Mads Mikkelsen calls method acting 'bulls***'

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 29: Mads Mikkelsen arrives at the
Mads Mikkelsen arrives at the Fantastic Beasts premiere. (Getty Images)

Mads Mikkelsen has criticised method acting as 'bulls***'.

Asked about his opinion on the controversial acting method that sees the actor stay in character between takes, the Casino Royale star said: “You can take [the preparation] into insanity. What if it’s a s*** film — what do you think you achieved?"

Mikkelsen was speaking to British GQ about his appearance in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore and further ridiculed the notion of method acting: "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?”

Read more: 'Fantastic Beasts 3' gets mixed reviews

He went on to joke: “I’m having a cigarette? This is from 2020, it’s not from 1870 — can you live with it? It’s just pretentious.”

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (Warner Bros.)
Mads Mikkelsen as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. (Warner Bros.)

Mikkelsen did also praise Daniel Day-Lewis who is known for his method acting: “Daniel Day-Lewis is a great actor. But it’s got nothing to do with this.”

A number of current actors such as Jared Leto and Jeremy Strong adhere to method acting and don't break character during the entirety of production.

Leto on the set of Morbius would frequently take 45 minutes to go to the toilet as he refused to break from his character's walking difficulties.

Mikkelsen replaced Johnny Depp as Grindelwald for the latest Fantastic Beasts film after the Pirates of the Caribbean star chose to step away from the role after losing his libel case against The Sun after they called him a "wife beater" over an incident with his then-wife Amber Heard.

Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen arrives on May 11, 2018 for the screening of the film
Mads Mikkelsen at Cannes Film Festival. (AFP via Getty Images)

Depp unsuccessfully tried to appeal the verdict.

Another trial, this time seeing Depp suing Heard for defamation is expected to begin on 11 April. Depp is suing over an article Heard wrote in 2018 in which she detailed her experiences of domestic abuse.

While the article never mentioned Depp by name, the actor's lawyers say it falsely implies he was physically and sexually abusive during their marriage.

High-profile figures such as Paul Bettany, James Franco and Elon Musk are expected to give testimony.

Watch below: Mads Mikkelsen wants to return to James Bond