Jeremy Strong has addressed the much-discussed and controversial New Yorker profile which prompted a debate about method acting. With the title ‘Jeremy Strong doesn’t get the joke,” the Succession actor came across as someone who takes acting extremely seriously. It included quotes such as; “To me, the stakes are life and death. I take him (Kendall Roy) as seriously as I take my own life.”
The profile also included quotes from Strong’s castmates and crewmembers who have worked with him. Executive Producer Adam McKay said; “he’s not playing [Succession] like it’s a comedy. He’s playing it like he’s Hamlet.” Brian Cox (Logan Roy) said; “I just worry about what he does to himself. I worry about the crises he puts himself through in order to prepare.”
In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Strong says that the New Yorker profile; “was something that, for me, felt like a pretty profound betrayal of trust” and that it “maybe ultimately said more about the person writing it and their perspective, which is a valid perspective, than it did about who I feel I am and what I’m about.”
Regarding the reactions afterwards, and the debates it prompted, Strong says; “It was painful. I felt foolish. As an actor, one of the most vital secret weapons that you can have is the ability to tolerate feeling foolish.”
“I’m always feeling like I might be making a big, giant fucking fool of myself. That’s part of the price of admission to doing good work, which involves risk…Acting is something that’s hard to talk about without sounding self-serious, but it is something that I feel very seriously about and care about and have devoted my life to.”
Strong will next be seen with Anne Hathaway and Anthony Hopkins in James Gray’s semi-autobiographical drama movie Armageddon Time. He is also filming season four of Succession.
While we wait for more Succession, check out our guide to the best drama series.