Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star Will Poulter is certainly no method actor. All too often, actors going method to prepare for their roles has made headlines with its media coverage, for better or for worse. Those who are known for it say that this helps them best get into the mindset of whoever it is they’re portraying. However, this can sometimes be to the detriment of the other cast and crew, especially if the method actor happens to be playing an unpleasant person.

In any case, Poulter recently shared his thoughts on method acting, which has recently been in the press once again, in part due to stories about Jared Leto doing it for Morbius. For his part, Poulter doesn’t necessarily mind when his fellow actors choose the method approach, if that’s what truly helps get the best performance out of them. When Poulter throws in a flag, however, is when it starts affecting others on the production in a negative way. Basically, Poulter is tired of seeing actors making life miserable for others only to fall back on the “excuse” that they’re just trying to stay in character. As he told the Independent:

“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. 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 behavior – and it definitely has.”

Poulter’s not naming names here, but there are some well-known examples of method actors upsetting their co-stars on certain films. Jim Carrey infamously stayed in character as Andy Kaufman throughout filming the biopic Man on the Moon, getting to the point where many others were finding it very difficult to work with him on the project. Jared Leto is another actor who’s famous for this method acting, at one point gifting his Suicide Squad co-stars with very strange items because he was playing the Joker.

Related: James Gunn Teases Adam Warlock’s Role in Guardians of the Galaxy 3

Will Poulter’s Opinion Is Shared by Mads Mikkelsen

Mads Mikkelsen, who can be seen in the upcoming film Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, is no fan of method acting either. He recently weighed in on the subject, and he is of the belief that it’s “just pretentious” to behave that way on a movie set. Here’s what Mikkelsen said about it in a new interview with British GQ.

“It’s bullsh*t. What if it’s a sh*t 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? … It’s just pretentious. … The media goes, ‘Oh my god, he took it so seriously, therefore he must be fantastic; let’s give him an award.’ Then that’s the talk, and everybody knows about it, and it becomes a thing.”

Clearly, Mikkelsen did not go method when channeling the Hannibal Lecter character for Hannibal, as he evidently prefers not to remain in the mindset of a serial killer once the director calls for a cut. Others will have their own opinions, of course, but many people agree with Mikkelsen and Poulter.

Read Next

About The Author