- Legendary actor Daniel Day-Lewis expresses his disappointment with the modern interpretation of Method acting.
- He criticizes actors who use the technique as an excuse for “behaving like a lunatic.”
- The three-time Oscar winner stresses that acting should be about internal work, not external displays of self-punishment.
- The debate involves other prominent actors, with some like Jared Leto embracing the Method while others, like Brian Cox, are openly critical.
Day-Lewis Takes Aim at Modern Method Acting
Daniel Day-Lewis, one of the most revered actors of his generation, has broken his silence on the current state of Method acting, and he is not impressed. The three-time Academy Award winner admitted he’s “a little cross” with how the craft has been co-opted by a new generation of actors, often as a justification for disruptive behavior.
A Misunderstood Craft
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Day-Lewis, who famously developed his own immersive techniques for roles like My Left Foot, voiced his frustration. “I’m a little cross these days to hear all kinds of people gobbling off and saying things like ‘gone full Method,’ which I think is meant to imply that a person’s behaving like a lunatic in an extreme fashion,” he stated.
He argued that the public and even fellow actors misunderstand the core principles of the technique. “Everyone tends to focus on the less important details of the work, and those details always seem to involve some sort of self-flagellation or an experience that imposes upon oneself a severe discomfort or mental instability,” Day-Lewis explained. “But of course, in the life of an actor, it has to principally be about the internal work.”
Hollywood’s Divisive Technique
Since Day-Lewis announced his retirement in 2017, actors like Jared Leto, Jeremy Strong, and James Franco have become the faces of modern Method acting. Their immersive processes have drawn both praise and significant criticism. High-profile actors including Andrew Garfield, Chloë Sevigny, and Brian Cox have publicly condemned the use of the Method as an excuse for unprofessionalism and bad behavior on set, a sentiment Daniel Day-Lewis now powerfully echoes.
