Mads Mikkelsen described the method acting as “*** bulls”.
The Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore star – who replaced Johnny Depp as Grindelwald in the film – insisted on the practice – which saw Lady Gaga, Jared Leto and Daniel Day-Lewis stay in character at all moment, even when the cameras are not rolling is “pretentious”.
He told GQ UK: “It’s *** bulls. But the preparation, you can take it crazy.
“What if it was a movie like *** – what do you think you achieved? Am I impressed that you didn’t drop the character?
“You should have dropped it from the start! How do you prepare for a serial killer? Are you going to spend two years checking it out?”
In a mocking tone, he quipped, “I’m smoking a cigarette? This is 2020, it’s not 1870 – can you live with it?”
Mikkelsen blamed film critics for praising method actors and suggested that practice doesn’t always equate to talent.
He added: “The media says, ‘Oh my god, he took it so seriously, so he must be fantastic; let’s give it a price”.
“So that’s the talk, and everybody knows it, and it becomes a thing.”
Mikkelsen – who has appeared in a number of blockbusters, including roles in the Star Wars and James Bond franchises, as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe – also insisted he would like to star with Day-Lewis and try to get him out of the area.
He joked: “I’ll have the time of my life [with him]constantly breaking down the character.
“Daniel Day-Lewis is a great actor. But [method acting has] has nothing to do with it.”
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