Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore star Mads Mikkelsen gave his honest thoughts about method acting.

Method acting is a range of training and rehearsal techniques for actors and actresses to use in which they would identify with, understand, and experience a character’s inner motivations and emotions. This was built from Stanislavski’s System, and has been showcased in cinema through iconic actors such as Marlon Brando, and for comic book movie fans, most notably through numerous actors that have played The Joker, including Heath Ledger, Jared Leto, and Joaquin Phoenix. Although some praise the approach for bringing in quality performances, some have criticized it as an excuse for actors and actresses to misbehave. And Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore star Mads Mikkelsen isn’t a fan.

In an interview with GQ to promote Fantastic Beasts, Mads Mikkelsen did not mince any words about his opinion on method acting:

“It’s bullshit… But preparation, you can take into insanity. What if it’s a shit 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?”

Mads Mikkelsen’s comments are interesting given stories regarding certain actors taking method acting a bit too far. Jared Leto’s approach in playing The Joker in 2016’s Suicide Squad was heavily criticized, and the documentary Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond showcased the levels in which Jim Carrey went to stay in character for his performance in Man on the Moon. Either way, method acting will remain a heavily-debated subject when it comes to the art of acting.

Here is the synopsis for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore:

Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?

Directed by David Yates from a screenplay written by J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves, the film stars Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, Katherine Waterston, and Mads Mikkelsen.

The new film will hit theaters on April 15, 2022. Stay tuned for all the latest news surrounding the upcoming film and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.

Source: GQ