IfLittlefingerwere ever willing to take on an apprentice, thenSuccession’s Greg Hirsch (Nicholas Braun) would have been an ideal contender. He may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but Littlefinger would still have to watch his back constantly because of how unassumingly shrewd Greg the Egg is capable of being. And that is all the more reason why Greg shouldn’t be ruled out as merely a comical sideshow in the game of succession.
Greg walks into the Roy family with the audience in the first episode, where his cousin status barely gets him recognized by his own relatives. However, he learns the ropes right in front of us and has already failed his way up quite a bit. While he is unlikely to be handed the reins of Waystar RoyCo by Logan (Brian Cox), Greg might walk away with more than his fair share, more than any of the Roy siblings and perhaps even have the last laugh over his admirer-cum-tormentor Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen), who is officially on his way out of the family with hisimpending divorce from Shiv(Sarah Snook).
Greg Uses His Naivete as a Shield
Greg may have seemed like a fish out of water when he entered the Roy family circus, but he soon proved that he is no one’s patsy, not even his “disgusting brother” Tom. If anything, his initial naivete acts as a shield and helps him forge ahead with relative ease. Tom formsan unlikely alliancewith Greg on his way up the corporate ladder, deigning upon Greg a sidekick position. But Greg is more of an insider than Tom will ever be and has a unique understanding of the company and family’s history and culture that has always given him an advantage in navigating their complex power dynamics. This only gives him the power to manipulate in increasingly veiled ways. His survival instincts can earn him the moniker of‘la cucaracha’ (the cockroach) from Lalo Salamanca. He is not ruthless enough to kill for what he desires, but he doesn’t need to. He is slippery enough to squeeze ahead when no one is paying attention.
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He snitches on Tom to Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) when he was considering going public about the cruise scandal. His self-preservation instinct kicks in as he has the foresight to make copies of the evidence Tom wants him to destroy. Later, he uses those copies to get a promotion out of Tom. He facilitates Ken’s (Jeremy Strong) addiction even though, in moments, he steps in to stop him from overdosing. He turns on Ken just as fast when he refuses to buy him an expensive watch. He conveniently sides with Shiv over Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Ken over Logan whenever it can extend his stay in the arena.
At Caroline’s wedding, Greg flits between two women, slipping into different temperaments while speaking to each of them. He only hesitates a little before telling Logan how Tom has created a hostile work environment for him. He knows information is power and never hesitates to use it, along with conflicted displays of empathy that are enough to convince anyone that he is, after all, on their side.
The Rise of Greg Hirsch
As the heir apparent Ken’s star has fallen over the course of the series, Greg’s has obversely risen higher. He has come a long way from being a mascot at one of Waystar Royco’s theme parks. With the show entering its fourth season, the rise of Greg Hirsch is in full swing,
Despite being so seemingly affable and goofy most of the time, Greg is just as pitilessly ambitious as the rest of the lot. He has never hesitated to ask Logan directly for work and has shown openness around the Roy family patriarch no one else dares to go close to. He was the only one who called out Logan for being a mean, ol’ grouch who alienated his kids in the opening episode of season four. Tom could never.
The two-time Emmy-nominated actor Braun revealed toDeadline, “Season four is big for Greg. Greg is tested and [he] puts himself forward as a different kind of guy at times this season–he’s more bold and strategic than we’ve ever seen him [before]. He’s always been a guy who’s tried to play whatever sides are available to him and he really leans into that this season.”
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He also mentioned how Greg just doesn’t have the same moral dilemmas he used to have in the previous seasons, “Greg just doesn’t care as much as he used to. You just sort of follow where you’re wanted. So, he’s wanted on that side. He gets to be with the big man. Everything circulates around Logan, so he gets to be close to him. He’s going to go with it.”
Greg’s resourcefulness and adaptability have allowed him to navigate the intricate power dynamics of the Roy family with apparent ease, which makes his character all the more fascinating to watch.
