Jeremy Strong's Alternate Ending Was Cut From Succession Series Finale
It looks like the actor took his method acting a little too seriously.
Unquestionably, HBO's Succession stands as one of the most compelling drama series of this century, boasting four seasons of razor-sharp writing and exceptional character development. While much of the credit goes to creator and writer Jessie Armstrong, the extraordinary cast has undeniably lent heaps of authenticity to this power play among the hyper-wealthy. Among such heavyweights as Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, and Matthew Macfadyen, one actor notably stood out: Jeremy Strong.
Strong's character, Kendall Roy, was among the most conflicted in the show, yet fans were drawn to this heartfelt underdog, largely due to Strong's meticulous performance.
So, when viewers saw Kendall, just denied his claim to his father's empire, gazing pensively into the Hudson River in the series finale, they were left heartbroken. The show's finale was plenty sad as it is, but apparently, Strong drew on his method acting skills to make it come across as even more poignant.
According to Armstrong, Strong improvised his character's final moments on the show by rushing towards the railing, seemingly intent on leaping into the river. Naturally, the actor did not actually plan to jump, given how dangerous that would have been, but the shot of him scaling the railing proved so disturbing that Armstrong chose not to include it in the final cut.
‘I was terrified. I was terrified that he might fall in and be injured. He didn’t look like he was going to jump in. But once he climbed over that barrier, when you film, there are generally a lot of health and safety assessments made, and that was not our plan that day,’ Armstrong explained.
It seems Strong formed a profound connection with his character, perhaps concluding that Kendall would not be able to withstand such family betrayal and might even take his own life by jumping into the muddy waters of the Hudson, were it not for his personal bodyguard's intervention at the last moment.
Regardless, even without this scene making the cut, the sight of Kendall staring into the river is perhaps even more heartrending than him actually jumping into the river would have been.
Source: NPR’s Fresh Air.