methodacting

Christian Bale’s intense approach during American Psycho left his co-stars unimpressed, with some calling him the worst actor they’d seen. Years later, his performance is hailed as iconic.

Jim Carrey’s extreme approach to playing Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon left director Miloš Forman exasperated, as Carrey’s commitment to character blurred the lines between performance and reality.

Sean Penn’s approach on the set of Casualties of War saw him urging fellow actors to dislike Michael J Fox’s character, as revealed by Stephen Baldwin. Despite this, Fox still looks back fondly on the film.

Who truly deserves the title of this generation’s greatest actor? Weighing up Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert Downey Jr, the answer isn’t as clear-cut as you might think.