Emmy voters didn’t try to determine who was the “number one boy” among Succession’s cast. Ahead of this year’s awards, the beloved HBO drama series picked up two Best Actor nominations for Jeremy Strong and Brian Cox, two Best Supporting Actress nominations for Sarah Snook and J. Smith-Cameron, and three Best Supporting Actor nominations for Kiernan Culkin, Nicholas Braun, and Matthew Macfadyen. Succession also dominated the guest actor categories, earning three Guest Actress noms for Hope Davis, Harriet Walter, and Sanaa Lathan, as well as four of the Guest Actor slots for James Cromwell, Arian Moayed, Alexander Skarsgård, and Adrien Brody.
Clearly, the voters love the show, and it's no surprise why. Season 3 was perhaps the most emotional installment in the series so far, and ended with a game-changing finale that made fans even more excited for Season 4. Showering Succession with acting nominations was expected, and Brody’s nomination comes as no surprise. He’s the type of performer that the Emmys love to nominate; he’s an Oscar winner (having become the youngest Best Actor winner at age 29 for The Pianist), and he’s currently having a major comeback on television thanks to his acclaimed roles on Chapelwaite and Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty.
However, Brody wasn’t just coasting on his past success or the general love of Succession to earn his nomination. He added a unique flavor to the third season, and helped create one of the show’s finest episodes ever, “Lion in the Meadow.” In the midpoint of the season, “Lion in the Meadow” changed the trajectory of Logan (Cox) and Kendall Roy's (Strong) relationship, setting the stage for the epic finale, “All The Bells Say.” Brody's character, Waystar Royco investor Josh Aaronson, serves as an instigator who forces father and son to admit things to each other that they never would otherwise. Of all of Succession’s Emmy-nominated guest stars, Brody stands out as the MVP.
The third season of Succession pits the Roy family into a civil war. Kendall’s public declaration about his father’s crimes at the end of Season 2 forces Waystar Royco to face critical questions about its long-term sustainability. The tension of the season builds towards the annual shareholder meeting; not only will it determine the company’s future goals, but it will select which leader is best equipped for the challenges that lie ahead. Logan and Kendall both vie for the favor of the different shareholders that influence the decisions, including investor Josh Aaronson, who owns a 4% stake.
Josh is concerned about his investment in the wake of the highly-publicized family bickering but nonetheless invites both Kendall and Logan to meet him at his private island mansion. Succession never spares any expense when it comes to the jaw-dropping locations, but for the most part, “Lion in the Meadow” is a contained chamber piece. It’s here where Brody really shines; he’s a politically savvy tactician who recognizes that he holds all the cards in this scenario. Brody has to ask the same question that the viewers do: is Logan and Kendall’s relationship past the point of no return?
Although the third season lands some major emotional gut punches later on, Brody adds just the right amount of idiosyncratic humor that fits within the context of the show. His elaborate private residence is clearly mannered to his liking, but despite the gorgeous interior, he insists that the two Roys join him for an afternoon stroll as they go over his concerns. Brody is the type of actor that can offer this sort of brief request and suggest several motivations for Josh. This may be a personal quirk, but he’s also exercising his power and testing the Roys’ limits.
There’s a brittle, uncomfortable humor throughout the episode. Logan and Kendall are in an awkward position where they must work together to pretend that things are going according to plan, but neither wants to make any concessions. Josh remains standoffish without being rude, forcing both Roys to be on their best behavior. In one hilarious moment, Logan reluctantly admits that Kendall could be a potentially worthy successor. Meanwhile, Brody uses his past experience working with Wes Anderson to his advantage. The uncomfortable glances and awkward family meals in Succession aren’t all that dissimilar from the squabbling in The Darjeeling Limited or The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Brody’s on-screen patience helps build up to one of the most climactic revelations of the season. During their stroll, Logan begins to collapse from heat exhaustion, and for once he needs Kendall’s help. Kendall’s offer to help shows that he’s still clinging on to some hope that his father cares for him, and that Logan is literally willing to occupy his current position until his death. He doesn’t want to show any signs of weakness in front of Josh; Brody appears to be so active and involved, and Logan is wary of any personal or professional embarrassment that could make him look weak.
Brody is the type of guest star that diversifies the Succession universe. While Cromwell and Moayed play key supporting characters that simply don’t have as much screen time, Brody simply pops up for a few standout moments to show what life beyond the Roys looks like. Succession closely mirrors our reality, and the parallels between the Roys and the Murdoch family have always been evident. It makes sense that in this not-so-distant reality, there would be an idiosyncratic billionaire like Josh.
Josh’s storyline could certainly come back for the upcoming fourth season, which will reportedly drop just in time to contend for the next Emmys cycle. Showrunner Jesse Armstrong would be wise to bring Brody back, but if this was his last appearance, he did leave the audience with one cool Easter egg. When he firsts greets Logan, Josh refers to him as “f**ing King Kong.” A callback to Brody’s role in Peter Jackson’s King Kong is pretty cool, but it would be even better if Brody could top it all off with an Emmy win.