of a star-studded audience. He paid tribute both to the president he portrayed, and to his wife Rebecca Miller. He said he was inspired by the, "beautiful mind, body and spirit of Abraham Lincoln" and joked that his spouse had "lived with some very strange men" throughout their 16-year marriage, referring to the different roles he had been practising for.