Daniel Day-Lewis Accuses Brian Cox of Creating a 'Conflict' About Method Acting
Daniel Day-Lewis recently addressed comments made by Brian Cox about Method acting, saying he was unwillingly pulled into a debate he never sought. The actor spoke during an interview with the U.K.'s Big Issue while promoting his new film Anemone.
“Listen, I worked with Brian Cox once and got somehow drawn into this handbags-at-dawn conflict inadvertently,” said Day-Lewis. “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.”
Day-Lewis, 68, explained that he had been “inadvertently” pulled into conversations about Method acting, following Cox’s previous remarks about Jeremy Strong, who co-starred with Cox in Succession. Cox had claimed that Strong’s approach to acting was influenced by his time with Day-Lewis.
“Of course, Jeremy was Dan Day-Lewis’ assistant. So he’s learned all that stuff from Dan,” Cox said in a 2023 interview with Variety.
The two actors previously worked together on the 1997 film The Boxer. Cox had also implied that Day-Lewis’ intense method contributed to the three-time Oscar winner’s long break from acting.
Author’s Summary
Day-Lewis dismissed Brian Cox’s remarks on Method acting as an unnecessary public debate, while recognizing both Cox’s talent and persistence in voicing his opinions.