Succession star Matthew Macfadyen: ‘It’s liberating to play because you can say these hurtful, vile and appalling things’

Matthew Macfadyen’s two-faced Tom has been one of the standout characters in ‘Succession’. The actor tells Dónal Lynch about identifying with aspects of the role, family life with his equally famous wife Keeley Hawes, and the pitfalls of becoming a star

Matthew Macfadyen says his role in Succession is 'therapeutic'. Photo: Aaron Richter/Getty Images

Dónal Lynch

March 2023 has been a month of comebacks and revenge served cold. Chris Rock bided his time for a full year before unleashing a ferocious riposte to Will Smith just before this year’s Oscars. At the ceremony itself, downtrodden and forgotten stars like Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan emerged from showbiz purgatory to grab gongs.