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The insanely rich yet brutal family drama Succession is back with its third installment. Debuting in 2018, the series has come a long way with its sharp scripts, brilliant characters and, not to forget, the many Emmy awards it has won.
Following the lives of the dysfunctional Roy family, Succession revolves around the constant rivalry (mainly among the siblings) to take over the family business, Waystar Royco, an international media and hospitality conglomerate, when Logan Roy (Brian Cox) steps down after a brush with death in the form of a heart attack.
As fans await the upcoming season of Succession, here are some unpopular yet interesting facts about the show.
10 lesser known facts about 'Succession'
1) Kieran Culkin wasn't supposed to play the role of Roman Roy
The actor was sent the script for Cousin Greg (now played by Nicholas Braun), but after reading it, he resonated more with the cynical and pompous Roman, a role which ultimately landed him a Golden Globe nomination. On the other hand, Jeremy Strong (Kendall Roy) had actually auditioned for the role of Roman Roy.
2) The show and its dialogues heavily depend upon improvisation
A drama series like this cannot be a natural environment for improvisation but the actors of Succession are given freedom to improvise whenever required while shooting. After shooting the scripted scenes, they have another take where creativity and improvisation is encouraged. An iconic scene that was improvised? Kendall's meltdown in the bathroom after he learns about his father's betrayal.
3) Jeremy Strong and Nicholas Braun are a lot like their characters
Jeremy Strong, who plays the role of Kendall Roy, draws his character's inspiration from his own life as he always saw himself as an outsider, a child from inner-city Boston who worked his way into a private school. Everyone's favorite Nicholas Braun, aka Cousin Greg, is a lot like his character in real life too, at least to the point where he seems almost indistinguishable from Greg.
4) The cast of Succession were not aware of Kendall's infamous rap
Kendall's rap tribute to his dad Logan in Succession's Season 2 episode Dundee, was scripted, but the reactions by the other characters were not. They saw and heard the rap for the first time just like the viewers with the most genuine reactions.
5) Alan Ruck is only 10 years younger than his TV dad Brian Cox in real life
Ruck's character, Connor, is 53. This makes the character 10 years younger than Ruck is in real life (63) whereas Brian Cox's character, Logan, is 83, 10 years older than he is in real life (73). Nobody would have guessed that this on-screen father-son duo would have such a small age gap.
6) Sarah Snook and Hiam Abbass are friends in real life unlike their characters
Their characters may not see eye-to-eye and are constantly at odds, but off-camera Sarah Snook and Hiam Abbass are good friends.
7) Succession is not directly based on the Murdochs but definitely has some strong similarities
Life imitiates art and in this case, family therapy sessions. Succession's Season 1 family therapy - Austerlitz episode was loosely inspired by the Murdochs actual therapeutic retreat at their family ranch in Australia. Just like Logan Roy, Rupert Murdoch is a worldwide media mogul who heads Fox News in the US and Sky in the UK, and shares personality traits with the fictional character.
8) Logan Roy's NYC apartment is on Billionaires' Row but the interiors are fake
To make the family appear wealthy and create an aura of affluence around the show, the creators made sure to find an apartment with a view of The MET and Central Park which became the residential building on Fifth Avenue. However, the marble floors, spiral staircases, and impeccable decor of the Roy family duplex is actually a set in Long Island City's Silvercup Studios.
9) Shiv's wedding was shot in an actual English castle
Shioban 'Shiv' Roy's wedding in Succession's Season 1 was shot at a real castle in England. Located in Herefordshire, the Eastnor Castle is open to public for visits.
10) Logan Roy was supposed to die in Season 1
The cruel yet smart Logan Roy was supposed to die after the stroke like everyone thought he would, but the creators decided to keep the ruthless patriarch around as the character was considered to be too brilliant to die.
HBO's Succession is all set to hit Hotstar on October 18 with a brand new season with lots of backstabbing, sibling rivalry and brutal sarcasm making a comeback.
