"I don’t think he’s OK" - Kieran Culkin opens up on his character on Succession 

HBO's drama masterpiece Succession came to an end almost a fortnight ago, but its fallout is going to be felt for years. The show has been praised for its brilliant storytelling and phenomenal acting. Most characters drastically developed over its course, but one stands out for plenty of reasons. Kieran Culkin played the role of the unpredictable but loveable Roman Roy.

The show saw a battle between the Roy siblings to take over their father's throne as the new CEO of Waystar RoyCo, a global media and entertainment conglomerate. Even though Roman was not victorious in the end, his character arc was uplifting. He didn't get the best concussion, but he certainly looked in peace.

However, Kieran Culkin believes that he is far from okay. In an interview with Variety, the actor said:

"'Well, he’s got tons of money — he’ll be fine!' Which just isn’t really the case for these people. I don’t think it’s as simple as, 'Well, I guess I’ve got my riches and my Martini, I’m fine.' I don’t think he’s OK. No."

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Kieran Culkin believes that his Succession character does not have any friends

The finale of Succession saw Tom Wambsgans become the new CEO of Waystar RoyCo. It looked like his marriage with Shiv was just for show because she was distraught to see her husband sitting on the throne she believed was hers. Kendall Roy's story was the most tragic as he was neither left with a family nor his father's billion-dollar company.

As for Roman, he went to a bar after Tom's coronation and ordered a glass of martini for himself. There was a faint smile on his face but he was neither sad nor happy. He was just glad that the war for Waystar RoyCo had finally ended.

In an interview with Variety, Roman commented on this bittersweet ending. He thought that Roman's troubles were from being over and he was even lonely.

"If Roman’s cut out of the company, and there’s no reason for him specifically to come to the office and interact with his siblings, they don’t have the capacity to say, 'Hey, I miss you. Let’s get together and hang out.'"

Kieran believed that Roman loved his family and he needs them the most. He didn't have any friends and his family was his only lifeline.

He said:

"Not only just genuinely loves his family, I think he needs them. Now that it’s done, and he’s out, and they’re all out: When is he going to see them again? Who does he have? He has f*cking nobody."

He continued:

"That’s it. And [his] siblings are out there, somewhere. And it’s not like we’re gonna get together for a beer. He’s very much alone. Have you ever seen Roman with a friend?

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Succession synopsis

Succession was created by Jesse Armstrong. It ran from June 3, 2018, to May 28, 2023.

According to IMDb, the synopsis of Succession reads:

"The Roy family is known for controlling the biggest media and entertainment company in the world. However, their world changes when their father steps down from the company."

Its long list of executive producers included Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Frank Rich, Jesse Armstrong, and several others.