Daniel Day-Lewis Claps Back at Brian Cox's Criticism of His Method Acting: 'I Don't Know Where the F--k That Came From'

Daniel Day-Lewis Responds to Brian Cox's Criticism of Method Acting

Daniel Day-Lewis addressed Brian Cox's critical remarks about method acting after being unintentionally involved in the debate. Speaking to Big Issue, the three-time Oscar winner expressed surprise at Cox's direct comments on the acting 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.”

He added that if he had interfered with Cox’s work in their collaboration, he would be shocked, but he doesn’t believe that was the case. Day-Lewis continued,

“So I don’t know where the f–k 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.”

Background on Brian Cox's Criticism

Cox first criticized method acting in 2021 while discussing his co-star Jeremy Strong's portrayal of Kendall Roy in the HBO series "Succession." He attributed Strong’s performance style to Day-Lewis’ famous method acting approach, calling it a distinctly “American disease.”

“He’s a very good actor,” Cox told the magazine in 2023. “And the rest of the ensemble is all OK with this.”

Summary

Brian Cox’s public disapproval of method acting sparked a rare direct response from Daniel Day-Lewis, who denied any interference in Cox's work and distanced himself from the controversy.

Author's summary: Daniel Day-Lewis firmly rejected Brian Cox's criticism of method acting, clarifying his non-involvement in the dispute and defending fellow actor Jeremy Strong.

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TheWrap TheWrap — 2025-11-04

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