Succession’s Kieran Culkin on Roman’s sexuality: ‘We don’t know what it is’
"They were toying with the idea..."
Succession star, Kieran Culkin, has discussed how Roman’s sexuality was the subject of debate before the show went into production.
The actor, 40, stars as Roman in the drama alongside Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, and Sarah Snook.
Following the latest episode, ‘Kill List,’ which sees the drama amped up further following the dramatic passing of Roy family patriarch, Logan, Culkin spoke to Variety about his character.
In the series’ pilot episode audiences saw what was assumed to be Roman’s wife and child.
“Not his kid. Not his wife, either,” the actor revealed. “It was in the pilot, and after it was picked up, it was his girlfriend, and she had a child.”
“We don’t know what it is”
Culkin also revealed he was “I was “excited about the idea of having a kid,” in the show. “It was a little disappointing,” he went on to say that it didn’t pan out as such.
“But I think the idea was that it would just give them more freedom to play with the character,” he continued.
Culkin also discussed how it was mentioned before the pilot episode was shot that creators were questioning Roman’s sexuality.
“We don’t know what it is,” he told Variety. “But it put something in my brain, and I was like, ‘OK, but I’m married and have kids?’
“They were toying with the idea that she’s aware that you have sort of hangups sexually when it comes to monogamy, and might be more fluid, but we don’t know what that is yet.”
It would be an interesting take on the character, and certainly an addition to HBO’s roster of LGBTQ-inclusive content.
HBO is also behind the smash hits The White Lotus and The Last of Us, both of which have notably featured LGBTQ characters and stories.
Succession airs on Sky Atlantic in the UK.