Editor’s Note: The following story contains spoilers for the “Succession” finale.
It’s been well documented that Jeremy Strong went to great lengths for his legendary role as Kendall Roy on “Succession,” frequently staying in character for long periods of time in an attempt to fuse his own personality with the character. The process allowed him to experience Kendall’s highest highs — and much more frequently, his lowest lows.
A viral scene in the “Succession” finale landed somewhere in between the two extremes. When Roman and Shiv Roy tentatively agree to name Kendall CEO of Waystar Royco to block Lukas Mattson’s takeover bid, he finally gets the crown that he has spent his entire life chasing. After four seasons of constant infighting between the three Roy children, the temporary truce seems like vindication for all of Kendall’s nefarious scheming. As he prepares for the board meeting the following day, he seems closer than ever to the job he’s coveted since he was seven years old.
But his siblings won’t back him until he eats a “meal fit for a king” — a disgusting smoothie comprised of random ingredients from their mother’s refrigerator including raw eggs, Tabasco sauce, and expired pickles.
In a predictable turn of events, Kendall’s desire to be CEO outweighs his disgust. He drinks as much of the vile concoction as he can stomach before Roman dumps the rest of it on his head. In an even more predictable turn of events, Strong was determined to avoid cutting corners.
Appearing on the “Succession” Podcast after the finale, Strong revealed that the smoothie was indeed made of the disgusting ingredients that audiences saw on the show. Strong said he drank the mixture, but he could only handle a few takes before his stomach gave in.
“We did it only a few times and I went outside and retched and jumped in the ocean and washed it off my hair,” Strong said. “And yeah, I did drink it. I wouldn’t know how not to drink it. He wants it that badly that he’s gonna drink whatever that is, right, but it was disgusting.”
