Perhaps the most adored aspect of HBO's Succession is its cast. Talent and chemistry seem to exist in every corner, from Sarah Snook's Shiv Roy all the way to Danny Huston's Jamie Laird. But a lot has been made about the complicated dynamics between the actors. Succession's behind-the-scenes drama has proven that the cast doesn't always see eye-to-eye.
Brian Cox's conflict with Jeremy Strong over his method acting made the most news. And yet, come press events, the pair seem to get along just fine. But with the 2023's season four wrapping up the Succession story for good, fans are wondering if any of these actors will actually stay in touch after Logan Roy chooses a worthy successor.
Here's whether or not the cast of Succession actually likes each other and if they plan on staying friends...
Does The Cast of Succession Like Each Other?
Succession creator Jesse Armstrong and his team have assembled an outstanding cast that's lifted the already strong writing into the stratosphere. There's no doubt about it.
Individually, the likes of Kieran Culkin, Brian Cox, Sarah Snook, Alan Ruck, Jeremy Strong, J. Smith-Cameron, Matthew Macfadyen, and Nicholas Braun are stellar. But as a group, their chemistry is straight-up fire.
But, as numerous news organizations have made clear, their acting styles don't always align. Most notable is Jeremy Strong's method acting, which has been defended by celebrities like Anne Hathaway. But has been bashed by Succession co-star Brian Cox, according to Variety.
Because of Cox's rather honest comments, fans have wondered if Strong's castmates actually like him. When the news first broke that Strong's determination to stay in character throughout the entire filming process had caused conflict with Cox, the other cast members weighed in.
Cox called Strong's method acting "f***ing annoying" and simultaneously praised it for yielding great results. Similarly, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, and Alan Ruck admitted that Strong's approach wasn't for them, but stated that they all respected his talent.
According to EOnline, Snook said, "Jeremy is great. He is a very singular, unique person and actor and he works in a different way than other people. We all work in different ways. We all have a different process."
Kieran Culkin, who played Roman Roy, said something similar:
"[Jeremy Strong's acting approach] might be something that helps him [but in scenes together], I can tell you that it doesn't help me."
Alan Ruck told Evening Standard that he's fine with Strong's approach, but also claimed to worry about him.
"I think Jeremy is very hard on himself," Ruck continued. "And my personal feeling is that he doesn’t fully trust his talent. I think it could be an easier path for him. But he doesn’t believe it."
Ruck also claimed that Brian Cox said what he said about Strong because he worries about him.
It certainly seems that while all of the actors seem to get along, there was some tension on the set. According to Yahoo! News, Strong himself believes that a bit of tension is good for creativity. And if Succession is indeed a proper example of this, Strong is probably right. However, the Kendall Roy actor also admitted that he too knows that he can be "difficult" to deal with.
But Strong isn't the only one who is notorious for difficult onset behavior...
When Succession Season Four first premiered, Brian Cox made news for yelling at a reporter on the red carpet. While it was brushed off as him acting as his character, Kieran Culkin told Esquire that Cox does have "outbursts" on set. However, according to Culkin, these "outbursts" shouldn't be misinterpreted as bad behavior.
Culkin admitted that he found it funny when Cox would get angry during production. And he soon found out that Cox would immediately be in a better mood if he was fed.
So while there was certainly some conflict on set, it seems as though respect, admiration, and general fun acted as a bridge over troubled water.
Will The Cast Of Succession Remain Friends After The Series Finale?
While the characters on Succession are constantly fighting, the actors on set are far more agreeable. In fact, most of them would call each other friends. Like any friend group, there have been disagreements. But respect and admiration take precedence.
In an interview with The Wrap, Cousin Gregg actor Nicholas Braun said, "There's just a lot of trust [between the group]."
And this trust has made their relationship that much strong. According to Esquire's March 2023 piece on Succession, Alan Ruck claimed Kieran Culkin was the little brother he never had.
Similarly, Sarah Snook said that the relationship she shares with Culkin is very much like the dynamic between siblings. But she also claimed that she is unlikely to work with Culkin again. Not because she doesn't want to, but because it's unlikely they'll be cast in the same project after Succession. Braun said the same thing about working with Snook.
Kieran Culkin went as far as to say that he's unlikely to maintain "friendships" with the cast of Succession. Not because he doesn't want to, but because it's logistically challenging due to their work schedules and home bases. This is with on exception... J. Smith-Cameron who plays Gerri.
"I’m not really going to keep up a proper relationship with anybody just because of logistics."
Culkin and Smith-Cameron were friends long before they were cast on Succession and their closeness will continue long after the new Successor of Waystar Royco is chosen.
But while Kieran Culkin was honest about keeping up a close friendship with his Succession cast mates, he also told Esquire that finishing the show is a "big, big loss".
Not just because he will no longer be starring on a hit HBO show, but because he won't get to see the likes of Sarah Snook, Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox Jeremy Strong, Matthew Macfayden, and Alan Ruck every day.
