The adventures of Waystar Royco may be over, but fans of HBO's Succession can still follow the show's actors into their next projects. And for many of the show's cast members, those projects are theatrical, ranging from Broadway to the West End, and beyond. It's no surprise the show's cast has gone to the stage after Succession ended last year. Theatre was always in Succession's DNA.
Created by Jesse Armstrong, Succession took its conceit from King Lear—a powerful patriarch deciding which of his three children would inherit his media empire. And how those characters degrade and distort themselves in pursuit of power and fatherly approval, it's a tragedy of Shakespearean proportion. The show also contained a number of playwrights on its writing staff: Lucy Prebble (whose play The Effect is running Off-Broadway right now), Will Arbery, Susan Soon He Stanton, Alice Birch, and many others. Former New York Times chief theatre critic Frank Rich was one of the show's executive producers.
Because Succession filmed in Manhattan, many of its cast members were drawn from the New York theatre scene. Jeremy Strong was a theatre regular before he was propelled to fame playing the self-professed "eldest boy" Kendall Roy. But over its six seasons, theatre favorites such as Cherry Jones, J. Smith-Cameron, Eric Bogosian, Arian Moayed, Zoe Winter, Peter Friedman (who just wrapped up the Off-Broadway play Job), and many, many more have appeared in recurring roles.
Below are the Succession actors you can currently see onstage.
Jeremy Strong
After skillfully straddling the line between compelling and off-putting in Succession, Jeremy Strong has returned to his stage roots in An Enemy of the People on Broadway. Strong plays Doctor Stockmann, who discovers his town's water is being poisoned and that the authorities refuse to do anything about it. Amy Herzog penned the adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's play; Strong previously starred in Herzog's The Great God Pan Off-Broadway.
Sarah Snook
Sarah Snook left viewers debating over her character Shiv Roy's surprising actions in the series finale of Succession. After starring in a series with a gigantic cast of memorable characters, Snook's next venture has found her acting alone. She is currently starring at the Theater Royal Haymarket in London in a solo version of The Picture of Dorian Gray, where she plays 26 roles in a new stage adaptation of the Oscar Wilde story. The Picture of Dorian Gray runs until March 11, though considering Snook just received an Olivier nomination for her performance, don't be surprised if the Australian actor decides to return to New York.
Brian Cox
Cox was dearly missed when his character departed the show early on in season six of Succession. But luckily, fans did not have to wait long to see the master actor at work once again. Cox is currently starring opposite Patricia Clarkson in Long Day's Journey Into Night on the West End at Wyndham's Theatre through June 8. It seems Cox can't venture far from complicated family dramas. That's not the only theatrical project Cox is a part of. He was recently named the Patron of the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the duties of which include him promoting the festival. So if you're in Edinburgh in August, keep an eye out for the Scottish actor.
Natalie Gold
Natalie Gold played Kendall Roy's ex-wife Rava in Succession, one of the few honest characters on the show. Gold is currently starring in Appropriate on Broadway, where she is again playing witness to some supreme family dysfunction. In Appropriate, the Lafayette siblings reunite in their family plantation home where old resentments come to the surface. Gold plays Rachael, the wife of Bo Lafayette (played by Corey Stoll), who incurs the wrath of Bo's sister, Toni (Sarah Paulson). Appropriate first began performances at the Helen Hayes Theatre November 29 and has been such a hit that it has moved to the Belasco Theatre for an extension until June 23.
Juliana Canfield
As Kendall's long-suffering assistant Jess in Succession, Juliana Canfield didn't have many lines, but her on-point facial expressions always reflected what the audience was thinking. Succession fans can see what the actor is truly made of when they catch Stereophonic on Broadway. In the play by David Adjmi, with music by Arcade Fire's Will Butler, a '70s rock band gather to record their new album. Canfield shows herself off as a triple threat in the play, as she acts, plays piano, and sings. Stereophonic begins performances at the John Golden Theatre April 3 and opens April 19.
Nicholas Braun
Nicholas Braun played bumbling schemer Greg Hirsch, a cousin of the Roys, on Succession. His next project will be Lobby Hero, which has been announced for the West End, though dates have not been set yet. The play by Kenneth Lonergan follows a young security guard working in a Manhattan high-rise, who becomes caught up in a murder investigation. The Succession connections don't end there. J. Smith-Cameron, who played Waystar Royco executive Geri, is Lonergan's spouse.
And, for anyone who wants to see some scheming on stage, we recommend going back to the source of Succession: Shakespeare.
