‘F1’ Star Damson Idris Says He’s “Not a Method Actor” Despite Staying in Character on ‘Snowfall’

Damson Idris may be earning raves for his role opposite Brad Pitt in the summer blockbuster F1, but the British actor insists he’s not taking things too seriously when it comes to his process.

During a recent appearance on Chicken Shop Date with host Amelia Dimoldenberg, Idris was asked whether he’s the type of actor who keeps the character going even when the cameras stop. After a brief dodge, he made his stance clear: “I’m not a method actor.”

Dimoldenberg pressed further, asking if he stayed in character off-set. Idris responded with mock confusion: “I mean, I’m not a method actor, like what?”

Still, the Snowfall alum admitted to slipping into the method mindset — at least temporarily — while filming the FX series. “Very quickly they were like, ‘Shut up and talk normal,’” he said, recalling how his family shut down his use of an American accent at home.

Later in the interview, Idris opened up about filming F1, revealing that he developed a real-life friendship with F1 champion and producer Lewis Hamilton. When asked what he learned from the racing icon, Idris didn’t miss a beat: “To drive. He is the coolest guy in the world.”

The actor also shot down rumors that he keeps a photo of Denzel Washington in his dressing room. “Why would I?” he laughed. “I mean, where is the dressing room?”

According to Variety, F1 is now Apple’s highest-grossing movie ever, outperforming Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon ($158 million) and Ridley Scott’s Napoleon ($221 million). The Joseph Kosinski-directed film has crossed the $300 million mark at the global box office.

Backed by Plan B Entertainment, F1 follows veteran racer Sonny Hayes (Pitt) as he returns to the track to mentor rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Idris) for the struggling APXGP team. The stakes? The future of the entire franchise.

The film also stars Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, and Sara Niles in key roles.