Succession star Nicholas Braun on Cousin Greg's surprising evolution
The Emmy contender talks about his character's chaotic journey, and where the next season could take him

To dub HBO’s Succession a critical hit is a “fuck off”-worthy understatement. Jesse Armstrong’s show about the belligerently wealthy Roys, which blends insult comedy, dysfunctional family drama, and a dark look at media corruption, has become an awards magnet over its three-season run. The series is also, of course, a smorgasbord of riveting performers, perhaps none more so than breakout star Nicholas Braun.
When he first strolls through the series premiere as demure Cousin Gregory Hirsch, puking through a silly dog costume in an amusement park, who would’ve imagined he’d end up saying a line as convincingly chilling as “souls are boring” in Succession’s season-three finale? Braun’s potent performance has taken Cousin Greg from a bumbling mess to someone far more scheming and chaotic. So what if he’s suing Greenpeace for his lost inheritance? Cousin Greg is going to be damn confident while doing it.
Braun, who is up for his second Emmy nomination this year for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a drama series, spoke with The A.V. Club about his collaboration with Armstrong to depict Greg’s shifting allegiances in season three, the importance he puts on physical acting, and where his character might go in the fourth season.
The A.V. Club: What was your reaction to Greg’s storyline in season three?
Nicholas Braun: I don’t think I was told much going into season three. Sometimes I ask Jesse for a few episodes in advance to get a general sense, but I don’t recall doing a full rundown this time. It was a surprise to me as it was unveiled and I read the scripts in terms of seeing the situations Greg was getting stuck in. It was fun to kick off as part of Kendall’s [Jeremy Strong] entourage; it was sort of like being in the O.J. Simpson car. It was a thrilling way to start the season for Greg. There’s a nice familial thing, a weird unspoken bond between both of them.
AVC: How did you work with Jesse Armstrong and the show’s writers to figure out Greg’s evolution? I think he becomes more sure of himself in season three.
NB: I think he does too. That was one of our goals for this season, to figure out how Greg confidently takes shape within this world. I think the scene with Logan [Brian Cox] in episode four when he gives him the rum and coke is quite an initiation. To be valued by Logan enough to be brought in gave him a vote of confidence. It was also exciting to do a one-on-one scene with Brian. I was looking forward to it for weeks. Greg is trying to get something real out of Logan, and Brian just presents a strong wall while I just keep letting it all out. Even in episode six, a.k.a. the “pick your president” episode, Logan keeps him in a tight circle. Greg is brought into the small room of deciders. It’s adding stuff like this that Jesse and I felt helped bolster Greg’s currency. I think he was put through a lot of shit this year: the threat of a jail sentence, the loss of his inheritance, and sacrificing his friendship with Kendall. It wasn’t hazing but he got kind of dragged through shit and we decided he comes out stronger.
AVC: How do you approach that change from episode to episode?