.nicholasbraun on deleted Succession takes, romantic prospects for this season, tackling Matthew Macfadyen, and Greg’s special watch
Photo: Arturo Holmes/WireImage In this week’s episode of Succession, Nicholas Braun plays chicken. Until now, Cousin Greg has been aligned with Kendall all season, and he begins this ep by assuring him that he’s a “sturdy birdy” — moments before defecting to Uncle Logan under the influence of a morning rum and Coke. Later in the episode, Tom tries to goad Greg into tussling in a last-ditch attempt to overpower somebody, anybody, at Waystar.
There’s so much physical comedy in that scene with Brian Cox: the way you’re gripping the glass, wiping a stain, chugging your drink. How many ways did you play that scene? In general, how many of the physical decisions with Greg are yours, versus direction or in the script? I think he does. He doesn’t live in the total insulation of the rest of these guys. That’s what’s so great about this writing: Every time Kendall says something about the women wronged at Waystar and what we’ve got to do, it just rings false and feels empty. Every move that’s happening and every conversation about that stuff, it’s all a deeper play for power or just to be liked more. But Greg might be saying these things with actual, real feeling behind it. At least that’s how I feel.
You and Tom have one of the most interesting dynamics on any show. This episode’s scene in your windowless office is amazing — he’s a bully at his breaking point, just totally lashing out at you. Can you walk me through filming that scene? He can’t bully him forever, because we’ve seen it a lot, and because Greg sees through some of that now, whereas he used to be more intimidated by it. I don’t know how that scene plays, but I hope it feels like, if Tom is this many rungs above Greg, Greg climbs up a few in that scene. I think Greg gains a little more respect from him, which scares Tom. He needs Greg as the one that’s way below him, who will never get to his level. The threat of that is very real for him.
Your character has always been the punching bag. In real life, your portrayal of that character has made you extremely not that. There are girls posted up at Ray’s trying to meet you all over my TikTok feed.I know it’s weird to bring it up, but it’s a part of the narrative of watching this season: Here’s this HBO show about old white guys in suits doing business with all this baroque dialogue, and the fandom is engaging with it like it’s The Vampire Diaries. There are fancams for it.