Though the final season of HBO’sSuccessionsees the Roy siblings seemingly more isolated than ever, that wasn’t always the case — particularly when it comes to Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong). From early on in Season 1, audiences were introduced tohis old school friend — and cocaine buddy — Stewy Hosseini(Arian Moayed). While the two have been engaged in their fair share of shady deals and backstabbing in the past few years, the two are stillclose when it counts. That said, the audience still doesn’t know a ton about who Stewy is outside of his dealings with Waystar Royco.
In a 1-on-1 interview with Collider’sArezou Aminfor his new filmYou Hurt My Feelings, Moayed was asked whether he concocted his own backstory for Stewy. He explained that while some aspects were discussed behind the scenes, he didn’t necessarily need it reflected in the show, saying:
“It was all just kind of shared. I mean that by, Jesse [Armstrong] and I had a conversation about him being Iranian and when he came over, and all that. But after we had that conversation, I was very honest, I was like, “Whatever we decide here, it doesn’t have to be talked about in the show.” I think part of what I was really hoping for is that we can leave him being Stewy Hosseini and people just accept him for what he is. That happens to be Iranian, and at that level. I think that’s not defining him, which that was very important to me.”
Even though most of Stewy’s backstory was only loosely defined, that doesn’t mean that other offscreen elements didn’t come into play when he joined the show. Moayed credits his longtime friendship with Strong and other members of the cast for creating a safe environment, saying, “I’ve known Jeremy since he was 19, or I was 19, and he was 20, or something, and a lot of these actors are in the theater community, so I’ve seen them around, and we’ve hung out and things. And so, a lot of that backstory is just feeling safe in this environment to act in the best way that you can, and that was done pretty quickly because of how we all kind of knew each other.”
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What’s Next For Arian Moayed?
As of right now, we don’t know if Stewy will make another appearance beforeSuccessioncomes to an end, but that doesn’t mean Moayed isn’t a busy man. He is currently starring in a production ofA Doll’s Houseon Broadway oppositeJessica Chastain, and can next be seen onscreen inNicole Holofcener’sYou Hurt My Feelings. Also starringJulia Louis-Dreyfus,Tobias Menzies,andMichaela Watkins, the film explores the idea of honesty in relationships, and the white lies sometimes needed to bolster a creative spirit.
The series finale ofSuccessionairs on HBO on May 28. Moayed’s next filmYou Hurt My Feelingshits theaters on May 26. Check out the trailer below:
