The 'Lincoln' star, who has two children - Ronan, 14, and Cashel, 10 - with wife Rebecca Miller, has revealed his kids were clueless about their father's occupation as an Oscar-winning actor until recently.

"They didn't even know what I was doing until a couple of years ago.

"In fact, my 14-year-old boy was asked what I did and he said, 'I think he's in construction'. That's how much they know!", he said to the Daily Mirror newspaper.

The 55-year-old star also admits he has an "old fashioned" parenting style, sharing the same values as his own mother and father before him.

"I think I'm quite old fashioned. My parents believed in certain things, which I do too, and I want my children to also. But there's no guarantee they will."

Daniel - who is being tipped to win his third Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal as American president Abraham Lincoln - stayed in character throughout the entire film shoot and grew to love the historical figure, but said that one downside to the role was having to wear make-up.

"I was in complete denial. It hadn't occurred to me I was going to need any make-up, so it came as a bit of a shock. I've tried to avoid using make-up over the years.

"I spent probably an hour and a half in the make-up chair every morning."