Daniel Day-Lewis Declines Responsibility for Jeremy Strong’s Acting Approach
During his period away from acting, many speculated about Daniel Day-Lewis’s deep dedication to Method acting. Among them was Brian Cox, who suggested that Day-Lewis’s intense process led to burnout and early retirement. Cox also noted that his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong had taken Method inspiration from Day-Lewis, his former mentor and cinematic idol.
Daniel Day-Lewis, however, dismissed these claims and distanced himself from the discussion.
“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,” he told Big Issue magazine.
The actor went on to clarify his stance regarding his influence on others.
“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 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 has long rejected the notion that Method acting is a doctrine or cult he expects others to follow. He views it as a personal technique rather than a movement influencing his co-stars.
Jeremy Strong once commented, “It’s a very solitary thing.”
Summary
Daniel Day-Lewis firmly separates himself from claims linking his Method acting influence to Jeremy Strong, emphasizing that acting methods are deeply individual choices.