London: Sir Anthony Hopkins has taken a dig at “miserable grump” method actors like Daniel Day-Lewis, by asking the film crew not to refer to him by the name of the character he is playing in Alfred Hitchcock’s biopic.
Day-Lewis, 55, who is known as one of the most world’s best-known practitioner of method acting, had insisted throughout the filming of ‘Lincoln’ that the cast – and even Steven Spielberg, the director of the film – refer to him as “Mr President,” a leading daily has reported.
He urged other actors to remain in character and keep their accents in his presence, even after shooting had finished for the day.
However the 74-year-old actor made clear last week that he is no fan of such techniques, in comments that are widely seen as a thinly-veiled dig at his compatriot’s style of acting.
Asked for his thoughts on the ‘Lincoln’ cast being urged to stay in character at all times, he said bluntly that he had no desire to be addressed as “Mr Hitchcock” on set.
“I think that’s a lot of cr*p,” he told the Huffington Post website.
“I just don’t understand that. If actors want to do that, fine. If they want to be miserable, that’s up to them. I’m not interested. It’s a job.
“Who the hell wants to be with some miserable grump because he wants to get his performance right, so you have to call him this or call him that? It’s so boring. I’ve been with actors like that and... they’re unpleasant to work with and I don’t think they’re always that good either,” he added.
ANI
First Published: Sunday, November 25, 2012, 15:48
