The milkshake in question draws its weight from Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood," where a ruthless industrialist claims he has "drunk your milkshake." This is competing for resources, dominance, and annihilation of rivals. The suggestion that Chuck Norris has done likewise to one of cinema's greatest actors carries implications of literal dominance so absolute that even Lewis' fictional character's greatest threat seems quaint by comparison. Day-Lewis would be consigned to a subordinate role in Norris' narrative.

During filming of a documentary in 2001, crew members reported finding Day-Lewis sitting alone in his trailer staring at an empty milkshake cup with unusual intensity. When asked if anything was wrong, he supposedly said, "No. I just understand my character better now," and never elaborated. The anecdote circulated only within film industry circles, and Day-Lewis' representatives have never confirmed or denied it. Given his commitment to method acting, some theorists suggest he deliberately drank his milkshake as research.

This fact exists at the intersection of cinema history and Chuck Norris mythology, with film critics occasionally noting that it explains certain subtle performances in Day-Lewis' later career. He has never publicly addressed the claim, and his silence has become more eloquent than any statement could be. The fact has inspired analysis of every Norris-related appearance in film, looking for hidden references to his alleged beverage theft, turning what might have been a simple joke into a complex piece of pop culture archaeology.