To get into character as doctor-vampire Michael Morbius, Jared Leto went full Jared Leto on the set of Morbius, even when he had to pee. Was it worth it to hold up the production of a poorly-reviewed movie so you can limp to the bathroom with crutches because that’s what Morbius would do? Mads Mikkelsen (and most everyone else) would agree: no.
The Hannibal star, who replaced Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, was asked about method acting in an interview with British GQ. “It’s bullsh*t,” he said. “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?” (“Checking it out” is the funniest possible way to describe becoming a serial killer — especially coming from a guy who literally played Hannibal Lecter.)
Mikkelsen believes someone like three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day Lewis, arguably the most famous living method actor, is a “great” talent. That being said, if they ever starred in a movie together, he would be an agent of chaos. “I would have the time of my life, just breaking down the character constantly. ‘I’m having a cigarette? This is from 2020, it’s not from 1870 – can you live with it?’ It’s just pretentious,” he added.
Someone needs to make a movie starring Leto, DDL, and Mikkelsen — and then Werner Herzog needs to make a movie about the making of the movie starring Leto, DDL, and Mikkelsen. It would be an even better documentary than Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse.
(Via British GQ)