Brian Cox expands on criticism of “method acting” by ‘Succession’ co-star Jeremy Strong: “He would be an even better actor if he just got rid of that”

Brian Cox has expanded on criticism of “method acting” by his Succession co-star Jeremy Strong, saying: “He would be an even better actor if he just got rid of that.”

It’s not the first time Cox has criticised his co-star’s use of method acting. Back in 2023, the actor described it as “fucking annoying” in an interview with Town and County. Cox said there’s no need to stay in character between takes, and that filming doesn’t have to be a “big fucking religious experience”.

Cox, who played family patriarch Logan Roy in the HBO comedy-drama, said his on-screen son Strong (who played Kendall Roy) is “gifted”, but that he won’t “lose” his talent if he stops method acting.

Now, in a new interview with The Guardian, Cox has once again criticised Strong’s use of the technique but praised him as a “wonderful” actor nonetheless.

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“He was wonderful to act with. I had no argument with Jeremy’s acting,” Cox said. “He would be an even better actor if he just got rid of that so there would be much more inclusiveness in what he did.”

He also went on to say that he thought when a cast member is in character all the time, “it’s not good for the ensemble. It creates hostility.”

He went on to admit that he never discussed it with Strong “in the way [he] would like to have talked to him”. He added: “it’s a very emotive subject for people who follow the Strasberg line.”

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Meanwhile, back in October, Strong told NME that he’s definitely on the cast for upcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere. You can watch it above.

Rumours first emerged in May that he was up for the part of Jon Landau, The Boss’s longtime manager, but were never officially confirmed by Strong’s team. Now he says he’s rubber-stamped the deal – and revealed his favourite Springsteen record to boot: 1982’s stark, introspective gem ‘Nebraska’.

“It just always spoke to me, there’s a melancholy to it,” he said. “I am doing [Deliver Me From Nowhere] but I’d always felt that way about that album. There’s a narrative to it that comes from a very deep place in him and you can feel that.”

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Strong also singled out Van Morrison’s acclaimed 1968 release ‘Astral Weeks’ as one he always goes back to. “It’s transportive and it’s pretty perfect,” he said.