Daniel Day-Lewis Takes No Responsibility for Jeremy Strong
During his hiatus from acting, Daniel Day-Lewis became the subject of numerous discussions about his Method approach. Brian Cox, known for his criticism of Method acting, speculated that Day-Lewis' deep immersion in roles may have led to his early retirement. Cox also suggested that his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong followed Day-Lewis’ example in taking Method acting too seriously.
Day-Lewis, however, dismissed this debate entirely, distancing himself from both Cox’s remarks and the controversy surrounding Strong.
“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,” Day-Lewis told Big Issue magazine.
“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 reaffirmed that Method acting is not a cult or system he expects others to emulate. He emphasized that his technique is personal and does not influence his co-stars. Jeremy Strong has also noted that his process is highly individual, calling it "a very solitary thing."
Author’s Summary
Daniel Day-Lewis firmly rejects any responsibility for Jeremy Strong’s Method habits and brushes off Brian Cox’s critique as misplaced drama.