Jeremy Strong calls the ‘drama’ surrounding his controversial method acting style ‘just noise’

A 2021 profile depicting Strong as a particularly ‘serious’ actor saw mixed reactions from fans and fellow actors

Jeremy Strong has addressed the “drama” surrounding his commitment to method acting, calling it “just noise”.

In 2021, the Succession star was profiled for The New Yorker by journalist Michael Schulman.

Titled “On Succession, Jeremy Strong doesn’t get the joke”, Schulman’s feature characterised the 43-year-old as an intense actor, deeply committed to his craft, who takes every role he lands as “seriously as his own life”.

After it was published last December, it drew mixed reactions from fans and fellow actors, with Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, Aaron Sorkin, and others condemning the piece for painting a “distorted” picture of Strong.

Now, in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Emmy-winning actor has said, “It’s something I really just want to free myself from”.

“There’s a lot of mythologising about my process. But it’s very unremarkable and is really just about concentration,” he added.

“I’m just an actor trying to work hard and take risks,” Strong explained. “And the drama of all that I feel is just noise.”

Jeremy Strong (Getty Images for TIME)

The controversial article included quotes from his Succession co-stars, including Brian Cox, who said at the time: “The result that Jeremy gets is always pretty tremendous.”

“I just worry about what he does to himself. I worry about the crises he puts himself through in order to prepare.”

Responding to the profile’s content, Strong said he felt Schulman’s perspective “was valid”, adding: “I’m sure he felt that it was a well-balanced and objective forensic examination.

“I kind of want to put this whole thing to rest and just get on with the work.”