By Patrick Cremona

Published: Sunday, 17 October 2021 at 12:00 am


Two years after ending on one of the biggest cliffhangers in recent TV history, Succession is finally returning for its third season – with the Roy clan set to engage in a bitter civil war.

The show has one deserved praise for its tremendous scripts, but the cast of actors assembled to play the characters is every bit as integral to the show’s success, and all of the major players are back for more this time around – including Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin.

And there are a couple of high-profile new additions to the cast as well, with Adrien Brody and Alexander Skarsgard both joining the fold this time around in addition to a number of other newcomers.

Read on for everything you need to know about the mammoth cast for Succession series 3 – including who they’re playing and where you might have seen them before.

Brian Cox plays Logan Roy

"Brian

Who is Logan? The hot-headed patriarch of the Roy family, Logan is the Dundee-born billionaire founder of media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo. His company is his main focus – and he is often at loggerheads with his four children, Connor, Kendall, Shiv and Roman.

What else has Brian Cox been in? Veteran Scottish actor Cox has a number of impressive credits to his name, with highlights including  Rob Roy, Braveheart, Adaptation, Churchill and playing Hannibal Leckter in Manhunter. He is also an acclaimed stage actor and is a two time Olivier Award winner.

Jeremy Strong plays Kendall Roy

"Jeremy

Who is Kendall? Logan’s first son from his second marriage, Kendall is ambitious but is often derailed by his substance abuse issues. He has regularly struggled to prove himself to his father and went rogue in the season two finale, throwing Logan under the bus and kicking off a bitter civil war that leads directly into the third season.

What else has Jeremy Strong been in? Kendall has become Strong’s most well-known role, but he also has a string of film credits to his name including roles in Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, Selma, The Big Short, Molly’s Game, The Gentlemen, and The Trial of the Chicago 7

Sarah Snook plays Shiv Roy

"Sarah

Who is Shiv? Logan’s only daughter and youngest child, Shiv is a respected political fixer whose own views are sometimes at odds with Waystar – although she nonetheless has strong leadership ambitions. She has a turbulent marriage with Waystar executive Tom Wambsgans.

What else has Sarah Snook been in? Snook has appeared in a range of films, including Sisters of War (2010), Not Suitable for Children, These Final Hours, Predestination, The Dressmaker, Steve Jobs, and Pieces of a Woman.

Kieran Culkin plays Roman Roy

"Kieran

Who is Roman? The second child from Logan’s second marriage, foul-mouthed Roman is rather immature and doesn’t always take his responsibilities seriously – but is still desperate to vie with Kendall and Shiv for control of the company.

What else has Kieran Culkin been in? Like his brothers Macauley and Rory, Culkin started his career as a child actor in films such as Father of the Bride, The Mighty and The Cider House Rules, and has also starred in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Wiener-Dog, and No Sudden Move.

Matthew Macfadyen plays Tom Wambsgans

"Succession
HBO

Who is Tom? A Waystar executive and Shiv’s husband, Tom serves as the head of ATN, the company’s global news outlet. While he is close to the Roy family due to his marriage, he is often dismissed by the inner circle – although he greatly enjoys tormenting his underling Greg.

What else has Matthew Macfadyen been in? A regular face on British TV and film, Macfadyen’s most prominent credits include playing Mr Darcy in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice, John Birt in Frost/Nixon and Detective Inspector Edmund Reid in Ripper Street. He has also previously won a BAFTA for his work on Criminal Justice and last year played the main role in ITV drama Quiz.

Nicholas Braun plays Greg Hirsch

"Nicholas

Who is Greg? Logan’s great nephew who joined Waystar in the first series with little experience, Greg is a rather bumbling presence but nonetheless has plans to climb the ranks at the company. He works most often with Tom – whom he is regularly bullied by.

What else has Nicholas Braun been in? Greg is Braun’s most recognisable role, but other credits include Sky High, Princess Protection Program, Red State, Prom, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Date and Switch, How to Be Single, and Zola.

Alan Ruck plays Connor Roy

"Alan

Who is Connor? Logan’s eldest son from his first marriage, Connor is largely removed from the family’s power struggles – but has ambitions of his own to enter politics and run for US President.

