JEREMY STRONG’S RISE
From Masters of Sex to Succession + The Oscars
Jeremy Strong is on one of the hottest streaks in Hollywood right now. After two successful seasons on HBO’s Succession, the 42-year-old actor has risen to the ranks of this generation’s most notable actors. And with his performance in Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, an Oscar nomination could be in his future.
What led him to this moment is his strong foundation in the arts. He graduated from Yale University with an English degree and multiple plays under his belt. He went on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. But perhaps the most formative time in his acting career was when he was acting icon Danial Day-Lewis’s assistant during the 2005 film The Ballad of Jack and Rose.
“What I saw in him was a willingness to make a fool of himself on the day in front of the crew and the other actors so that he could really believe in the thing and commit to it,” Strong told Deadline of Day-Lewis. “I think commitment is a worthy goal; you have to leave everything else at the gate. I was 22 and it was a great privilege to get to witness that.”
That mentality leads to Strong’s embodiment of his characters, which is why you won’t find a laundry list of projects in his queue. Stong says he can’t just flip characters on and off — he needs some time to come in and out of them.
In HBO’s Succession, he plays Kendall Roy, the second oldest in the Murdoch-inspired family. Like his siblings and, namely, his father, Kendall is power-hungry and wants to please his father. It often doesn’t go hand in hand. That is until the season two finale, when Kendall delivers the ultimate blow. Don’t worry; we won’t spoil it for you. That performance led to a key Emmy win for the amazing actor — and now another nomination could be in his future.
Between seasons of Succession, Strong took the role in Aaron Sorkin’s court drama The Trial of the Chicago 7. The biopic tells the story of the trial of protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Strong played Abbie Hoffman’s friend Jerry Rubin. Though Sacha Baron Cohen delivered the most robust performance of the film, Strong was a close second. He provided moments of humor while at the center of one of the film’s most dramatic scenes. All of The Trial of the Chicago 7 actors are billed as Supporting Actors at the Oscars. We hope Strong is among the nominees.
As for his upcoming projects, season three of Succession was set to resume in November. That’s good news for fans of the media drama. After that, Strong will take on John Gruen’s role in the upcoming Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro directed by Bradley Cooper. So, we might be seeing more of Strong at Emmy and Oscar ceremonies. Fingers crossed.
