Jeremy Strong‘s commitment to his characters has been well documented (most infamously in that 2021New Yorker profile that took aim at his Method acting tendencies), but he revealed something new during a recent W magazine interview: He picks out and lives in Kendall Roy’s clothes when he’s filming “Succession.”
“I don’t know if it’s a skill or secret, but fashion is a passion,” Strong said. “I pick out all the wardrobe for Kendall Roy, my character in‘Succession,’ and I live in those clothes when we’re shooting the show. The clothes maketh the man, and aesthetics are so personal.”
Living in Kendall’s clothes is just one way Strong gets into character and maintains it during production on HBO’s Emmy-winning “Succession.” Strong’s Method acting was chronicled in a New Yorker profile that was critical of his behavior. The actor, whose performance as Kendall has garnered him an Emmy, later told Vanity Fair the story felt like a “pretty profound betrayal of trust.”
“The noise and the fog after it: I think it’s something that, I guess, what I care about ultimately is trying to feel as free as possible as an actor,” Strong added. “Part of that is trying to insulate yourself from all of that, and what people might say about you or think about you. You have to free yourself from that. It was painful. I felt foolish. As an actor, one of the most vital secret weapons that you can have is the ability to tolerate feeling foolish.”
Many of Strong’s fellow actors came to his defense after the New Yorker took aim at his Method acting. Michelle Williams, a longtime friend of Strong’s, toldPvNew, “He takes his work as seriously as he takes his play.”
“I’ve known Jeremy Strong for 20 years and worked with him on two films,” Jessica Chastain wrote on Twitter at the time. “He’s a lovely person. Very inspiring and passionate about his work. The profile that came out on him was incredibly one sided. Don’t believe everything you read folks. Snark sells but maybe it’s time we move beyond it.”
“Succession” is set to return for a fourth season this year on HBO.
