Daniel Day-Lewis takes no responsibility for Jeremy Strong

Daniel Day-Lewis Rejects Responsibility for Jeremy Strong

While Daniel Day-Lewis was temporarily inactive, much discussion arose about his approach to acting. Brian Cox, known for his criticism of Method acting, speculated that Day-Lewis’ deep commitment to Method acting caused his burnout and early retirement. Cox also expressed concern that his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong patterned his Method approach after Day-Lewis, whom he once admired.

Day-Lewis, however, distances himself from these claims. Speaking to Big Issue magazine, he said:

“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 added, “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 has previously emphasized that Method acting is not a cult requiring disciples like Strong, nor does he believe it heavily influences his colleagues. Strong concurs, describing Method acting as “a very solitary thing.”

Summary

Daniel Day-Lewis firmly rejects any responsibility for Jeremy Strong's acting methods and disputes claims linking his career decisions to Method acting burnout.

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AV Club AV Club — 2025-11-04

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