Jeremy Strong shared that playing Kendall Roy had a lasting effect on his mental health. The 45-year-old actor explained that during his time on the Emmy-winning series Succession, he “sometimes lost touch with joy.”
It really messed me up, and I don’t miss it,
he admitted in an interview with The Sunday Times,
Since leaving the role, the Golden Globe winner—who faced criticism from his on-screen father, Brian Cox, for his intense method acting—said he has found “joy” in his life again.
Advertisement I went on a silent meditation retreat last week, I really needed it.
he added
There’s so much noise and busyness now. I have opportunities that I only ever imagined.
He explained,
Strong also talked about how helpful the silent retreat was for his life and well-being.
I’ve rediscovered play, I sometimes lost touch with joy.
he said
Known for being a dedicated method actor, Strong felt “overwhelmed” by his role as Kendall, the troubled black sheep of the Roy family. During the conversation, he shared how relieved he was to leave the role and the show behind.
Unlike his co-stars, he didn’t leave his character on set and continued to act like Kendall even when the cameras weren’t rolling. He had shared before that he would imagine terrible things happening in his own life to get ready for the role, which ended up hurting his mental health.
Now, he says that even though Succession was a “gift,” he is happy he no longer has to “carry Kendall’s struggles” and “doesn’t miss it.”
That show was an amazing gift, The material was like a feast, so I do miss that.
Strong said about Succession and finally moving on from his character.
But carrying Kendall’s struggles for seven years was hard, and there’s so much more I want to do.
He added,
When asked if he would come back for a spin-off, he firmly said no.
It’s not something I want to do anymore, I know it’s a big part of my life, but I don’t miss it.
he explained
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In the interview, Strong also talked about his new role in the controversial film The Apprentice, where he plays Roy Cohn, a ruthless lawyer and Donald Trump’s mentor.
After Steven Cheung, Trump’s 2024 campaign spokesperson, called the biopic “malicious defamation [that] belongs in a dumpster fire,” Strong said it “made me laugh.”
Because that’s exactly what Roy would have told them to do,
he explained.
Attack, deny everything, and never admit defeat. Their strategy is a campaign of misinformation. Without watching the movie, they assumed it could hurt them. But there’s nothing in it that Trump himself hasn’t bragged about.
The Apprentice is now in theaters after its premiere on Friday, October 11.
Source: NME