Succession: 10 Times Nicholas Braun Was Just Like Cousin Greg
An actor's approach to a role can be crucial, influencing many details that become essential to the character. Since the highly acclaimed Succession aired, Greg Hirsch has been the primordial connection between the audience and the Roy family, and the credit is abundantly for Nicholas Braun's charisma.
Although fans must keep fiction and reality separated, there's no harm in highlighting the funny similarities between an actor and his on-screen personality, especially in Greg's case where Braun consciously made the character similar to him. Far from the family drama, the actor has had hilarious moments in real life that mirror the fan-favorite character.
Braun has contributed massively to craft the personality of Cousin Greg, as he admitted in an interview to Digital Spy that Greg has some of his "quirkiness." Nicholas Braun's first TikTok was a funny "POV" video, where the actor filmed himself "eating a mini donut for breakfast."
Succession has never shed light on whether Greg has a TikTok account or not and probably won't in the future, but if Greg did have one, it isn't hard to imagine a "POV" video of him eating a donut just as the actor. This type of quirk is precisely one of many aspects that make Greg "The Egg" beloved.
Succession offers great Greg-focused episodes and, since the first season's opening episode, Nicholas Braun cemented the awkward mannerisms of Cousin Greg. On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, when asked how he prepared for the Succession test, the actor answered that he went into various shops in an airport and "just stood next to people" talking to them.
Although he points out that he wants to leave a conversation quickly in opposition to Greg, both share the ability of lurking, an essential skill in the maneuvering-driven environment of the show. The fact that he thought of that unusual approach and that it didn't take him much to get into Cousin Greg shows how intensely the actor is in tune with the quirky cousin.
From comments about his toes to the iconic congress deposition, Cousin Greg has said exquisite words. On Thanksgiving, Nicholas Braun didn't get far from the type of thing his character says on-screen when he posted a TikTok saying "gobble gobble."
The video continues as the actor points out that he wanted to receive "gobble gobble" texts because "that's the sound that the turkeys make." The humorous lines could have been taken out from one of Succession's scripts given their resemblance to the funny quotes in the show, and it's not by accident that Braun's TikTok account is popular among Succession fans.
Although Tom has never made Greg drink soap, it's not a stretch to admit that would be a possibility, judging by the strange things Tom has said on Succession. Uber Eats' Super Bowl ad gave fans a glimpse of what the cringe-worthy moment would be.
Seeing Nicholas Braun drinking fake soap looks like seeing Greg "The Egg" doing the same thing (and not just because they share the "same face" like Braun funnily mentions in this Digital Spy interview). The awkwardness of Braun is a highlight of the ad, resembling his character. Months after season 3's finale, fans appreciated seeing "Greg" on their screens during Super Bowl.
The scene where Greg plans to sue Greenpeace and his uncle in an "affectionate way" is one of the funniest scenes of season 3, and it should be on the list of Greg's best quotes on Succession.
Blurring the line between fiction and real life as a joke, Nicholas Braun (@nicholasbraun) didn't waste time replying to Greenpeace on Twitter. He answered the environmental organization as Greg, saying that he was "still" going to sue them. The joke demonstrates how comfortable Braun feels with the character, bringing Cousin Greg to life outside Succession, at least on social media.
The likeness between Braun and Hirsch has even been pointed out by his co-star Brian Cox, who told Stephen Colbert that he started calling the character "Nick" because he couldn't "tell the difference" between the two. In an interview with CBC q, Nicholas Braun confirmed that similarity by stating that he enjoys putting his "awkwardness" into Greg, and that's an aspect that feels "really good" to him.
While Greg is far from being a suitable Waystar RoyCo CEO in Succession, he's undoubtedly the funniest and most relatable character in the show. Thus, awkwardness is a crucial element to both men, and from what Braun has said, playing Greg seems incredibly fun and relatable.
In an interview on The Late Show, the actor told Stephen Colbert the story of his meeting with Bill Clinton at a party he went to with his co-star Jeremy Strong. Not only the way he tells the story is Greg-like, but the actor also hilariously called the Secret Service "my boys" before meeting the former US president.
While, in Succession's season 3, it's Roman who talks with a president, Cousin Greg has a flair for becoming close to powerful figures, like his uncle Logan. Just like Greg lurks next to other characters in the show, Braun said he stood next to former President Clinton, casually calling him "Bill."
Succession allows many improvisations, and it's no surprise that the actors manage to share unique dynamics both on and off the screens. On the stage of the SAG Awards, Nicholas Braun and Kieran Culkin were behaving just like their fictional counterparts.
Although his face is not visible on the official videos of the ceremony, Braun can be seen touching the award from behind Culkin, only to get his hand humorously slapped by his co-star. The humorous scene rings true to both their characters in the show, a thing fans appreciated seeing as they wait for season 4 excitedly.
The similarities between character and actor haven't been overlooked by the SAG Awards either. Braun opened the SAG ceremony with a comic Greg-inspired monologue. The actor joked about drinking so much soda between takes that the director had to tell him to stop drinking it.
Moments like this demonstrate why both Braun and Greg's charisma has caused such a great impact on television. Greg may be clumsier than Braun sometimes, but he has a flair for comedy like the skilled actor.
When he's not working at ATN, Nicholas Braun is often on basketball courts (given that the actor is passionate about the sport). Spotted on a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden, Braun danced as the MSG's DJ played the brilliant Succession score. Like Greg dancing at Tom and Shiv's wedding, the actor isn't shy to dance among a crowd.
While every fan must separate character and actor, these humorous similarities prove the excellence of Braun's performance. Whether they are outside or inside the Waystar RoyCo building, both Cousin Greg and Nicholas Braun have cemented themselves in the hearts of fans.