Daniel Day-Lewis takes no responsibility for Jeremy Strong
While Daniel Day-Lewis has stepped away from acting, discussions about his immersive Method approach persist. Actor Brian Cox, known for his skepticism toward Method acting, suggested that Day-Lewis’ intense dedication might have led him to retire early. Cox also lamented that his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong drew inspiration from Day-Lewis’ technique.
Day-Lewis, however, dismisses any connection to this debate. In an interview with Big Issue, he reflected on his history with Cox and responded bluntly to the speculation.
“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 said.
“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.”
Day-Lewis reiterated that Method acting is not a cult-like practice and that his methods were never meant to influence others. Jeremy Strong has also described his own process as independent and deeply personal.
“It’s a very solitary thing,” Strong said.
Author’s Summary
Daniel Day-Lewis rejects claims that he inspired Jeremy Strong’s Method acting style, emphasizing that each actor follows their own creative path.