Brian Cox reflects on Daniel Day-Lewis' method acting and how it affected their 1997 movie. Daniel Day-Lewis' method acting is well-known, with the actor fully immersing himself in the roles he plays. This approach has resulted in numerous performances that garnered critical acclaim, leading to six Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, and three wins. He first won Best Actor for his performance as Christy Brown in the 1989 movie My Left Foot, in which he plays a man born with cerebral palsy who is only able to move his left foot.

Day-Lewis' other Academy Award wins are for playing oilman Daniel Planview in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 movie There Will Be Blood and as Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's 2012 biopic Lincoln. His last movie, Phantom Thread, in which he reunited with Anderson and received an Academy Award nomination, marked the final role before his retirement. However, Day-Lewis is coming out of retirement for the movie Anemone, directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis.

Brian Cox Reveals The Impact Of Daniel Day-Lewis' Method Acting On The Boxer

Their Co-Stars Were Unsure Of How To Respond

Day-Lewis also employed method acting when portraying Danny Flynn in the 1997 movie The Boxer. The story follows Danny, an Irish boxer and ex-convict, after being released from prison. In what became one of Daniel Day-Lewis's best movies, he speaks in a Northern Irish accent and trained extensively as a boxer for the role. The Boxer's cast also includes Cox in the role of Joe Hamill and Dune: Prophecy's Emily Watson as Maggie.

The Boxer is directed by Jim Sheridan, who also directed My Left Foot.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cox discusses how Day-Lewis would not break character during The Boxer and continued to speak in a Northern Irish accent on set even when they were not filming. Cox shares how Watson was initially unsure of how to interact with Day-Lewis when they were offscreen because of this. He describes Day-Lewis' approach as "a little off-putting" and explains why he does not engage in method acting. Check out Cox's comments below:

Dan’s a very nice man, but his method of preparation is entirely different from mine. I don’t believe in getting that absorbed in a character because I believe it’s an ensemble art form, not an art form for one person. It was difficult for Emily Watson, because Dan would speak in the Northern Irish accent offscreen. She didn’t know if she had to respond in a Northern Irish accent offscreen. She said, “So how do I talk?” And I said, “Just be normal. This is Dan’s thing. Just be who you are.” That’s his method. It’s sometimes a little off-putting, but it’s different horses for different courses.

Our Take On Brian Cox's Comments

His Comments Are A Reminder Of Why Method Acting Is Not Ideal

Cox's comments are consistent with what he previously said about his former Succession co-star Jeremy Strong using method acting. Despite the acclaim that Day-Lewis, Strong, and some other method actors have received for their performances, it is not an approach that Cox has any interest in using. His distinction between "an ensemble art form" and "an art form for one person" does make a strong case against method acting, as movies are only possible through the work of the entire creative team. Nevertheless, method acting has defined Daniel Day-Lewis' career, and he will likely use this approach again in Anemone.

Source: THR