Alan Ruck on playing Connor Roy in HBO’s Succession

Episode notes

There are a lot of funny and strange characters on Succession, the hit drama on HBO. But there might not be any of them that are funnier and stranger than Connor Roy.

He’s the oldest of the Roy children on the show, and is the half brother to the three younger ones.

Connor is a bit of a doofus. He falls in love with an escort, bankrolls her disastrous off-broadway play, runs for president and never, at any point, earns an ounce of respect from a single family member. And, this probably isn’t a coincidence: Connor is also the only sibling with no interest in running the Roy family business.

Connor Roy is played by Alan Ruck, and he’s so great at it. Alan is bizarre when the scene calls for it, but behind the bluster, the rants about biodynamic wine and tax policy, there’s a vulnerability and insecurity. It makes Connor, weirdly, one of the most relatable characters on Succession.

You may also know Alan Ruck from his part in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. He played Cameron,  the best friend with the Ferrari. He also had parts in movies like Speed, Twister and Cheaper By The Dozen, and TV shows like Spin City and The Exorcist.

Alan Ruck joins Bullseye to chat about Succession and what it’s been like playing the character of Connor Roy on the show. He also talks about his years in musical theater, and opens up about the time he spent out of work as an actor and how it led to him eventually getting sober.