Daniel Day-Lewis Responds to Brian Cox's Comments on Method Acting
Daniel Day-Lewis rejects Brian Cox's assertion that Jeremy Strong's "annoying" Method acting style stems from Day-Lewis himself. Day-Lewis recently spoke to the U.K.’s Big Issue about being unwillingly pulled into the debate over Method acting due to Cox's remarks.
Brian Cox's Criticism of Method Acting
Brian Cox has criticized Method acting in several interviews, often pointing to his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong as an example of the approach he finds frustrating. Cox suggested that Day-Lewis stopped acting at age 55 because of Method acting burnout, stating that Day-Lewis “couldn’t go on doing that every day.”
“Listen, I worked with Brian Cox once and got somehow drawn into this handbags-at-dawn conflict inadvertently,” Day-Lewis told Big Issue (via The Telegraph).
“Brian is a very fine actor who’s done extraordinary work. As a result, he’s been given a soapbox… which he shows no sign of climbing down from. Any time he wants to talk about it, I’m easy to find.”
Disputing the Connection to Jeremy Strong
In a Variety interview, Cox implied that Strong’s Method acting might have been influenced by Day-Lewis, noting, “Jeremy was Day-Lewis’ assistant. So he’s learned all that stuff from Dan.” Day-Lewis firmly disagreed with this idea.
“If I thought during our work together I’d interfered with his working process, I’d be appalled,” Day-Lewis said. “But I don’t think it was like that. So I don’t know where the fuck that came from.”
Day-Lewis seeks to distance himself from any responsibility for Strong’s on-set behavior or Cox’s criticisms.
Author’s Summary
Daniel Day-Lewis firmly denies Brian Cox's claim linking him to Jeremy Strong's Method acting, emphasizing he feels no responsibility for Strong’s approach or Cox’s criticisms.