‘The Algorithms Are Harsh Masters.’ Jeremy Strong on Taking a Risk With a New Film About Trump

As a fellow artist and admirer of those who dare to delve into the complexities of human nature, I find myself deeply inspired by the journey of Jesse Plemons. His transformative approach to acting, as evidenced in his portrayal of Roy Cohn, showcases not only his exceptional talent but also his unwavering commitment to authenticity and depth.

Jeremy Strong isn’t generally associated with having a great sense of humor. Instead, he often leans towards the color brown because it reminds him of monastic simplicity. Contrary to what his co-stars believed, he initially perceived the HBO series “Succession,” which catapulted him to fame, as a straightforward drama, not a comedy. During our Zoom chat in September (dressed in a brown shirt, unsurprisingly), he recited poetry and quoted Stella Adler, a key figure in Method acting. He characterized “Succession” as embodying the Emersonian idea that an institution is merely a shadow cast by a man.

When I propose that he could have cashed in on the show’s popularity by landing a lucrative role in a superhero film—something many in his circle have done—he gives a knowing chuckle. The idea of him, an actor who prides himself on immersing completely into a character by discarding his own identity, taking such an extreme route to play a spandex-clad hero is, without a doubt, amusing.

Originally brimming with ambition, he may now appear to have adopted the air of arrogance that was once levied against him. Instead of quickly dispensing rehearsed phrases in response to questions, he often pauses, leaning back in his chair and gazing upwards, reflecting on his responses more deeply. His hair has turned a shade of gray, giving off an impression of a contemplative academic rather than the clueless scion like Kendall Roy from ‘Succession’.

Following four glowing seasons and awards for his acting role, including a Best Actor Tony for Broadway’s “An Enemy of the People”, Strong found himself with numerous film offers. “A lot of finance-bro projects are being pitched to me,” he remarks. “You know, the offspring of an influential family.” Although some actors might embrace such roles, he declined them. Instead, this autumn, he is portraying a character who eclipses Donald Trump’s Republican Party – Roy Cohn. This can be likened to Emerson’s phrase, a man who outshines the institution.

Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice” depicts Donald Trump’s journey to prominence in New York during the 1970s and ’80s, under the guidance of Cohn. This gritty movie portrays Trump (played by Sebastian Stan) as an initially clumsy youngster, who learns to use aggression, misleading statements, and outright denials to climb the ladder of fame, under Cohn’s tutelage. For a significant part of the film, Strong adopts a fake tan and wears Speedos, barking commands at the apprehensive man who would later become the 45th President of the United States.

Although the film initially received favorable criticism at the Cannes Film Festival, no American theater studios were prepared to distribute it. Trump’s legal team issued a cease-and-desist order, and one of the movie’s major backers relinquished his share due to creative disagreements. According to Strong, “Everyone seemed scared of this film.” It contains a scene depicting Trump allegedly raping his then-wife Ivana (a claim since retracted) as well as another showing him undergoing cosmetic surgery. “It was disappointing to us all,” says Strong, “to see how unwilling Hollywood, supposedly the epitome of liberalism or courage, was to take risks.” In the summer, when it seemed likely that the film would be banned, this felt like a foreshadowing of something very ominous to me.

Following several months of uncertainty, “The Apprentice” has finally secured a distributor and is set to premiere in cinemas mere weeks prior to the U.S. presidential election. Strong breathes a sigh of relief as he worries that the entertainment industry no longer creates thought-provoking art. “I’m on the hunt for material that seems significant,” he explains. “It feels like the world is ablaze, and I’m not particularly drawn to content about folding laundry.

On set one day, Strong requested the costume department to track down a complete frog outfit for him. Coincidentally, Cohn – famed for prosecuting Julius and Ethel Rosenberg – was also an avid collector of frog-related items. Later in the day, Strong performed an entire dream sequence while wearing the frog suit, singing “I Am What I Am” from La Cage aux Folles to the future President as he lay in bed.

The comedy from 1978 has Freudian undertones: It follows the tale of two men who pretend to be heterosexual in order to win approval from the traditional parents of their son’s fiancée, concealing their true homosexuality. Cohn, a powerful Republican and a closeted gay man, denied being gay or HIV-positive until his death from AIDS. Placing Cohn beside Trump, known for his hypochondria, emphasizes the tension between them as Trump ascended in New York society while Cohn declined.

