Daniel Day-Lewis Addresses Brian Cox's Comments on Method Acting
Daniel Day-Lewis expressed his feelings about being drawn into an unexpected debate about Method acting sparked by Brian Cox. In an interview with the U.K.'s Big Issue, Day-Lewis, 68, explained that he was "inadvertently" involved in discussions about the acting style.
Origins of the Debate
The discussion began when Brian Cox, 79, suggested during a 2023 interview with Variety that Jeremy Strong, Cox's Succession co-star, started exploring Method acting after spending time with Day-Lewis.
“Listen, I worked with Brian Cox once and got somehow drawn into this handbags-at-dawn conflict inadvertently,” Day-Lewis said while promoting his new movie Anemone. “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.”
Background on Collaboration and Influence
Day-Lewis and Cox previously worked together on the 1997 film The Boxer. Cox had mentioned that Day-Lewis' immersive approach to acting contributed to his break from acting and that this style influenced Jeremy Strong.
“Of course, Jeremy was Dan Day-Lewis’ assistant. So he’s learned all that stuff from Dan,” Cox said.
Author's summary: Daniel Day-Lewis clarifies his unintended involvement in a Method acting debate sparked by Brian Cox’s comments about Jeremy Strong’s acting approach.