Who’s next in line? Succession may have been inspired by a real-life media empire, but there’s more drama packed into this HBO series than could ever appear on reality TV.
It debuted in June 2018 and fans have been drawn into the Roy family’s battle for power at Waystar Royco. This is a fictional version of the Roy family. Rupert Murdoch‘s News Corp. Created by Jesse Armstrong, the series proves that some people will do whatever it takes to gain power — even if it means going against their own family members.
“They behave badly and they’re tough people,” Armstrong told ColliderOne of his main characters in 2018. “They’re very much products of their upbringing and their environment. … I believe that people are products of what they’re brought up amongst. They have my compassion. I don’t think they’re unredeemable or incapable of putting other people ahead of themselves. They’ve just had a very, very tough schooling in not doing that.”
The show was renewed for a third time before the coronavirus pandemic hit Hollywood. SuccessionCritical acclaim continued to be received. The show was nominated to 18 Emmy awards in July 2020, including Outstanding Drama Series (Official Drama Series) and Outstanding Writing for Drama Series (Official Writing for Drama Series). Stars Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, Nicholas BraunAnd Matthew MacfadyenEach received nominations in the acting categories.
“Oh, man, I felt kind of indescribably happy,” Strong told The PlaylistHis first Emmy nomination the following month. “I would say that this piece of work, this show, and this character is, to me, the most important piece of work I’ve ever gotten to do, so to be recognized for something that matters so much to me by this community in this age of peak television where the bar is so high, it’s a huge honor. And the other actors in this category, many of whose work didn’t get recognized, I’m just floored by the company that I’m in.”
Cox assured fans that they get along better behind the scenes, despite the difficult family dynamic they portray.
“We’re a very happy family,” Cox said on theLate Late ShowIn August 2020. “We really are a community, we gelled from day one. … We became a family very, very quickly. They’re a great bunch.”
The Emmy record for most acting nominations in one year was broken by the show in 2022. It earned a staggering 14 total. The previous record for drama was held in the hands of The West WingThe 2002 miniseries starred, with 12 nominations. RootsDefended the overall record with 23 nominations
Nods were also given to Snook, Strong and Culkin, Braun, Macfadyen as well as Cox, Braun and Cox for their main cast members. J. Smith-CameronThe show garnered nominations for guest actor Adrien Brody, Sanaa Lathan, James Cromwell, Hope Davis, Harriet Walter, Alexander SkarsgårdAnd Arian Moayed.
“I am a huge fan of Succession and beyond thrilled to have been included in such an extraordinary show,” the PianistActor said in July 2022 a statement about his nomination. “I’m grateful to share this honor with the brilliant cast and crew of Succession, and the fantastic writers who shaped the character, making him so fun to play.”
Scroll down for more information about the dysfunctional Roy tree.
