Daniel Day-Lewis Accuses Brian Cox of Creating a 'Conflict' About Method Acting: 'He's Been Given a Soapbox'

Daniel Day-Lewis Addresses Brian Cox's Comments on Method Acting

Daniel Day-Lewis expressed that Brian Cox involved him in an unintended debate over Method acting. In an interview with the U.K.'s Big Issue, Day-Lewis, 68, explained that he was "inadvertently" drawn into discussions about the popular acting technique.

Origin of the Debate

The conversation started when Brian Cox, 79, mentioned in a 2023 Variety interview that his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong began exploring Method acting after spending time with Day-Lewis.

Day-Lewis Responds

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

Background and Context

Day-Lewis and Cox collaborated on the 1997 film The Boxer.
Cox previously suggested that Day-Lewis' intense Method acting contributed to his break from acting.
Cox also remarked that Jeremy Strong, 46, learned the Method acting approach from Day-Lewis during his time as his assistant.

“Of course, Jeremy was Dan Day-Lewis’ assistant. So he’s learned all that stuff from Dan,” Cox commented.

Author's summary: Daniel Day-Lewis clarifies he was unintentionally drawn into a public discussion about Method acting after Brian Cox's remarks connected him to Jeremy Strong’s approach.

People.com — 2025-11-04

Daniel Day-Lewis Addresses Brian Cox's Comments on Method Acting

Origin of the Debate

Day-Lewis Responds

Background and Context

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