Succession Cast: HBO’s Best Series Has A Terrific Ensemble
The Succession cast is led by Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, and Alan Ruck.
With three seasons under its belt at HBO, Succession is one of the most critically acclaimed television series airing at the moment. The Succession cast and show revolve around the Roy family and their shady business dealings, with much of the series centering on control of the media and entertainment empire known as Waystar RoyCo.
Built by the family patriarch of the Succession cast, Logan Roy, the series began with the assumption that one of Logan’s children would take over the company when he retires, but series creator Jesse Armstrong has thrown viewers for a loop with incremental changes and familial alignments occurring in each episode.
The professional and personal lives of the Roys and their extended family have been on full display in the Succession cast as their dysfunction takes center stage. Fighting for a chance to control their father’s global media conglomerate, the Roy offspring are often at odds with one another, Logan’s business partners, and the competitors that seek to find a way to dismantle Waystar.
A fourth season of the lifestyles of the super wealthy is on its way, so here is a breakdown of the Succession cast so far.
THE SUCCESSION CAST IS LED BY THE ROY FAMILY
Logan Roy – Brian Cox
As the founder of the company that became Waystar RoyCo, Logan Roy is the billionaire patriarch and owner of the family-run media conglomerate in the Succession cast. Though he positions his children in various roles within the company, Logan’s skepticism of his family’s intentions makes it difficult for him to trust anyone outside his core orbit. Focusing much of his attention on mergers and the daily operations of his company, Logan wields power over those around him.
Arguably the most well-known cast member when Succession first began in 2018, Brian Cox embodies the rags-to-riches Scottish native as Logan attempts to thwart hostile takeovers, both internally and from outside of Waystar RoyCo.
Connor Roy – Alan Ruck
The eldest of Logan Roy’s four children, Connor was born to Logan and his first wife. Choosing to stay out of his father’s business, for the most part, Connor has interests in history, the arts, and politics. With his girlfriend Willa, Connor often sides with Logan when it comes to significant matters that affect the family but tends to lend a kind ear to his half-siblings in moments of distress.
An outsider by nature, Connor chooses to run for President of the United States on the libertarian ticket, angering his family and affecting his father’s reputation.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off alum Alan Ruck plays Connor Roy to hilarious effect, giving the Succession cast some much-needed comedic relief when the drama gets too heated.
Kendall Roy – Jeremy Strong
Jeremy Strong and Brian Cox are typically viewed as the lead performers of Succession’s ensemble cast, with Strong’s take on Kendall Roy netting him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2020. When the series began, Kendall was seen as the obvious heir apparent of all of the Succession cast to lead Logan’s business empire.
However, his well-documented substance abuse and reckless behavior in important business deals gone wrong have made him an outcast in his own family. Choosing to go against the grain and attempt to force his father out of Waystar, Kendall fails both privately and on the public stage.
Always trying to prove his worth to his father, an incident at his sister Shiv’s wedding forces Kendall down a rabbit hole of mental health issues and coverups, leading to an implosion of epic proportions for Logan and Kendall.
Roman Roy – Kieran Culkin
Like his brother Kendall, Roman Roy is constantly seeking approval from his father but tends to get a pass for his deranged behavior when others wouldn’t. Roman, or “Romulus” to his father, doesn’t understand how smart he actually is and chooses to hide his insecurities with funny one-liners and jokes at his siblings’ expense.
Culkin’s depiction of the character’s sexual and asinine personality makes for an exciting addition to the Succession cast. A convincing Roman forms a close alliance with Logan’s business confidant, Gerri, who tries to steer Roman’s unwavering ship in the right direction.
Over the course of three seasons, Roman becomes well-versed in his father’s company and eventually becomes an integral advisor despite mishaps along the way. Roman’s relationship with Gerri becomes sexualized, which forces Logan to lose trust in him.
Siobhan “Shiv” Roy – Sarah Snook
The youngest of the main Roy clan in the Succession cast, Shiv is played by Australian actor Sarah Snook as a liberal outsider to her father’s otherwise conservative tactics. Shiv is shown initially to be a talented political fixer and consultant for Democratic politicians but chooses to join Waystar when her father offers her a leadership position.
