Alan Ruck interview: ‘Succession’
“I’m very comfortable playing damaged goods,” shares Alan Ruck of his character on HBO’s “Succession.” The veteran actor plays Connor Roy, the eldest son of media mogul Logan Roy (Brian Cox) who is often overlooked and ridiculed by his three half-siblings. “I tend to get cast in off-center sorts of roles,” reflects the actor on how this character fits into his extensive and memorable résumé. He praises the series for featuring “the best writing that I’ve ever encountered.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
In the third season of “Succession,” Connor seriously pursues his lofty ambition to become the President of the United States. Ruck rationalizes his character’s goal by saying, “I think all of us have delusional daydreams of one kind or another.” Although the actor does not know the direction of the character in the upcoming fourth season, he speculates that at best Connor can hope for some “leverage at the convention” and perhaps get offered the role of “ambassador to French Guiana” by the party’s frontrunner.
WATCH our exclusive video interview with J. Smith Cameron on ’Succession’ Season 3
The season begins with a civil war in the family, as Connor’s brother Kendall (Jeremy Strong) has turned on their father and tries to take him down by airing some of the corporation’s crimes in public. When Connor has to decide whose side to choose, Ruck shares that “in terms of strategizing, Connor’s not very good at that.” The actor thinks that what ultimately sways Connor to Logan’s side is that “what’s really horribly apparent is there is no plan” from Kendall on what to do next.
In the season finale, Ruck does some of his best work on the series to date when Connor snaps at siblings for what the actor describes as their “decades of derision” toward him. At an intervention for Kendall, the other siblings ignore Connor’s contributions, and although the Screen Actors Guild Award-winning performer says that Connor “has developed the ability over the years to tune them out,” he cannot stand to hear Kendall refer to himself as Logan’s eldest son. The actor’s physicality in the scene is hilarious as he takes out his aggression on a wooden table with a butter knife, a choice he thinks is perfect because “it’s so impotent.”
WATCH our exclusive video interview with Sarah Snook on ‘Succession’ Season 3
Another of Ruck’s best moments this season occurs in the penultimate episode, in which Connor awkwardly proposes to his girlfriend Willa (Justine Lupe), a struggling playwright and former call girl, because he thinks it will help his candidacy. “We’re not sure Connor knows what love is, but he’s crazy about this girl,” admits the actor, adding that although Willa seems incredibly torn about whether to say yes, “She has developed some affection for him, because he’s actually pretty sweet to her.” He describes Lupe as “fabulous” and “delightful” to work opposite.
Tune into the video interview above to learn about how Ruck’s real-life shoulder surgery made its way into one of the Season 3 episodes in a way that series creator Jesse Armstrong described as “kismet” and to hear the actor’s thoughts on the standout episode “Retired Janitors of Idaho.”
