Jeremy Strong, the Emmy-winning actor who became a household name for his portrayal of Kendall Roy on HBO’s acclaimed series Succession, has opened up about the emotional toll the role took on him. After engaging viewers as the tormented rapper for seven long years, Strong revealed that the character made him lose touch with joy. Now, he’s stepping into the shoes of lawyer Roy Cohn in the upcoming film The Apprentice, which explores Donald Trump’s early years as a businessman in New York.

‘No desire to return’ on Succession: Jeremy Strong

In a revealing chat with the Sunday Times, Jeremy Strong, the man behind the anxious and troubled Kendall Roy, admitted that the role was both a blessing and a bit of a curse. “It fuc*** me up,” he confessed. For seven years, he was locked in a dramatic dance with Kendall's fragile psyche, a commitment that sometimes left his co-star Brian Cox exasperated, labeling it “fu*** annoying.”

Now that the show has wrapped up after a four-season run, Strong has quashed any hope of reviving the character in spin-offs, stating, “It’s not something I have any wish to do any longer. I’m aware it is one of the main chapters of my life, but I don’t miss it.”

However, he did acknowledge that “that show was an incalculable gift. The material was a banquet, so I miss that. But Kendall’s struggle was difficult to carry for seven years, and there’s just so much more I want to do,” he said.

Jeremy Strong plays Roy Cohn in The Apprentice

While Jeremy Strong is stepping into the legal arena with his new role as a lawyer in Donald Trump’s biopic, his connection to the name Roy remains strong, as he portrays Roy Cohn. The film, featuring Sebastian Stan in the lead role, stars Strong as Trump’s mentor and attorney during his early years as a property developer in Manhattan.

Surprisingly, Strong mentioned that every movie studio turned down the project before it finally got picked up. The Apprentice debuted at Cannes, and right when it premiered the Trump campaign made headlines by issuing a cease-and-desist letter threatening legal action against the film.

The timing of the film's release is particularly intriguing, as it coincides with the election period. In a recent interview with the New York Times, the crew described the film as “an exploration of a human tragedy.”

Jeremy Strong emphasised that the film wasn’t intentionally premiered to coincide with the political landscape, stating, “there was never a plan to make this a political act or a hand grenade to be dropped in the middle of the election.”

When talking about the story, Ali mentioned that it could be seen as "turning into a monster" or looked at as a story of human suffering. Strong agrees with this view, thinking the movie is a deep look into what it means to fight hard.

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