As the episodes progress, Shiv is depicted as a shrewd businesswoman under the veil of pretending to be kind-hearted, especially when it comes to her husband, Tom. Their relationship becomes a focal point in the series, as Tom works for Waystar, and the two scheme for him to take on executive positions, even though Shiv has an agenda all her own.
THE EXTENDED FAMILY IS THE COMEDIC BACKBONE OF THE SUCCESSION CAST
Tom Wambsgans – Matthew Macfadyen
As Shiv’s fiancé and eventual husband, Tom Wambsgans is a rambling Waystar executive that enjoys his close alliance with Shiv and the rest of the Roy family. His business decisions regarding the company’s Parks & Cruises division lead Tom into uncharted waters, as he bullies Greg Hirsch through coverups and misdeeds.
Tom’s deceitful tone towards Greg often offsets that of Shiv’s manipulation of Tom, and Greg eventually evolves into a person that Tom leans on for support. Even though Tom is portrayed as a dimwitted bully within the Succession cast, he is much more intelligent than he looks and knows how to insert himself into the Roy family game of chess.
Greg Hirsch – Nicholas Braun
“Cousin Greg,” as the members of the Roy family often refer to him, Greg Hirsch is Logan’s great-nephew who joins Waystar in season 1 in a low-level position after being fired from one of the company’s theme parks. Assigned to Tom, Greg becomes the victim of Tom’s constant bullying and scheming but often finds a way out of sticky situations.
An awkward outsider who gains access to intimate details of the Roy family, Greg switches alliances throughout the series. He possesses a lot of knowledge that could land any one of the Succession cast of characters in jail.
THE WAYSTAR EXECUTIVES
Gerri Kellman – J. Smith Cameron
The general counsel for Waystar RoyCo, Gerri Kellman is one of Logan Roy’s trusted confidants and a staple of the media empire. A loyal employee for two decades, Gerri is Shiv’s godmother who begins a quasi-sexual relationship with Roman.
After Kendall goes against Logan in a very public press conference that presents a coverup of a sexual misconduct scandal at Waystar, Gerri is appointed acting CEO and takes Logan’s place temporarily at the company.
Karl Muller – David Rasche
David Rasche plays Waystar RoyCo’s chief financial officer Karl Muller, another of Logan’s trusted employees who aligns himself with the business interests of Logan and the company as a whole. Karl tends to be just as deviant as some of the other top executives at the company and finds himself at odds with some of Logan’s children.
Stewy Hosseini – Arian Moayed
A college friend of Kendall’s and a well-known private equity investor, Stewy Hosseini becomes integral to Waystar’s trajectory as the series progresses. A recurring character within the Succession cast, Stewy is painted as a confidant of Kendall’s but ends up stabbing his friend in the back when push comes to shove.
He lands himself a seat on the board at Waystar but secretly partners with Sandy Furness, a competitive rival of Logan’s. Through shrewd business dealings that lean heavily on information he receives from Kendall about Logan’s involvement in Waystar scandal coverups, Stewy is able to negotiate a seat on the board for Sandy’s daughter Sandi.
Josh Aaronson – Adrien Brody
A new addition to the Succession cast, Academy Award winner Adrien Brody plays billionaire Josh Aaronson. A Waystar RoyCo shareholder who owns equity in the company, Aaronson tries to mediate Kendall and Logan’s feud in season 3 of the series on his private island.
WAYSTAR RIVALS
Sandy Furness – Larry Pine
Sandy Furness owns a media conglomerate that is seen as a competitor to Waystar RoyCo. His discreet partnership with Stewy Hosseini makes headway into dismantling parts of Waystar’s executive leadership positions, but Sandy suddenly gets sick and has his daughter Sandi step in to close out negotiations.
Sandi Furness – Hope Davis
The daughter of Sandy Furness, Sandi enjoys a close relationship with Stewy Hosseini and battles for ownership of Waystar RoyCo. Negotiating for her father when his health begins to deteriorate, Sandi ends up gaining a seat on Waystar’s board.
Ewan Roy – James Cromwell
Greg Hirsch’s grandfather and Logan Roy’s older brother, Ewan Roy is estranged from the bulk of the Roy family. Despite his hatred for his brother and the business that Logan runs, Ewan is often seen as someone who could go against Logan at any moment. However, he chooses not to work against his brother even when Greg asks for his grandfather’s help.
