Daniel Day-Lewis has expressed his surprise at finding himself unintentionally involved in a public spat with Brian Cox. This follows Cox’s criticism of Day-Lewis’s preferred acting approach, dismissing it as “American nonsense.”
Day-Lewis has made a return to cinema with “Anemone,” an independent film both penned and directed by his son, Ronan. This marks his comeback to the screen after an eight-year hiatus following his second retirement announcement.
The actor’s commitment to Method acting—a rigorous technique that involves immersing oneself in a character’s motivations and emotions—was criticized by Cox in a 2023 Variety interview.
Cox argued that this intense approach, also popular among esteemed actors like Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, and Christian Bale, had a negative impact on Jeremy Strong during their time on the acclaimed HBO series “Succession.”
Reflecting on this unexpected conflict, the 68-year-old Day-Lewis told the Big Issue: “I worked with Brian Cox once and somehow found myself caught in this unnecessary dispute.”
He continued, “Brian is a very talented actor with an impressive body of work. This success has given him a platform, which he seems to enjoy using to express his opinions.”
Daniel Day-Lewis (left) has expressed bemusement at being drawn into a disagreement with Brian Cox (right) after the Scottish actor dismissed his favoured acting style as ‘American s**t’
Cox blamed the rigorous Method acting process for affecting Jeremy Strong while they worked together on hit HBO drama Succession (pictured)
‘Any time he wants to talk about it, I’m easy to find.’
Cox previously starred with Day-Lewis in 1997 film The Boxer, during which a then-unknown Strong served as the Irish actor’s assistant.
But Day-Lewis insists he has no idea how Strong, best known for his portrayal of ruthless businessman Kendall Roy in Succession, prepares for any given role.
‘If I thought during our work together I’d interfered with his working process, I’d be appalled,’ he said.
‘But I don’t think it was like that. So I don’t know where the f**k 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.’
The Irish star also dismissed previous claims that his 2017 retirement was prompted by the self-imposed pressures of Method acting.
‘I can’t think of a single commentator who’s gobbed off about the method that has any understanding of how it works and the intention behind it,’ he said.
‘In all the performing arts, people find their methods as a means to an end. It’s with the intention of freeing yourself so you present your colleagues with a living, breathing human being they can interact with. It’s very simple.
Day-Lewis has returned to the big screen Anemone, an independent feature both written and directed by his son Ronan, some eight years after announcing his second retirement
Cox previously starred with Day-Lewis in 1997 film The Boxer (pictured), during which a then-unknown Strong served as the Irish actor’s assistant
‘So it p***es me off this whole “oh, he went full method” thing. What the f**k, you know? Because it’s invariably attached to the idea of some kind of lunacy.’
But Cox, who initially dismissed Method acting in his 2021 memoir Putting The Rabbit In The Hat, believes his Succession co-star’s association with Day-Lewis served as the catalyst for his use of Method acting, a technique derived from legendary Russian and Soviet actor and director Konstantin Stanislavski’s approach to characterisation.
‘It’s really a cultural clash,’ he told Variety in 2023. ‘I don’t put up with all that American s**t. I’m sorry. All that sort of “I think, therefore I feel.” Just do the job. Don’t identify.’
He added: ‘Of course, Jeremy was Dan Day-Lewis’ assistant. So he’s learned all that stuff from Dan.’
Cox believes his Succession co-star’s association with Day-Lewis served as the catalyst for his use of Method acting
