Daniel Day-Lewis Accuses Brian Cox of Creating a 'Conflict' About Method Acting: 'He's Been Given a Soapbox'

Daniel Day-Lewis Addresses Brian Cox's Comments on Method Acting

Daniel Day-Lewis expressed frustration over being pulled into a debate about Method acting initiated by Brian Cox. In an interview with the U.K.'s Big Issue, Day-Lewis, 68, shared that he was "inadvertently" involved in conversations about the popular acting technique.

The Origin of the Debate

The discussion started when Brian Cox, 79, mentioned in a 2023 Variety interview that his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong began 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 told Big Issue, 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.”

Past Collaboration and Influence

Day-Lewis and Cox appeared together in the 1997 film The Boxer. Cox previously remarked that Day-Lewis’ immersive acting approach contributed to his break from acting. He also suggested that Jeremy Strong, 46, absorbed this style while serving as Day-Lewis’ assistant.

“Of course, Jeremy was Dan Day-Lewis’ assistant. So he’s learned all that stuff from Dan,” Cox said.

Summary: Daniel Day-Lewis clarifies his position after Brian Cox sparked debate by linking Method acting’s influence on Jeremy Strong to his own work and hiatus, asserting he was unintentionally drawn into the conflict.

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People.com People.com — 2025-11-04

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