Daniel Day-Lewis Refuses Responsibility for Jeremy Strong
While Daniel Day-Lewis was temporarily absent from acting, much discussion arose about his career and style. Brian Cox, known for his criticism of Method acting, suggested that Day-Lewis’ intense dedication to Method acting contributed to his early retirement. Cox also expressed regret that his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong adopted Method techniques inspired by Day-Lewis, his former mentor and idol.
Day-Lewis Responds to Criticism
“Listen, I worked with Brian Cox once and got somehow drawn into this handbags-at-dawn conflict inadvertently. 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.”
Day-Lewis expressed surprise at the accusations:
“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 fuck that came from. Jeremy Strong is a very fine actor, I don’t know how he goes about things, but I don’t feel responsible in any way for that.”
Method Acting: Not a Cult
Day-Lewis has emphasized that Method acting is not a cult, and he has not encouraged followers like Strong to join it. He does not believe Method acting greatly influences his co-stars’ approaches.
Jeremy Strong confirmed this view: “It’s a very solitary thing.”
Summary
Daniel Day-Lewis dismisses any link between his Method acting and Jeremy Strong’s approach, denying influence and responsibility over his co-star's methods.