OLD MAN FIGHT! Daniel Day-Lewis Has Fired Back At Brian Cox
Speaking to this week’s Big Issue, out today (Monday 3 November), Day-Lewis said he was surprised to be drawn into the method acting spat between Cox and Jeremy Strong, who earned his on-screen father’s irritation after using the technique when they worked together on multi-Emmy-winning drama Succession.
“Listen, I worked with Brian Cox once and got somehow drawn into this handbags-at-dawn conflict inadvertently,” Day-Lewis tells the Big Issue. “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.
“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. 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.”
ICYMI from Variety
Just do the job,” Cox continues. “Don’t identify.” He points to the case of estimable Method actor Daniel Day-Lewis, with whom he worked on the 1997 film “The Boxer,” and blames those immersive techniques for Day-Lewis’ early retirement. “He retired at the age of 55, and I’m going, ‘That’s when the roles become really interesting. You’ve retired just at the point when actually the roles get better!’” Cox exclaims. “Of course, Jeremy was Dan Day-Lewis’ assistant. So he’s learned all that stuff from Dan.”
As much as I love Brian Cox firing off at everybody in his old age, I agree with DDL.
"Method Acting" is sort of broad stroke, right? All actors have their own process and, to me, it all comes down to whether or not the performance is good. Jared Leto sending condoms and pig guts to his cast-mates to get into character for Joker was weird and lame. But if Suicide Squad was good and his performance was awesome? Nobody would care. So, with DDL, whatever weird shit he wants to do obviously works so why does anyone care.
As far as DDL influencing Jeremy Strong? I can absolutely see that.
He definitely chases the weird roles, considers himself a high-artists and loves getting to do a goofy voice and inhabit a weird character. That's early DDL stuff for sure. Again, its all about the results. I like most Jeremy Strong performances so what do I care how he gets there.