Jeremy Strong says he will not apologize for causing his co-stars to be “uncomfortable” with his method acting practices.
The “Social Awakening” star argued during an appearance on the “New Yorker Radio Hour” podcast on Friday that he was “just there to fully commit to presenting the material.”
“If some people think I’m taking this too seriously, or if it’s changing the molecules in the room in a disturbing way, I guess that’s not something I should apologize for,” he exclaimed.
“I believe it serves the material, and I think the directors I work with believe that too, and I personally think a lot of the reactions to it are of a personal nature.”
However, the 47-year-old actor clarified that this “never” happened. [his] We do not intend to interfere with someone else’s experience or someone else’s way of working.”
Strong concluded: “First of all, do no harm, right? But promise to completely destroy what you’ve done.”
The Emmy winner had previously received praise from her “Succession” co-star Brian Cox, who plays the patriarch Logan Roy, for the way he got into character.
In particular, Cox felt that Strong held onto her character, Kendall Roy, for too long after the camera stopped.
“Oh, it’s so frustrating. Don’t get me started on that,” the 80-year-old actor told Town & Country in February 2023 when asked about Strong’s method acting.
“He’s a very good actor, and the rest of the cast acknowledges that. But knowing a character and what the character does is only part of the skill.”
In a previous interview, Cox explained that his intense criticism of Strong came from a worrying place.
“I just worry about what he’s going to do to himself,” he admitted to The New Yorker in December 2021. “I worry about the crises he puts himself into to prepare for.”
When asked how he felt about Cox’s criticism, Strong made it clear that he was not offended and would not change his tune.
“Everyone has the right to their own feelings,” the “Apprentice” actor told GQ in February 2023. “I also think Brian Cox, for example, has earned the right to say whatever he wants. There was no need to address it or do damage control.”
“I have a lot of love for my brothers and my dad on the show,” he insisted. “It’s like a family in a sense, and I’m sure they would say this, you don’t always like the people you like. I always respect them.”
Strong’s most recent role is as Mark Zuckerberg in the upcoming film “Social Reckoning,” a legal thriller written, co-produced and directed by Aaron Sorkin and a standalone sequel to “The Social Network” (2010). It follows the 2021 Facebook leak by whistleblowers Frances Haugen and Jeff Horwitz.
During his appearance on the podcast, Strong explained that he prepared for this role by “learning everything about Zuckerberg, both intellectually and instinctively” and treated the process as a “research mission.”
“I don’t think about my posture, or how I hold my mouth, or my jawline. I don’t think about the voice. All of that has to become a second skin when you get to set — and you’re not in trouble,” she explained.
“Social Reckoning” is in theaters on October 9.