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 Refutes Brian Cox’s Method Acting Remarks

Daniel Day-Lewis has denied Brian Cox’s claim that Jeremy Strong’s approach to Method acting stems from him. In an interview with the U.K.’s Big Issue, Day-Lewis addressed being pulled into what he described as an “unwanted debate” about Method acting following Cox’s repeated criticisms of the technique.

“Listen, I worked with Brian Cox once and got somehow drawn into this handbags-at-dawn conflict inadvertently,” Day-Lewis said. “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.”

Brian Cox has been outspoken against Method acting for years, regularly pointing to his “Succession” co-star Jeremy Strong as an example of how the craft can be “fucking annoying.” Cox previously suggested that Day-Lewis retired from acting at 55 because of the exhaustion that comes with such dedication, saying he “couldn’t go on doing that every day.”

In a separate interview with Variety, Cox speculated that Strong’s process was influenced by Day-Lewis, claiming, “Jeremy was Day-Lewis’ assistant. So he’s learned all that stuff from Dan.”

“If I thought during our work together I’d interfered with his working process, I’d be appalled,” Day-Lewis said. “But I don’t think it was like that. So I don’t know where the fuck that came from.”

Author’s Summary

Daniel Day-Lewis rebuts Brian Cox’s assertion that he shaped Jeremy Strong’s Method acting, clarifying he never influenced Strong’s creative process nor sought the ongoing debate.

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Variety Variety — 2025-11-04

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