Emmys: Kieran Culkin Moves to Lead Actor Drama Category for ‘Succession’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Roman Roy is now co-CEO of Waystar RoyCo on HBOs Succession, so its only natural that actor Kieran Culkin followed suit with his Emmy campaign.

Culkin, who plays the sarcastic and jokey Roman on HBOs hit drama series, confirms to Variety exclusively he will be submitted for the lead drama actor category at this years Primetime Emmy Awards. This marks a category switch for the actor, who previously submitted in the supporting categories for the three previous seasons. Roman has come to the forefront during this fourth and final season of the show, leading the way on the Waystar-GoJo deal with his siblings Kendall (Jeremy Strong) and Shiv (Sarah Snook).

If youre asking if hes a lead character, then I would say absolutely, Culkin says during an upcoming episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast. I think this season was set up before episode three happened as Logan versus Shiv, Roman, Kendall. And then [Logan] passes, and its what I think the central focus of the show is the three of them.

Read: Varietys Awards Circuit for the latest Emmy predictions.

Culkin has received two previous Emmy noms for the second and third seasons of Succession, losing out to Billy Crudup for The Morning Show and his co-star Matthew Macfadyen, who plays the smarmy executive Tom.

Strong won the Emmy for the shows second season and was nominated again for the third alongside Brian Cox as Logan, the Roy family patriarch. Strongs team also confirms he will submit for a leading actor bid. There isnt confirmation yet on where Cox and Snook will ultimately campaign. As it stands, Cox has appeared in three of the five episodes of the season. If he doesnt appear in any others, he will have carte blanche to submit in any of three acting categories lead, supporting or guest actor. Per Emmy rules, Only performers appearing in less than 50% of the eligible episodes can submit in the guest performer categories.

HBOs Succession Graeme Hunter Culkins decision has nothing to do with campaign strategy or tactics, saying Its just thats what the show is. If Im supporting, that would mean Kendall and Shiv are also. And to me, that doesnt feel like thats the show. The show has always felt like an ensemble, but the center of gravity is this man, Logan. So its always sort of silly to think of these things whos lead, whos supporting, but it always felt like hes lead, and were all dancing around him.

Culkin has been an accomplished and respected actor for over three decades, with a breadth of work across both film and television. Beginning alongside his real-life older brother Macaulay in the Home Alone franchise, his most notable roles have included the rebellious and sardonic teenager in the dramedy Igby Goes Down (2002) and the scene-stealing gay roommate in the cult-classic Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010).

Succession airs on Sundays on HBO.