Jeremy Strong explains his acting style after criticism from 'Succession' co-star Brian Cox

Jeremy Strong has responded to whether he treats acting as a religious experience as has been said about him. The actor, best known for his performance in HBO's ongoing satirical corporate-family drama series 'Succession', has earlier been accused of taking his job too seriously. Centring around a wealthy, powerful business family called the Roys, the show explores the quest of the family patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox) to find his successor. He looks at his children, which includes Strong's Kendall, finds no one worthy. The award-winning show, created by Jesse Armstrong, also features Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Matthew Macfadyen, Nicholas Braun, Alan Ruck Hiam Abbass, among others.

Strong was profiled by the New Yorker last year in a piece titled 'On “Succession,” Jeremy Strong Doesn't Get the Joke' that has proven to be controversial. The profile argued that he does not know the show is a comedy and treats it as a serious drama, and that he immerses himself too deeply in the character of Kendall that it may end up being harmful to him.

The profile quoted Cox as saying, “The result that Jeremy gets is always pretty tremendous. I just worry about what he does to himself. I worry about the crises he puts himself through in order to prepare. Actors are funny creatures. I’ve worked with intense actors before. It’s a particularly American disease, I think, this inability to separate yourself off while you’re doing the job.”

Cox reiterated his comments at a media interaction after the screening of his new film 'Prisoner's Daughter' at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this month. He said, "I don’t hold a lot of the American s***, having to have a religious experience every time you play a part. It’s crap."

Strong has revealed his thoughts. While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he said, "I think it is a sacramental activity expressing a faith, if that’s what a religion is. I feel wary of saying that because religion is religion and I don’t want to diminish what religion is. But for me, certainly. Theatreshave always been a place that feel kind of holy. And the communicative and healing power of film is completely profound and mysterious. So, yeah, I’m a devout devotee of that. Yeah.