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 Denies Brian Cox's Claim Regarding Jeremy Strong

Daniel Day-Lewis addressed statements made by Brian Cox, who linked Jeremy Strong's Method acting style to Day-Lewis and described it as “annoying.” Day-Lewis refuted Cox's suggestion that he influenced Strong’s approach or that he feels responsible for Strong’s behavior on set.

Brian Cox’s Critique of Method Acting

Brian Cox has publicly criticized Method acting, often referencing his “Succession” co-star Jeremy Strong as an example of what he finds frustrating about the style. Cox also speculated that Day-Lewis retired from acting at 55 due to burnout from his Method acting approach, saying, “he couldn’t go on doing that every day.”

Day-Lewis Responds to the Debate

“Listen, I worked with Brian Cox once and got somehow drawn into this handbags-at-dawn conflict inadvertently,” Day-Lewis told the U.K.’s Big Issue (via The Telegraph). “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 Connection to Jeremy Strong

In a Variety interview, Cox suggested Strong learned his Method acting from Day-Lewis, as Strong was once Day-Lewis' assistant. However, Day-Lewis strongly 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.”

Summary

Daniel Day-Lewis firmly distances himself from Brian Cox’s criticism of Jeremy Strong, denying any responsibility for Strong’s Method acting style or on-set behavior.

Author’s summary: Daniel Day-Lewis rejects Brian Cox’s claims linking him to Jeremy Strong’s Method acting, emphasizing he holds no responsibility for Strong's performance approach.

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Variety Variety — 2025-11-04

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