Although filmmaking is a collaborative art, it is not a given that all participants play nice. Something similar happened when actor Brian Cox criticized Daniel Day-Lewis’ use of method acting. Now, the Lincoln star has responded to Cox’s comments, and it’s safe to say Day-Lewis won’t act this time.
It all started when Cox repeatedly kept bringing up Succession star Jeremy Strong’s method acting. He appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers and said that Day-Lewis influenced Strong’s acting, and now this intense way of doing the job could wear him out quickly.
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“The thing about Jeremy’s style is that it works in terms of what comes out at the other end,” he said. “My problem is — and it’s not a problem; I don’t have a problem with Jeremy because he’s cheerful. But he’s obsessed with work. And I worry about what that does to him, because if you can’t separate yourself, because you’re dealing with all this material every day. You can’t live in it. And eventually, you become burned out. Like, I, Daniel Day-Lewis, was burned out at 55 and decided to retire because he couldn’t keep doing it every day.”
Speaking to the UK’s Big Issue, Daniel Day-Lewis expressed his displeasure at being drawn into the method acting controversy and said: “Brian is a very good actor who has done extraordinary work. As a result, he’s been given a platform, and he shows no sign of stepping down from it. Anytime he wants to talk about it, I’m easy to find. If while we’re working together I think I’ve interfered in his work process, I’ll feel terrible. But I don’t think that’s the case, so I don’t know where the fucker came from.”
Day-Lewis even expressed his appreciation for Jeremy Strong’s performance and said, “He’s a very good actor. I don’t know how he handles this stuff, but I don’t feel responsible for any of it.”
During a separate conversation with The Guardian, Brian Cox expressed his appreciation for Strong’s skill as an actor but said he needed to leave the character when the cameras were not rolling. “He would be a better actor if he got rid of that, so there would be more inclusiveness in what he did. Well, it’s not good for the group. It creates animosity. That’s the problem,” Cox said.
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Daniel Day-Lewis was last seen in Anemone, which marked his son’s directorial debut and return to the screen.
(Tags for translation) Daniel Day-Lewis
