Daniel Day-Lewis Responds to Brian Cox’s Critique on Method Acting
Daniel Day-Lewis is setting the record straight regarding his involvement in a recent dispute between Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong about method acting. In a candid interview with the U.K.’s Big Issue, the acclaimed three-time Oscar winner expressed his surprise at being dragged into the debate surrounding this controversial acting technique.
The tension started when Brian Cox, during his time on the Emmy-winning series Succession, criticized Jeremy Strong’s intense approach to portraying Kendall Roy. Cox argued that Strong’s method could disrupt the ensemble dynamic, stating it "creates hostility" among cast members. He also implied that Day-Lewis had influenced Strong’s acting style during their collaborations on The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005) and Lincoln (2012).
Day-Lewis addressed the situation, saying, “I worked with Brian Cox once and inadvertently got drawn into this handbags-at-dawn conflict.” He acknowledged Cox’s talent, calling him "a very fine actor who’s done extraordinary work," but noted that Cox seems unwilling to reconsider his stance. "Any time he wants to talk about it, I’m easy to find,” he added.
The Oscar-winning actor further expressed his confusion about the claims made against him, stating, “If I thought during our work together I’d interfered with his working process, I’d be appalled. But I don’t think it was like that. So I don’t know where the hell that came from.” Day-Lewis praised Strong’s abilities, affirming, “He’s a very fine actor. I don’t know how he goes about things, but I don’t feel responsible in any way for that.”
Throughout his illustrious career, Day-Lewis has been known for his deep immersion into his roles. Despite some Hollywood criticism of this approach, he maintains that method acting "makes sense" to him. While attending the 69th BFI London Film Festival, he elaborated on his process, describing it as “a way of freeing yourself for spontaneity when you are working with your colleagues in front of the camera.”
Day-Lewis emphasized the importance of method acting, clarifying, “They focus on, ‘Oh, he lived in a jail cell for six months’ [for 1993’s In the Name of the Father]. Those are the least important details. In all the performing arts, people find their methods as a means to an end. It’s intended to create a living, breathing human being that colleagues can interact with. It’s very simple.”
He concluded by expressing his frustration over the misconceptions surrounding method acting, stating, “What the hell, you know? Because it’s invariably attached to the idea of some kind of lunacy.” Day-Lewis prefers to stay fully engaged in his roles rather than taking a more superficial approach, emphasizing, “I choose to stay and splash around, rather than jump in and out or play practical jokes between takes.”
In a world where the art of acting is often misunderstood, Day-Lewis’s commitment to his craft continues to spark conversation and debate.
