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Spoilers follow forSuccessionseason four episode eight, Church and State.
In the penultimate episode ofSuccession,thebells toll for Logan Roy, but theDalmatians howlfor Lady Caroline Collingwood.
The women ofSuccession,unionizing over Logans coffin.
You finally filmed an episode on the Roys home turf.
Ive never filmed in America.
Thats got a certain mythology, so that was quite exciting.
Weddings and funerals, she rocks up.
I want to talk about your scenes with Shiv.
Neither of you actually say pregnant or baby.
Its all exchanges and glances and Are you okay?
And Shiv shoots the defensiveness right back at her.Theyre very good at sparring in that way, arent they?
Theyve built up that code of reading one another andnotquite reading one another.
Theres a psychological subtlety to the two women theyre kind of well-matched.
But I also think shed be very direct and say, Is it Toms?
OrHave you been having an affair?
Shes capable of that.
And of course, the reason why not is because I know you dont trust me.
He comes to Mom and she doesnt know any of that.
And I cant do that.So she does a runner, which is not what you or I would do.
Whenever we see Lady Caroline, its like were getting a missing half of the puzzle of these characters.
But you wouldnt want to be her daughter.
She had to appear to be entertained and toe the line, and it just wasnt her thing.
She hasnt really got the discipline or the emotional vocabulary to be a mother.
You get on with your life.
You tough it out.
And thats what she expects of her children.
Lady Caroline brings that wry sense of humor, that anti-sentimentality.Yes, its very shorthand, isnt it?
And Im impressed that Americans are picking up on it.
Weve got a very predominantly British writing team.
They obviously get that person.
But I also think that money speaks to money.
Its very often the case that British aristocracy have married into American wealth to prop up their old castles.
Shes in that tradition, a bit.
Of course, Logan isnt really an American.
Its an interesting combination because its two different kinds of lack of feeling.
I dont think shes had favorites or any of that.
Was Caroline gathering all of Logans exes to sit together at the funeral an act of tenderness?
This is the father of her children.
When someone dies, you go back to the past, usually to fond memories.
Usually we think of the best things about someone once theyve gone.
And she looks around this room and she spots Sally-Ann and she spots Kerry.
Shes got to face up to Marcia.
So she suddenly feels,Theres only four of us in this whole congregation who know what its like.
I just think its more interesting.
The fact that they can come together like that shows what a grip Logan had on everyone.
And the tension he sowed in his life.Theres a certain sort of female solidarity about it as well.
Well, my reaction ischerchez lhomme.Look for the guy.
Its Logan who messed up all these people.
He had the power and he used it.
Yet weve all had our time when weve loved him.
Theres a great, silent moment of you reacting to Kendalls eulogy.
How were those scenes filmed?
And knowing that youd have to do it thousands of times, it was good that they did that.
What I have to explain is, Im sitting in an audience watching brilliant acting.
And I have to click in:Yourenotin an audience watching brilliant acting.
I think he doesnt get nearly enough attention.
I think he does a beautiful job.
I never got bored.
I was sitting watching this display of fantastic, master-class acting.
This interview is edited and condensed.
