DOCTOR STRANGE Star Mads Mikkelsen Gives His Candid Take On Method Acting: "It's Bulls*t"

DOCTOR STRANGE Star Mads Mikkelsen Gives His Candid Take On Method Acting: "It's Bulls*t"

Mads Mikkelsen, who can currently be seen as Grindelwald in the latest Fantastic Beasts movie, is not a big fan of method acting, and gave his blunt assessment of the style during an interview with GQ.

By MarkCassidy - Apr 09, 2022 09:04 AM EST
Filed Under: Doctor Strange

Quite a few actors take a method approach to their craft in order to fully immerse themselves in a role. It's certainly paid off for some (Daniel Day Lewis has three Oscars), but just as many feel it's an unnecessary, pretentious practice - especially when taken to extreme levels.

One actor who won't be "going method" anytime soon is Doctor Strange and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore star Mads Mikkelsen.

The Hannibal alum was asked how he approaches his roles during an interview with GQ, and although he does prepare for each part meticulously, he made his feelings on method acting very clear: "It's bullshit."

“But preparation, you can take into insanity,” he added. “What if it’s a shit 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?”

The method debate recently resurfaced after reports that Jared Leto refused to walk without his character's crutches while filming Morbius (a perfect example of what Mikkelsen is talking about!), and the actor is also said to have remained in Joker-mode during Suicide Squad's production, going so far as to send his cast-mates bizarre, somewhat inappropriate gifts.

At the end of the day, actors are going do whatever they feel they need to in order to achieve the best results, but whenever the method discussion comes up, we can't help but recall the now legendary Marathon Man exchange.

The story goes that Dustin Hoffman was about to film a scene in which his character hadn't slept in three days, and told costar Laurence Olivier that he'd stayed awake for 72 hours to prepare. “My dear boy,” came the reply, “why don't you try acting?”

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DipperPines
DipperPines - 4/9/2022, 9:22 AM
GirshwinDavies
GirshwinDavies - 4/9/2022, 10:24 AM
@DipperPines - hahaha
Stinkor1
Stinkor1 - 4/9/2022, 9:24 AM
Nerdman3000
Nerdman3000 - 4/9/2022, 9:28 AM
God, now I’m imagining based on his serial killer comment Jared Leto playing a serial killer and acting killing people as part of his ‘method acting’.
noahthegrand
noahthegrand - 4/9/2022, 9:31 AM
@Nerdman3000 - he does run an island cult
WruceBayne
WruceBayne - 4/9/2022, 10:00 AM
@Nerdman3000 - try watching The Little Things
mastakilla39
mastakilla39 - 4/9/2022, 12:38 PM
@Nerdman3000 - It depends, what you do is stalk people. Denzel Washington for The little things was stalking the cast and acting like a predator in secret to get into character. Method acting is just whatever "method" works.

You don't want Chris Pratt and Ryan Reynolds just playing themselves every film.
Cass
Cass - 4/9/2022, 9:28 AM
"You gonna spend two years checking it out?" Gotta love Mads
OmegaDaGrodd
OmegaDaGrodd - 4/9/2022, 9:30 AM
King
Gmoney84
Gmoney84 - 4/9/2022, 9:32 AM
Well…he’s not wrong.

Unless you’re Daniel Day Lewis. But I think he was more stay in character the whole time.
Pssst
Pssst - 4/9/2022, 10:59 AM
@Gmoney84 - I was just gonna say that. You can laugh at all the Jared Letos in the world but Daniel Day Lewis was on another level, and it worked for him. But it's mostly mediocre actors trying too hard nowadays.
KWilly
KWilly - 4/9/2022, 9:35 AM
Yeah, method acting a bit much sometimes. It's just fiction. Lol, best response I could give is a scene from Drake & Josh.

