Jeremy Strong has become known for deeply transformative performances, but his approach to acting has changed significantly over the course of his career.
The Emmy-winning Succession actor, who portrayed attorney Roy Cohn in The Apprentice, says he now relies less on writing extensive notes in his scripts and more on preparation, intuition, voice, and what he describes as “clearing” himself out before stepping into a character.
Speaking with NPR, Strong compared his job as an actor to becoming a vessel for whatever character he has been asked to play.
For actors building their own process, his comments offer an interesting lesson: preparation does not always mean adding more. Sometimes it means doing enough work beforehand that you can eventually stop thinking about the work entirely.
Jeremy Strong Says He Tries to “Clear” Himself Before a Role
Strong explained that he thinks of acting as temporarily moving his own identity out of the way.
“If I’m honest, I feel that my job is to almost be a sort of vessel,” Strong told NPR.
He connected that idea to a meditation concept known as anatta, which roughly refers to “no-self” or “not-self.”
Strong said the idea resonated with the state he often tries to reach creatively.
That does not mean forgetting who he is.
Instead, the goal appears to be reducing the instinct to impose his own personality on every character.
For transformational performances, Strong tries to understand how another person thinks, moves, speaks, reacts, and experiences the world.
Strong Compares Acting to Playing an Instrument
Strong also uses music as a way of understanding performance.
He described an actor as a musician who may be handed a different instrument and different piece of music for every project.
The actor’s responsibility is to learn how to play whatever role has been given to them.
That means one acting technique may not work for every character.
A quiet family drama may require one approach.
A comedy may require another.
Playing a real historical figure can demand detailed research into speech patterns, behavior, physicality, and history.
For actors, that flexibility can be extremely valuable.
Rather than asking, “What is my acting style?” it may be more useful to ask:
What does this particular character require from me?
Jeremy Strong Used to Cover His Scripts With Notes
Strong’s preparation was once much more visible.
He said he has old scripts and plays from earlier in his career that are filled with extensive annotations.
During college productions and earlier stage work, Strong would write notes throughout his scripts as he analyzed the material.
Eventually, he stopped.
That change did not mean he stopped preparing.
It meant he began trusting his preparation differently.
Strong explained that, over time, an actor can develop enough confidence in their intuitive and unconscious responses that information no longer has to remain consciously written on the page.
If the material has been properly absorbed, he believes it will still be available when needed.
Why Actors Shouldn’t Copy This Too Early
There is an important distinction for emerging actors.
Strong did not begin his career by doing less preparation.
He earned the ability to rely on intuition through years of intensive preparation.
For newer actors, script notes can still be extremely valuable.
Writing down:
Objectives
Obstacles
Relationships
Emotional changes
Important beats
Character history
Questions about the scene
can help actors understand a script more deeply.
The lesson from Strong is not necessarily “stop taking notes.”
It is that preparation should eventually allow an actor to become free.
If you are thinking about every note while the camera is rolling, the preparation may be getting in the way of the performance.
Voice Is One of Jeremy Strong’s Most Important Character Tools
For Strong, one of the most important ways into a character is voice.
That was particularly important when portraying Roy Cohn in The Apprentice.
Cohn was a real person with an identifiable speech pattern, rhythm, cadence, and personality.
Strong described voice as being almost as revealing as a person’s eyes.
That makes sense.
A person’s voice can communicate:
Background
Status
Confidence
Age
Regional identity
Education
Emotional state
Power dynamics
Personality
For actors working on transformation, changing the voice can affect the entire physical performance.
When speech rhythm changes, posture may change.
Breathing can change.
Movement can change.
Even the way an actor listens to another character may change.
Learn the Technique — Then “Throw It Away”
Strong describes an important contradiction in acting.
First, you have to master the character.
Then you have to stop showing that you mastered it.
He said actors need to learn the “music” of a character and eventually “throw away” the technical work.
That is often where believable performances happen.
Audiences should not see an actor remembering:
“Now I change my voice.”
“Now I hit this emotional beat.”
“Now I use this gesture.”
The preparation should become internalized enough that the actor simply responds as the character.
For auditions, that principle is particularly useful.
Casting directors generally want to see a living performance, not evidence of how much homework an actor completed.
What Actors Can Learn From Jeremy Strong
Strong’s process offers several practical lessons for performers.
1. Prepare Until You Can Stop Thinking About Preparation
Do the research.
Analyze the script.
Understand the relationships.
Make choices.
Then allow yourself to actually play the scene.
2. Build Characters From More Than Emotion
Voice, rhythm, posture, movement, breathing, and listening can all help define a character.
3. Don’t Force One Technique Onto Every Role
Different characters may require different preparation.
Actors should develop a toolbox rather than become dependent on one method.
4. Trust Your Instincts
Once you have thoroughly prepared, overthinking can become an obstacle.
