Daniel Day-Lewis Accuses Brian Cox of Creating Conflict About Method Acting
Daniel Day-Lewis recently addressed what he called an unintended involvement in the ongoing debate over Method acting. In a conversation with the U.K.’s Big Issue, the 68-year-old actor said that Brian Cox had "inadvertently" drawn him into the topic through public remarks.
The discussion dates back to Cox’s 2023 interview with Variety, where the 79-year-old suggested that his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong began 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 while 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.”
Day-Lewis and Cox previously co-starred in the 1997 drama The Boxer. Cox has since remarked that Day-Lewis’s deep commitment to his craft might have inspired Strong’s own acting methods and possibly influenced Day-Lewis’s decision to take a break from acting.
“Of course, Jeremy was Dan Day-Lewis’ assistant. So he’s learned all that stuff from Dan,” Cox said at the time.
Author's Summary
Day-Lewis responded calmly yet firmly to Cox’s remarks, suggesting that while he respects Cox’s work, he wishes to avoid further media-fueled disputes over Method acting.