The scene was deleted, much to Strong’s disappointment, as they failed to secure the license for the song. “His legacy is marked by a stubborn refusal to acknowledge objective truth, his emotional reality, his homosexuality, and all the shame and self-loathing he endured,” Strong explains. “In the end, it seemed like destiny caught up with him: HIV and disbarment. I found myself feeling a sense of sympathy for him.” (Paraphrased from your text)

The movie’s insistence on humanizing its subjects has raised eyebrows on the left even as its subject matter has drawn scorn from the right. “I’ve heard that I might have made him too human. I don’t know what that means. We’re all human,” Strong says.

In my perspective, it’s a blessing to be an actor, as we have the opportunity to momentarily set aside our personal judgments and strive to comprehend even those individuals whom society might deem reprehensible. This notion that certain people don’t deserve empathy is precarious at best. As William Saroyan wisely said, “Detest evil and immorality, but not the wicked or the immoral themselves. Instead, understand them.

To gain insight into a person whom Strong considers one of the most malevolent individuals of the 20th century, he delved into interviews, scrutinized recordings, and sought to make sense of Cohn’s inconsistencies. “He was both terrifyingly monstrous and naively childlike, exuding joy yet unleashing cruelty without mercy,” he explains. “I am constantly seeking signs of potential change and redemption.

Strong underwent a significant bodily change, utilizing prosthetics and subjecting himself to a rapid weight loss that he acknowledges was risky. However, he swiftly diverts any conversation about his physical alterations, focusing instead on the deeper aspects. “You must push your body, your tool, to its limits to create something authentic. But all that seems superficial. The true essence lies within.” Strong refers to delving into Cohn’s mind as venturing into “the depths of darkness.

Cohn isn’t just known in fiction; he’s a significant character from the Pulitzer-winning play “Angels in America.” This work scrutinizes Cohn’s hypocrisy during the AIDS epidemic, and Al Pacino portrayed him brilliantly, earning an Emmy. Strong, who admires Pacino greatly, had a poster of him on his wall growing up, and he almost depleted Yale’s theater budget to create an award for Pacino to visit campus. Strong admitted that he hesitated taking on the role due to respect for Pacino’s portrayal and fear of being influenced by it. In Strong’s mind, Cohn wasn’t the actual person but rather Pacino’s representation. Strong also expressed his deep admiration for Pacino with a knowing smile.

Strong aspires to a type of acting career that doesn’t really exist anymore, the kind someone like his Lincoln co-star Daniel Day-Lewis and few others have been able to craft. Indeed, Strong is dismayed by the direction of Hollywood studios. He has spent three years working with the Danish filmmaker Tobias Lindholm trying to get a movie made about the mass tort brought by Sept. 11 first responders for health care. He sat with firefighters and EMTs during the research process, but no studio would make the film. “That’s something I feel absolutely crushed that people won’t get to see,” he says. He blames the industry’s fear of unique ideas. “The algorithms are harsh masters.”

Strong chooses every project with intention—films by Steven Spielberg (Lincoln), Adam McKay (The Big Short), and Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7) that dig into critical moments in history. He’s set to star in a limited series about the Boeing 737 Max crashes from the screenwriter of Argo. But he says his decision to take on two political projects in an election year was largely happenstance. In An Enemy of the People, he played a scientist whose warnings of ecological disaster are shouted down by self-interested townspeople, a parable for the politicization of climate change.

He acknowledges that the subjects he deals with can’t always be so heavy. “There are certain things,” he says, “that I wouldn’t want to handle anymore.” Being a father of three young children, he has grown more mindful about what he contributes to the world. Essentially, he wonders, “Am I contributing even the tiniest bit of positivity or light to the world?

For this purpose, he’s gearing up for portraying a character in a biographical film about Bruce Springsteen. Earlier to our conversation, Strong underwent what he terms as a spiritual journey at a Springsteen concert in Asbury Park, N.J., and also earlier this summer, on a field in Denmark, where his family owns a home. Dancing to Springsteen’s tunes amidst 70,000 Danish festival-goers seemed to mend his soul after it had been affected by the character of Cohn. However, as he reflects upon it, assuming the role of Cohn offered its peculiar pleasures. “Roy was actually a quite cheerful individual and had a rather uncomplicated connection with the terrible things he did,” he explains. “He carried them out without remorse or embarrassment. The truth is, it might be more challenging to observe someone like Roy Cohn than it was to be him.

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2024-10-08 19:06