Jeremy Strong on Transitioning to TV in HBO’s ‘Succession’
By Christi Carras
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “The Big Short” actor Jeremy Strong no longer primarily treads the boards. The stage vet has entered the TV scene in a big way, starring in HBO’s “Succession,” in which he plays troubled son Kendall Roy.
What was the transition from stage to television like?
Most of my heroes started out in theater, so I was always doing plays. The transition into film took longer than I wanted, but I am grateful for the years of hardship that I went through because they allowed me to connect with characters, in terms of adversity, in a way that I wouldn’t have otherwise.
How are you similar to Kendall Roy?
I relate to the desire to gain the love and respect of certain people, and that can lead you astray from your own nature. While we were filming this show, you couldn’t look at the news without reading something about the Murdochs, Disney, Les Moonves. While this show is not based on any actual family, those dynastic struggles are all around. It’s rich material.
What went into Kendall’s violent breakdown scene in the pilot?
That’s a great example of the process of this show, which is to have no plan at all and discover the scene while you’re doing it. We did one take, and I followed the line of intuition. I ended up cleaning the things on the floor, which I hadn’t planned in advance. I made this mess, and then I realized that I couldn’t leave this mess. You don’t always have the privilege of working with a director who will let you live dangerously.
Did the Roys’ toxicity affect interactions on set?
I find that the dynamic in the script tends to bleed out and exist in the environment. While we were cordial and friendly, and I have love and respect for all the actors, I tended to keep a distance and felt remote. We were atomized. This felt like every-man-for-himself social Darwinism.
How did you approach scenes surrounding issues like drug abuse?
There were times where I got pretty f***ed up for the work. I have things in my life that I’m not free of. Ambition, workaholism [are forms] of addiction. Addiction to drugs is a different ballgame, but you take a leap of belief. You can’t be Method with that kind of thing because you can’t f**k around with that. Those scenes lived in a heavy place. I felt like I had climbed Mount Everest.
Things You Didn’t Know About
AGE: 39 BIRTHPLACE: Boston FAVORITE BOOK: “My Struggle” by Karl Ove Knausgaard FILM HE KNOWS BY HEART: “My Left Foot” CHOICE STAGE ROLE: Hamlet ACTING INSPIRATION: Dustin Hoffman
