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Fresh Air

Best Of: 'Succession' Creator Jesse Armstrong / Actor Elliot Page

Fresh Air

NPR

Tv & Film, Arts, Society & Culture, Books

4.3 β€’ 36.1K Ratings

πŸ—“οΈ 10 June 2023

⏱️ 48 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Succession creator, showrunner and head writer, Jesse Armstrong has been reluctant to reveal much about creating the characters, their motivations and plotlines in the past β€” but now that the series is over, he's ready to talk. Also with us is executive producer Frank Rich, who was instrumental in getting the series made.

Maureen Corrigan recommends two new suspense novels that overturn the age-old "woman-in-trouble" plot: My Murder and Beware the Woman.

Also, we'll hear from actor Elliot Page. He's best known for his roles in Juno, Inception and X-Men. In 2020, he came out as a trans man β€” and soon after his character on Netflix series The Umbrella Academy, also transitioned. Page's new memoir is called Pageboy.

Transcript

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0:00.0

From WHYY in Philadelphia, I'm Terry Gross with Fresh Air Weekend.

0:06.1

Today we talk about HBO's succession and its finale with a series creator and showrunner

0:11.9

Jesse Armstrong who wrote the finale.

0:14.5

In the past he's been reluctant to reveal much about creating the characters and plotlines,

0:20.0

but not that the series is over, he was ready to talk.

0:23.6

Also with us we'll be executive producer Frank Rich, who is instrumental in getting the

0:27.9

series made.

0:29.3

Later we'll hear from after Elliott Page, he's best known for his roles in Juno,

0:33.6

Inception and X-Men. In 2020 he came out as a trans man, and soon after his character

0:40.5

on the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy also transitioned. Page's new memoir is called Pageboy.

0:47.4

A marrying cargonal recommend two new suspense novels that overturn the age old woman in trouble plot.

0:55.3

That's coming up on Fresh Air Weekend.

0:59.5

This is Fresh Air Weekend, I'm Terry Gross. If you still have questions about the finale of HBO's

1:05.7

succession Stay Tuned. You're about to get some answers from the man who wrote it Jesse Armstrong.

1:12.1

He's the series creator, showrunner, and head writer. Also joining us for the interview is Frank

1:17.6

Rich, an executive producer of this series, who was instrumental in getting it made. Succession

1:23.5

is about three adult siblings vying to succeed their elderly father as the powerful CEO of the

1:29.8

family conglomerate. I have you beat you morons. Those six words spoken by the patriarch Logan Roy

1:40.7

sum up his philosophy of business and of life. I have you beat and his opinion of his children

1:46.9

you morons. He's a brilliant businessman who through power plays manipulation and backstabbing

1:53.4

has created a media and entertainment empire including a conservative cable news network.

1:59.1

As a father, just about any expression of love toward his children has been transactional.

...

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