Neeson and DDL seem to be competing for the number of real life people they can play. Day-Lewis has Kakfa, Christie Brown (My Left Foot) and Gerry Conlon (In the Name of the Father) under his belt and now Lincoln. Neeson has Michael Collins, Oskar Schindler and Alfred Kinsey.
Anthony Hopkins probably has them both beat: Nixon, Picasso, John Quincey Adams, C.S. Lewis, Ptolemy, Dr. Kellogg, Hitler, Captain Bligh, Frederick Treves, Charles Dickens, Richard the Lionheart, etc.
(Thank you, imdb!)