What else has Alan Ruck been in? Ruck first found fame starring as Cameron Frye, Ferris Bueller’s best friend in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, while other film credits include roles in Three Fugitives, Young Guns II, Speed, Twister and Freaky.

Hiam Abbass plays Marcia Roy

"Hiam

Who is Marcia? Logan’s third wife, who doesn’t always have a great relationship with her husband’s children.

What else has Hiam Abbass been in? Palestinian actress Abbass has appeared in a number of films and TV shows, with recent credits including Blade Runner 2049, The OA and Ramy.

Peter Friedman plays Frank Vernon

"Peter

Who is Frank? A longtime confidant of Logan’s Roy is WayStar’s COO – but has recently lost some of his boss’ trust. He has previously served as a mentor to Kendall, who wants him to switch sides in the Roy family civil war.

What else has Peter Friedman been in? Throughout his career, Friedman has appeared in guest roles in a number of TV shows including Miami Vice, NYPD Blue, Without a Trace, Ghost Whisperer, The Affair and Damages. Big screen roles include the Todd Haynes films Safe and I’m Not There.

J. Smith-Cameron plays Gerri Kellman

"J.

Who is Gerri? The general counsel to Waystar RoyCo, and another of Logan’s old guard, Gerri emerges as one of the leading candidates to take control of the company. She also has a rather unusual relationship with Roman.

What else has J. Smith-Cameron been in? Smith-Cameron previously starred as Janet Talbot on the television series Rectify and has also appeared in a number of other popular TV shows including True Blood and Search Party.

Arian Moayed plays Stewy Hosseini

"Arian

Who is Stewy? Kendall’s friend from college who is now a private-equity investor with a seat on Waystar’s board. He is in partnership with Logan’s rival Sandy Furness.

What else has Arian Moayed been in? Moayed is an acclaimed stage performer and two-time Tony Award nominee, while he will star in upcoming MCU film Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Larry Pine plays Sandy Furness

"Larry

Who is Sandy? The owner of a rival media conglomerate who is in partnership with Stewy and backs his private equity fund.

What else has Larry Pine been in? A star of stage and screen, Larry Pine has appeared in films such as Maid in Manhattan, Moonrise Kingdom, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Beirut, however, he is best known for his roles in House of Cards, Gotham, Homeland and Oz.

Justine Lupe plays Willa Ferreyra

"Justine

Who is Willa? Connor Roy’s young girlfriend who aspires to be a playwright and is a former call girl.

What else has Justine Lupe been in? Lupe is best known for appearing in Mr. Mercedes, The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel, Sneaky Pete, Cristela and Madam Secretary.

David Rasche plays Karl Muller

"David

Who is Karl? Waystar RoyCo’s chief financial officer and member of the company’s legal team.

What else has David Rasche been in? Rasche is best known for starring as the titular character in satirical police sitcom Sledge Hammer and for his roles in Burn After Reading, In the Loop and Men in Black 3 as well as shows like The West Wing, Ugly Betty and Veep.

Fisher Stevens plays Hugo Baker

"Justine

Who is Hugo? A senior communications executive in charge of managing a scandal involving Brightstar cruise lines.

What else has Fisher Stevens been in? Actor and director Fisher Stevens’s break out role was that of Ben Jabituya in 1986’s Short Circuit, with the actor going on to appear in Hackers, LOL, Hail Caesar!, Isle of Dogs, The French Dispatch and series like Lost, The Blacklist, The Night Of and The Good Fight. He was also a producer on hit Netflix docuseries Tiger King and won an Academy Award for producing 2009 documentary The Cove.

Alexander Skarsgård plays Lukas Matsson

"Alexander

Who is Lukas? A tech founder and CEO, new for season 3.

What else has Alexander Skarsgård been in? Swedish A-lister Alexander Skarsgård has dominated Hollywood since making his film debut in Zoolander, having starred in Generation Kill, True Blood, Battleship, The Legend of Tarzan and more recently, Big Little Lies – which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award. More recently, Skarsgård has appeared in The Aftermath, Godzilla vs Kong, The Stand and On Becoming a God in Central Florida.

