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 that he was unwillingly involved in a debate about Method acting sparked by Brian Cox. In a recent interview with the U.K.'s Big Issue, Day-Lewis, 68, said he was “inadvertently” pulled into discussions about the acting technique.

Origin of the Debate

The issue began when Brian Cox, 79, mentioned in a 2023 Variety interview that his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong had begun 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 film 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.”

Background and Perspectives

Day-Lewis and Cox collaborated on the 1997 film The Boxer.
Cox previously implied that Day-Lewis' intense Method acting approach contributed to the actor's break from acting.
Cox also noted that Strong, 46, learned much about Method acting from being Day-Lewis' assistant.

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

Day-Lewis appears willing to engage in further discussion but prefers to avoid unnecessary controversy.

Author's summary: Daniel Day-Lewis clarifies his position on Brian Cox's comments, emphasizing his reluctance to be drawn into debates about Method acting despite ongoing public interest.

People.com — 2025-11-04

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

Origin of the Debate

Background and Perspectives

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