Oh, the Romanity.
Even if Succession can't last forever, who else wishes the parade of Roman-Royisms could go on in perpetuity? Kieran Culkin brings such poetry to lines like "We do roller coasters and hate speech" and "Hey, hey, motherf--kers!"
Which is why, even though he was originally called in to read for the part of Cousin Greg, who endearingly stumbles over every word, Kieran requested a tryout for Roman, who—at least in the beginning—is all talk.
"I liked his voice, and I really clicked with it," the two-time Emmy nominee recalled on the Los Angeles Times podcast The Envelope in February. "Pretty much every syllable was like, I completely understand who this guy is, and that almost never happens. But I cannot tell you exactly what that is."
His personal connection to the wry, wounded Roman aside ("I'm still trying to find a therapist," he cracked), when he got the call he was ready, having stealthily honed his acting chops for years on parts that required a certain jaded but sensitive, sarcastic but intelligent affect with a dash of nervous energy.
Or maybe that's what Kieran has always brought to the table, ever since he was refusing to go easy on the Pepsi in Home Alone, a movie he didn't even realize Macaulay Culkin was the star of until long after it was made.
Like his big brother, Kieran has been onscreen since he was a little kid, plying his trade for most of the past four decades, crossing the bridge from child star to busy grown-up actor. In honor of his 40th birthday Sept. 30, here's a look at the roles that set Kieran up for Succession: