Saturday Night Live personality Bowen Yang shared a story about Succession star Jeremy Strong and his famous dedication to staying in character.
The Brisbane, Australian-born entertainer, 32, opened up about seeing the 44-year-old actor, who plays Kendall Roy on the HBO hit, as he walked onto the set of the series Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens while staying in character as the brooding billionaire media heir.
The Saturday Night Live personality spoke about the encounter on his podcast Las Culturists Wednesday, saying that Strong walked onto the show’s set and production office and asked for directions to the restroom.
“The most recent season of Nora From Queens was shot in the same studio as this season of Succession,” Yang, who plays Edmund in the comedy. “Nora From Queens’ production office was quite close to the Succession stages and their production office, and as we know, Jeremy Strong is a Method actor.”
Yang said “at some point Strong entered the office” and said, “Excuse me, do you know where the bathroom is?”
The latest: Saturday Night Live personality Bowen Yang, 32, has shared a story about Succession star Jeremy Strong, 44, and his famous commitment to staying in character
And then someone in the office says, “Yeah, it’s down the hall on the left.” He says, “Thank you very much,” and he leaves.’
Yang said Strong then left, and 10 minutes later, a Succession production assistant entered the office and asked about the actor’s whereabouts.
The PA ‘goes, ‘Hello, was Jeremy just in here?'” Yang said. And they said, “Yeah, he was. He went to the bathroom.” And then this PA says, “Did he ask where it was? Did he come here to ask where the bathroom was?”
“They were like, ‘Yeah, why?’ and the PA says, “He’s got a scene today where he has to ask someone where the bathroom is.”‘
Yang said of the actor’s dedication to his roles, “I think Method is so ridiculous he needs to get the joke,” adding that he subscribes to the idea that Jeremy Strong has a sense of play and irony. ‘
Strong’s hyper-focused dedication to his craft has been well documented throughout his success in HBO drama over the past five years.
In a key scene in the first season of Succession – in which his character is involved in a late-night car accident, in which the vehicle he was in crashed into a lake – he had assistants drench him with ice water to explain the reality of the bleak situation.
The show’s executive producer/director, Mark Mylod told IndieWire in 2018 that Strong had dumped ice water on his head during the already grueling shoot.
“I think the beauty of a physical obstacle is what you really have to do is put yourself in that situation, in those circumstances, and then deal,” Strong told the outlet.
The actor, who won the 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, continued, “So I had to get into a lake in the middle of winter that was almost freezing cold and it’s horrible the way it’s supposed to be.”
“Those things are actually, in a way, easier than, for lack of a better word, emotional work.”
Strong played the role of brooding billionaire media heir Kendall Roy for four seasons
Strong won the 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his efforts on the HBO series, which concludes on Sunday
He described the physical impact of the routine saying, “Your head is burning and your limbs are numb, so you don’t really have to do that.”
“That was really scary, just letting the air out in my own lungs to the point where I felt in danger and danger just enough that I was actually in the situation and then trying to pull myself out of it.”
Strong’s focus on his craft has occasionally received attention from his costars on creator Jesse Armstrong’s HBO hit.
Brian Cox, who plays media mogul Logan Roy on the series, called Strong’s techniques “damn annoying” while talking to City & Country last February.
“Don’t get me started,” Cox said, adding that the vehicle was there, “it’s just there and accessible.” It’s not a big religious experience.’
Cox made it clear that he feels Strong has excellent acting skills and doesn’t need to put himself through the ringer to achieve on-screen authenticity.
“He’s still that guy because he feels like if he went somewhere else, he’d lose it.” But he won’t!’ Cox said. Strong is talented. He’s damn gifted. When you have the gift, celebrate the gift. Go back to your trailer and take a hit of marijuana, you know?”
In a published piece of The New Yorkers which was published in December 2021, Cox said he was concerned about the personal impact of Strong’s dedication on him.
“I’m just worried about what he’s doing to himself,” Cox said. “I worry about the crises he puts himself through to prepare.”
Brian Cox, who plays media mogul Logan Roy in the series, called Strong’s techniques “damned annoying” in an interview earlier this year.
Kieran Culkin said of Strong, who plays his older brother on the show, “It’s hard for me to really describe his process because I don’t really see it. He puts himself in a bubble’
In the piece, Kieran Culkin said of Strong, who plays his older brother on the show, “It’s hard for me to really describe his process because I don’t really see it. He puts himself in a bubble.
“The way Jeremy put it to me is you get in the ring, you do the scene and at the end each actor goes to their corner. I’m like, “This isn’t a fight. This is a dance.”‘
Culkin, who has been praised for his portrayal of Roman Roy in the series, added, “That might be something that helps him.” I can tell you it doesn’t help me.’
The final episode of Succession airs Sunday on HBO/Max.