Kieran Culkin Explains Why Roman’s Wife and Child Disappeared From ‘Succession’: ‘They Were Toying With Roman’s Sexuality’

usmagazine.com:

Blink and you’ll miss it. Kieran Culkin clarified whether Roman Roy actually had a wife and child in the first episode of Succession.“Not his kid.

Not his wife, either. It was in the pilot, and after it was picked up, it was his girlfriend, and she had a child,” Culkin, 40, revealed to Variety on Monday, April 24.The New York native, who shares daughter Kinsey, 3, and son Wilder, 20 months, with wife Jazz Charton, recalled being excited to see his character as a father.“I’m wearing my real wedding band in the episode.

I was excited about the idea of having a kid, and the kid was like 7 or 8,” he added. “It was a little disappointing, but I think the idea was that it would just give them more freedom to play with the character.”According to the actor, Succession originally planned to explore Roman’s personal life on a larger scale.“They had mentioned to me, even before we shot the pilot, about questioning what Roman’s sexuality is — and we don’t know what it is,” he explained. “But it put something in my brain, and I was like, ‘OK, but I’m married and have kids?’ They were toying with the idea that she’s aware that you have sort of hangups sexually when it comes to monogamy, and might be more fluid, but we don’t know what that is yet.”The hit HBO series, which debuted in 2018, centers around a wealthy family who is fighting for control of a company amid their father’s health issues.

Throughout the seasons, Roman found himself growing closer with a Waystar RoyCo employee Gerri Kellman (J. Smith-Cameron).Culkin previously opened up about working with Smith-Cameron, 65, to bring the unique dynamic to life.“I like that there’s quite a few things going on there.