We can’t blame Kieran Culkin for being instantly attracted to Roman. From that first line, you know exactly the type of character he is, while also strangely setting him up as a character to explore much deeper than just the surface. It seems the actor had the same idea, because he told Variety that he came up with a plan to make sure he could stab the character, no matter what:
“I asked him, ‘I messed up for Greg, so that’s a pass, but I don’t want to pass. Can I read for Roman?’ The response I got was that they’re not reading for Roman yet. And I said, ‘Can I do it anyway?’ My agent at the time said, yeah, go ahead and play the game. So I picked three scenes, filmed myself, and sent them.”
Hey, sometimes you have to take the opportunities you want for yourself. And thank goodness he did, because obviously going the extra mile worked in Culkin’s favor. He’s been able to layer multiple layers on a one-note goofball that has become the source of speculation and fascination among “Succession” fans. With the big bang from the most recent episode, it’s hard to see anyone besides Culkin in these shoes, and thank goodness for that.
“Succession” airs Sunday nights on HBO and HBO Max.
