The Emmy winner praised Strong’s performance while reiterating his issue with his onscreen son’s immersive style: “It creates hostility.”
So would this be tripling down? Quadrupling down? At any rate, Brian Cox is reiterating his criticism of Succession co-star Jeremy Strong‘s intense Method acting style in a new interview — though with a caveat.
At first, Cox told The Guardian that he thinks Strong’s Emmy-winning performance as Kendall Roy in the HBO drama was “wonderful” and said the actor was great to work with while the cameras were rolling: “He was wonderful to act with. I had no argument with Jeremy’s acting.”
But Strong’s immersion into his character, Cox said, made it difficult for himself and the rest of the cast.
“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,” the Logan Roy actor explained.
When asked if it’s difficult to work with a castmember who is “permanently in character,” Cox replied, “Well, it’s not good for the ensemble. It creates hostility. That’s the problem.”
Asked if he ever discussed the subject with his co-star, he answered, “No, not in the way I would like to have talked to him. But it’s a very emotive subject for people who follow the Strasberg line.”
In Cox’s new interview, the actor also admitted “I’ve upset a few people over the years … The problem is, I can be quite a loudmouth. Sometimes I have been fairly volatile, and I think, ‘Why the fuck did you say that?’”
Previously, he’s also criticized Johnny Depp (“overrated) and Steven Seagal, now adding, “But then they probably think they’re overrated as well. So, I’m not saying anything they don’t think anyway.”
Previously, Cox has been quoted as saying about Strong, “I don’t hold a lot of the American shit, having to have a religious experience every time you play a part. It’s crap.” He also said: “The thing about Jeremy’s approach is it works in terms of what comes out the other end. My problem — and, it’s not a problem, I don’t have a problem with Jeremy because he’s delightful. … He’s an extraordinary dad. He’s a pretty unique individual. But, he does get obsessed with the work. And I worry about what it does to him, because if you can’t separate yourself — because you’re dealing with all of this material every day. You can’t live in it. Eventually, you get worn out.”
For his part, Strong has said he took his Succession character “as seriously as I take my own life” and expressed some dismay about his co-star’s criticism. “I had a safe forum to share those things — and ultimately that experience was put in doubt,” Strong previously told The Hollywood Reporter. Still, added of his co-stars, “We’re a family in every sense of the word. But foundationally, there’s deep respect and even love.”