ClipClop
ClipClop - 4/9/2022, 9:36 AM
Everyone has their process, and as long as they're not abusive to the crew, to me it's fine. Too bad there are always those method actors that use "I'm in character" as an excuse to be assholes.
GameOn
GameOn - 4/9/2022, 9:50 AM
@ClipClop - It’s one thing to be “in character” all the time, but when you go to the lengths of using a wheelchair and pulling gross pranks on your costars because it’s in-character, you’re a shithead.
KanchaCheena
KanchaCheena - 4/9/2022, 9:38 AM
It doesn't matter how shitty the movie is, if you sign up for it, you don't drop character till you're done with the dvd commentary!
FinnishDude
FinnishDude - 4/9/2022, 10:30 AM
@KanchaCheena - Hah, a true master of their craft wouldn't drop the character until 50th anniversary reunion special.
comicfan100
comicfan100 - 4/9/2022, 9:40 AM
Meryl Streep and Viola Davis are some of the best actors of our time, and they don't have to result to crazy antics to nail a role. My problem with "method acting" is that you create a, let's be real, toxic environment for everyone else. I'm aware how grueling productions can be. Your ego shouldn't have to make everyone else's jobs harder.

Besides, every role Leto has "method acted" for haven't exactly been standout performances.
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 4/9/2022, 9:49 AM
@comicfan100 - I think a lot of people confuse staying in character while shooting with full-blown method acting. A lot of actors do the former, but some take extreme measures to prepare, like staying up for 3 bloody days to look tired.
kRAVENkIaw
kRAVENkIaw - 4/9/2022, 9:44 AM
He’s right.
Tonic24k
Tonic24k - 4/10/2022, 1:06 PM
@kRAVENkIaw - He’s right about one thing: it takes different methods to achieve an end goal. For some that’s method acting.

At the end of the day, acting is an art form. And every artist has their own unique techniques. With that said, there’s a huge difference between Leto and Daniel Day Lewis. So it’s not just one way or the other.
kRAVENkIaw
kRAVENkIaw - 4/10/2022, 3:25 PM
@Tonic24k -
Yeah, that’s true. Daniel Day Lewis is definitely one of those method actors that’s able to not go bat-shit crazy. Leto, on the other hand…
Also, tried liking your comment but accidentally disliked it. Sorry for that. I think I fixed it, though.
lordSTALE
lordSTALE - 4/9/2022, 9:48 AM
Method Acting:

It MAY be a part of the story of a great performance and movie

It WILL annoy the fug out of the crew and other cast members
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 4/9/2022, 9:59 AM
Jared Leto is a joke, but I think doing method acting is a choice, is not better (what Jared seems to think, and keeps claiming he does everytime he makes a movie) or worse than regular acting.

Anthony Hopkins didnt eat people before doing Silence, Al Pacino didnt order a hit on his brother before Godfather 2, Morgan Freeman wasnt in prison for 30 years before doing Shawshank, etc...

On the other hand, legends like Brando or DeNiro were method actors...
GhostDog
GhostDog - 4/9/2022, 10:26 AM
He spittin
SerKurtWagner
SerKurtWagner - 4/9/2022, 11:20 AM
Debates over method acting aside, I do take issue with Mads comments about acting in bad movies. The quality of a movie shouldn't affect the effort you put into your work. People like Christopher Lee and Nic Cage who give 110% no matter how bad the movie is deserve mad respect. Not everyone can afford to only take the best scripts, and you shouldn't phone it in just because everyone else is.
SpideyQuad
SpideyQuad - 4/9/2022, 11:38 AM
yeah, but there's a difference between a movie made poorly and say a B movie that you had to know never had a chance. oh, I love the quote at the end of the article… Classic
SpideyQuad
SpideyQuad - 4/9/2022, 11:39 AM
OMG I have just been processed!
dragon316
dragon316 - 4/9/2022, 12:44 PM
Can’t be that hard be killer be opposite what hero is and be crazy
Whaley87
Whaley87 - 4/9/2022, 12:59 PM
@dragon316 - Well, you come across as a total weirdo. Perhaps you can give tips?
BritishMonkey
BritishMonkey - 4/9/2022, 12:52 PM
I still like Pattinson's take where those who go method are always for asshole roles, never for nice guy roles. So really it is just an excuse to be an asshole and get away with it. Or try to.
Tonic24k
Tonic24k - 4/10/2022, 1:42 PM
@BritishMonkey - Method acting helps create a character whose demeanor is completely unnatural to the actor. Most of the time villains have some sort of trait that’s off kilter.
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