#succwathought

[succession-watching]

All of the Roy children act like they each had to read a book in order to act like a real person. All 4 chose different books and none of them finished them.

[succession-watching]

It seems like many viewers focus on Greg's moral decline throughout Succession, but fewer notice that his bumbling demeanor often functions strategically (whether consciously or instinctively). He generally avoids committing himself, asks questions instead of making declarations, and creates ambiguity around his intentions.

If It Is To Be Said, So It Be, So It Is.

This can be an effective survival mechanism in a room full of people who mistake confidence for competence. Or it can make him look like the world's biggest fool.

[succession-watching]

It seems a lot of people find Jeremy Strong's method acting off-putting, but I watched his Actors on Actors with Anne Hathaway and she seemed so empathetic toward him and in general. It was a good conversation between two people who seemed to be communicating on a similar frequency; Anne Hathaway meeting him halfway, so to speak.

He was staying in character for the film they're in and she gave him grace but told him that she's there whenever as a human person if he needs it. At one point, during filming, he told her "I think I need to come up for air" and she invited him to her house for dinner with her family where they drank rum, got to know each other — and that was very heartwarming because I'm not sure if he was given that grace while filming Succession (I could be wrong). 🥲 She seemed really open and graceful. I don't know anything about her but that was my take watching it.

Succession really has resonated with me. Anne Hathaway called it "an abuse legacy" and she nailed it. It's Shakespearean, truly.

Also, I find it incredible how Jeremy Strong is always quoting books or people. It's hard for me to put into words what I'm watching with him when he's not censoring himself. Sometimes you watch an actor and of course there are layers because they're people. But then you watch and hear someone like Jeremy Strong and... they have so many layers. He's something of a rainbow in human colors.

[succession-watching]

When I listen and watch Jeremy Strong, there's this intensity of engagement. Whether it's in a performance or interview... it's as if he seems incapable of approaching things halfway. He's immersive. When he talks, he has a tendency to reach for literature, philosophy, history, theology, psychology, poetry because these are part of his architecture of thinking and relating. It isn't pretentious to reference things you've immersed yourself in. It's deeply human.

It's as if you can watch his mind moving through references in real time. It differs greatly from many actors who seem to discuss or reference their craft in terms of performance. But Jeremy Strong... for him, he discuses his craft in terms of meaning. He's deeply human.