Jeremy Strong has responded to comments made by his Succession co-star Brian Cox, saying the veteran actor has “earned” the right to say what he likes.
Cox, 76, has previously shared concern over Strong’s method acting approach to his portrayal of Kendall Roy in the hit HBO series, which follows the dysfunctional Roy family as they fight over media empire Waystar RoyCo.
Speaking to GQ about the opinions of his Succession co-stars, which were shared in a 2021 New Yorker feature, 44-year-old Strong said: “Everyone’s entitled to have their feelings.
“I also think Brian Cox, for example, he’s earned the right to say whatever the f*** he wants. There was no need to address that or do damage control…
“I feel a lot of love for my siblings and my father on the show. And it’s like a family in the sense that, and I’m sure they would say this, too, you don’t always like the people that you love. I do always respect them.”
Strong went on to describe the New Yorker profile, in which he said he takes his character “as seriously as I take my own life” as “15 minutes of shame, with a long tail”.
Strong is known for using the process of method acting – a technique of portraying a character both on and off stage for the entire duration of filming or a production – and did so while playing Kendall, the Roy family’s troubled former golden-boy.
Explaining how hearing the opinions of his co-star’s affected him, Strong said: “If anything, I was worried – could it have harmed how I feel about doing what I do?
“And that kind of haunted me for a while.”
In a recent interview with Town & Country magazine, Cox commented on Strong’s method acting further, saying: “Oh, it’s f****** annoying… Don’t get me going on it.”
He added: “It’s not a big f****** religious experience.”
However Cox went on to share his admiration for Strong’s acting. He said: “Strong is talented. He’s f******* gifted. When you’ve got the gift, celebrate the gift.”
The full interview with Jeremy Strong is available in the March issue of British GQ, available via digital download and on newsstands from February 28.
