Jeremy Strong Reflects On The Emotional Toll Of Playing Kendall Roy On ‘Succession’

HBO’s “Succession” wrapped up its highly successful run last year, but according to actor Jeremy Strong, starring in the show did a number on him emotionally.

“It fucked me up,” Strong, who played Kendall Roy in the satirical drama series for four seasons, told The Sunday Times.

The dark comedy series, which follows a dysfunctional, super-rich American media family, wrapped up in May 2023 after four seasons.

Strong, 45, said he would imagine terrible things happening in real-life to mentally prepare himself to play Kendall.

But the Boston-born actor explained that his mental health has been on the rise since the award-winning show ended, saying, “I’ve rediscovered play. I sometimes lost touch with joy.”

Despite going through emotional turmoil to play Kendall, it all apparently paid off for Strong in the end.

“That show was an incalculable gift,” he said in the interview published Oct. 11. “The material a banquet. So I miss that. But Kendall’s struggle was difficult to carry for seven years, and there’s just so much more I want to do.”

When asked about the chances of a Kendall spin-off, Strong politely shut it down.

“It’s not something I have any wish to do any longer,” he said. “I’m aware it is one of the main chapters of my life, but I don’t miss it.”

Strong’s comments come after he told People over the summer that he feels the show has been “put to rest.”

“I’m sure there’s a desire for more [Succession],” he told the publication at the 2024 Tony Awards in June. “I would really pass that buck to Jesse Armstrong,” he said, referring to the show’s creator.

Strong added, “But I think in terms of the role that I played, he came to his terminal point. So for me, that’s something that is very happily put to rest.”