Sometimes the strongest moment is the one you did not plan.
5. Transformation Requires Specificity
Simply deciding that a character is “angry,” “powerful,” or “sad” is usually not enough.
Specific details make performances believable.
How does this person speak?
How quickly do they think?
What do they notice?
How do they occupy a room?
Those questions can produce more useful choices.
What This Means for Auditions
Strong’s approach also applies to self-tapes and casting auditions.
Actors often over-prepare because auditions feel high stakes.
They memorize every gesture.
They plan every pause.
They decide exactly where an emotional moment will happen.
That can make the performance feel rehearsed rather than alive.
A better process may be:
Understand the scene deeply.
Know your lines.
Know what your character wants.
Understand the relationship.
Make specific choices.
Then allow your scene partner to affect you.
Casting directors want to see what happens when you are actually listening.
Preparation gives you the foundation.
Presence gives you the performance.
Why Transformational Acting Still Matters
Strong has repeatedly gravitated toward characters who require significant transformation.
His performances as Kendall Roy in Succession and Roy Cohn in The Apprentice are very different in voice, physicality, status, and emotional energy.
That versatility is valuable for working actors.
Casting professionals often want to know whether a performer can disappear into different types of characters rather than simply reproduce the same personality in every project.
Actors can demonstrate range by building reels and self-tapes that show contrasting:
Characters
Genres
Emotional tones
Physicality
Accents
Relationships
Range does not mean doing everything.
It means demonstrating that you can make specific choices for different material.
Building Your Own Acting Process
Actors should not feel obligated to imitate Jeremy Strong’s approach exactly.
There is no single correct acting method.
Some actors write pages of notes.
Others barely annotate their scripts.
Some use extensive character research.
Some rely heavily on improvisation.
Some work through physical movement.
Others begin with voice.
The goal is to find a process that consistently helps you create truthful, repeatable performances.
Try different techniques.
Keep what works.
Discard what does not.
And allow your process to evolve as you gain experience.
How Project Casting Helps Actors Find Their Next Opportunity
Developing your craft matters, but actors also need opportunities to put that craft to work.
Project Casting connects actors, models, creators, and entertainment professionals with casting calls across film, television, commercials, streaming, and digital media.
Before submitting, make sure your professional materials are ready:
Current headshots
Updated acting resume
Strong demo reel
Accurate profile information
Recent training
Reliable self-tape setup
You cannot control every casting decision.
But you can control whether you are prepared when the right opportunity arrives.
Final Thoughts
Jeremy Strong’s acting process demonstrates how preparation can evolve over time.
Early in his career, his scripts were covered with notes.
Today, he places more trust in intuition, internal preparation, voice, and his ability to temporarily move his own instincts aside to make room for another character.
For actors, the takeaway is not to abandon script analysis.
It is to understand the purpose of it.
Preparation should ultimately create freedom.
Study the character.
Learn the material.
Make specific choices.
Then, when the camera starts rolling, trust that the work is already there.
Looking for your next acting opportunity? Explore current casting calls, film jobs, television roles, and entertainment opportunities at ProjectCasting.com.
FAQ About Jeremy Strong’s Acting Process
What acting technique does Jeremy Strong use?
Strong draws from several approaches rather than describing his work as one fixed method. His preparation often involves extensive character research, voice work, physical transformation, and deep engagement with the circumstances of the role.
Does Jeremy Strong write notes in his scripts?
Strong says he used to heavily annotate scripts but eventually stopped writing as many notes as he became more comfortable trusting his intuition and preparation.
How does Jeremy Strong prepare for characters?
He has described trying to “clear” himself out so he can become receptive to the character, while studying elements such as voice, rhythm, behavior, and psychology.
Why is voice important to Jeremy Strong?
Strong considers voice one of the most revealing aspects of a person. He uses cadence, rhythm, and speech patterns as tools for entering a character.
Who does Jeremy Strong play in The Apprentice?
Strong portrays Roy Cohn, the controversial attorney who became an influential figure in Donald Trump’s early business career.
What did Jeremy Strong star in before The Apprentice?
Strong is best known for playing Kendall Roy on HBO’s Succession, a performance that earned him an Emmy Award.
Should actors heavily annotate their scripts?
It depends on the actor. Script annotation can be extremely useful for understanding objectives, relationships, beats, and character development, especially during training and early career development.
How can actors avoid overthinking auditions?
Prepare thoroughly beforehand, understand the character’s objective and relationships, and then focus on listening and responding naturally during the performance.
How can actors develop better character voices?
Actors can study vocal rhythm, breathing, pitch, placement, tempo, dialect, and speech patterns while making sure the voice remains connected to the character rather than becoming a superficial impersonation.
Where can actors find casting calls?
Actors can find film, television, commercial, streaming, and digital casting opportunities at ProjectCasting.com.
