Several actors have weighed in on the recent debate over method acting, with Mads Mikkelsen, Will Poulter, and Samuel L. Jackson amongst those criticizing parts of the practice.
Method acting is a technique that performers employ to emotionally empathize with the characters they’re playing in an attempt to deliver a more authentic performance. The process often sees actors immerse themselves in their roles by staying in character, both on and off set, though the exercise can produce mixed results and not all actors agree with it.
Mads Mikkelsen, who stars as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, has learned plenty of new skills while preparing for the various roles he’s taken on throughout his career as an actor, but he recently told GQ UK that he would never extend that commitment to method acting because he thinks the practice is “pretentious.”
“It’s bulls***,” Mikkelsen said, sharing his aversion to method acting. “But preparation, you can take into insanity. What if it’s a s*** film — what do you think you achieved? Am I impressed that you didn’t drop character? You should have dropped it from the beginning! How do you prepare for a serial killer? You gonna spend two years checking it out?”
Mikkelsen then adopted a mocking tone, adding, “‘I’m having a cigarette? This is from 2020, it’s not from 1870 – can you live with it?'” The actor used this as an example of the issue that he sees with method acting, calling the process “pretentious” and blaming the media for commending a performance based on how seriously an actor has approached it.
These comments come shortly after Will Poulter shared his opinions on method acting. In a recent interview with The Independent, the actor acknowledged that the way in which an actor chooses to approach a role is entirely their choice, so long as it doesn’t impact the production in a negative way under the guise of staying in character.
“When it comes to an actor’s process, whatever that is, so long as it doesn’t infringe on other people’s and you’re being considerate, then fine,” he said. “But if your process creates an inhospitable environment, then to me you’ve lost sight of what’s important. Method acting shouldn’t be used as an excuse for inappropriate behaviour – and it definitely has.”
These remarks echo those of Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Pattinson, and Martin Freeman who have all previously offered up their thoughts on method acting. Jackson told Collider that ultimately the process of shooting scenes should be a positive experience for all involved, especially when filming difficult moments that carry extra emotional weight.
“Sometimes, when you’re working with people who invest like that, it doesn’t feel like they’re having a good time,” he said. “It’s a job of playing make-believe. You do it effectively and you do it in a way that’s not harmful to you because it’s a safe space. You’re supposed to be able to safely come into this space, work and give emotionally, and not be harmed by it.”
The Batman star Robert Pattinson once told Variety that he respects the practice of method acting, though he noted that “you only ever see people do method when they’re playing an a**hole.” Martin Freeman criticized the practice, citing Jim Carrey’s behavior working on the 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon as a particularly noteworthy culprit.
Despite these opinions, the method acting approach is still frequently adopted by actors. NME notes that Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst didn’t speak to each other on the set of The Power of the Dog in order to stay in character, while Vanity Fair says Lady Gaga spoke with an Italian accent for nine months to portray her character in House of Gucci.
Jared Leto is infamous for his wild method approach to acting, and that apparently didn’t change much while shooting Morbius. In fact, director Daniel Espinosa confirmed that Leto’s method acting process included using crutches to go to the bathroom, leading to delays between takes as he had bathroom breaks that could take up to 45 minutes.
Unfortunately for Espinosa and Leto, the actor’s commitment to the character of Michael Morbius didn’t exactly translate to a particularly well-received film. Morbius sits at 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the second worst-rated Marvel film behind the Fantastic Four reboot. IGN rated Morbius 5 out of 10, calling it “an origin story that lacks fangs and bite.”
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
