Daniel Day-Lewis Says Brian Cox Dragged Him Into Method Actor Debate, Denies Claim That He Taught Jeremy Strong: ‘I Don’t Feel Responsible in Any Way’ for How Strong Acts on Set

Daniel Day-Lewis Responds to Brian Cox's Method Acting Comments

Daniel Day-Lewis has denied Brian Cox's assertion that Jeremy Strong's reputation as an 'annoying' Method actor stems from Day-Lewis himself. Recently, Day-Lewis told the U.K.'s Big Issue that Cox has pulled him into an unwanted debate about Method acting.

Brian Cox’s Criticism of Method Acting

Over the past few years, Brian Cox has voiced criticism of Method acting, often mentioning his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong as an example of what he finds problematic about the style. Cox speculated that Day-Lewis stepped away from acting at age 55 due to burnout from Method acting, saying:

“[Day-Lewis] couldn’t go on doing that every day.”

Day-Lewis’s Response

Addressing the issue, Day-Lewis told Big Issue:

“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.”

Disputing the Link to Jeremy Strong

In a Variety interview, Cox suggested Jeremy Strong’s Method acting was influenced by Day-Lewis, calling Strong his assistant and saying, “He’s learned all that stuff from Dan.” Day-Lewis firmly rejected this notion:

“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.”

Author's Summary

Daniel Day-Lewis rejects Brian Cox’s claim that he influenced Jeremy Strong’s Method acting and expresses frustration over being drawn into Cox’s critiques.

more

Variety Variety — 2025-11-04

More News