Sanaa Lathan plays Lisa Arthur

"Sanaa

Who is Lisa? A high profile, well-connected New York lawyer, who begins to work for Kendall at the start of the series.

What else has Sanaa Lathan been in? Sanaa Lathan is best known for voicing Donna Tubbs in The Cleveland Show and Family Guy, as well as her roles in The Best Man, Love & Basketball, Alien vs. Predator, Contagion and Now You See Me 2. She currently voices Catwoman in animated series Harley Quinn and had a recurring role on The Affair.

James Cromwell plays Ewan Roy

"James

Who is Ewan? Logan’s estranged older brother and Greg’s grandfather who resides in Canada. He personally despises Logan and his business empire, but stops short of actively working against his brother.

What else has James Cromwell been in? James Cromwell is best known for his roles in L.A. Confidential, Spider-Man 3, Big Hero 6, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom as well as Boardwalk Empire, The Young Pope, American Horror Story: Asylum and Betrayal.

Jihae Kim plays Berry Schneider

"Jihae

Who is Berry? A leading public relations consultant, new for season 3.

What else has Jihae Kim been in? South Korean musician Jihae Kim, who is also known by the mononym Jihae, has released a number of studio albums, including the recent Illusion of You and Life on Mars, while Succession is set to be her third TV project, having previously appeared in sci-fi series Mars and Altered Carbon. She also played Anna Fang in 2018’s Mortal Engines.

Adrien Brody plays Josh Aaronson

"Adrien

Who is Josh? New for season 3, Josh is a billionaire activist investor who becomes involved in the ownership of Waystar.

What else has Adrien Brody been in? Academy Award winner Adrien Brody became the youngest actor to take home an Oscar when he starred in The Pianist and has since appeared in films like The Village, Predators and a host of Wes Anderson titles such as The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The French Dispatch and The Grand Budapest Hotel. He recently appeared in Peaky Blinders and Chapelwaite.

Harriet Walter plays Lady Caroline Collingwood

"Harriet

Who is Caroline? The second wife of Logan Roy, and estranged mother to Kendall, Shiv, and Roman.

What else has Harriet Walter been in? British acting royalty Harriet Walter is best known for her roles in films such as Sense and Sensibility, Atonement, The Young Victoria, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rocketman and The Last Duel. She recently appeared in Ted Lasso, Doctor Who and Killing Eve as Dasha.

Annabelle Dexter-Jones plays Naomi Pierce

"Annabelle

Who is Naomi? Nan Pierce’s cousin who suffers from substance abuse and falls for Kendall.

What else has Annabelle Dexter-Jones been in? British actor Dexter-Jones has appeared in The Meyerowitz Stories, Josie & Jack, Under the Silver Lake and The Deuce.

Dasha Nekrasova plays Comfry

"Dasha

Who is Comfry? New for season 3, a crisis PR representative who works for Kendall.

What else has Dasha Nekrasova been in? Belarusian actor Dasha Nekrasova has appeared in Cake, Dickinson and The Serpent.

Natalie Gold plays Rava Roy

"Natalie

Who is Rava? Kendall’s estranged wife with whom he has two children.

What else has Natalie Gold been in? Natalie Gold is best known for her roles in Rubicon, Love & Other Drugs, Birdman, Collateral Beauty, Unsane and shows like The Leftovers, Sneaky Pete and Elementary.

Hope Davis plays Sandi Furness

Who is Sandi? Sandy’s daughter who joins the cast for season 3.

What else has Hope Davis been in? Emmy-winning actress Hope Davis is best known as Tony Stark’s mother Maria Stark in Captain America: Civil War, as well as her roles in In Treatment, Love Life, For the People and Wayward Pines.

Linda Emond plays Michelle-Anne Vanderhoven

Who is Michelle-Anne? A senior White House aide, new for season 3.

What else has Linda Emond been in? Esmond has appeared in The Big Sick, Gemini Man, Julie & Julia, Lodge 49, The Knick and The Good Wife.

Succession airs on Sky Atlantic and NOW from Monday 18th October. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and visit our Drama hub for more news and features.