Succession Characters & Their Mad Men Counterparts

Mad Men and Succession are both iconic TV shows with cult fanbases. Even though they are set in different eras, they share a satirical interpretation of the so-called “American Dream” while taking shots at the capitalists who contribute to this dream.

The characters in both ensembles are mostly selfish, profit-driven, and untrustworthy. Be it the advertising business in Mad Men or the multimedia family empire in Succession, they exist and thrive in a dog-eat-dog eat world. Hence, these characters can easily be compared with each other in terms of personality traits and life choices.

9 Kendall Roy- Pete Campbell

Probably the most complex character on Succession, Kendall Roy is an ambitious individual who wishes to get out of his father Logan’s shadow and build his own identity. He can be shallow enough to betray Logan as can be seen from the Season 2 finale. At the same time, his ambitions drive him to the point where he makes a fool out of himself.

As for Pete Campbell, he too comes from a privileged family like Kendall’s but wishes to become an ad executive instead of taking up his father’s business. Unlike Logan and Kendall, Pete’s enmity is towards Don Draper. Pete looks up to Draper even though initially, he did conspire to take him down by revealing his falsified past. In the end, both characters are cunning and determined to succeed no matter how it impacts their personal relationships.

8 Roman ‘Rome’ Roy- Roger Sterling

After Connor, Rome might be the least serious of Logan Roy’s children. Even though he wishes to handle the reins of his father’s empire, he wants to take the easy way out. Always ready with a sarcastic insult or two, Rome is nothing but a spoilt brat.

Roger Sterling similarly takes credit for his ad firm’s work without actually putting in the effort. A compulsive womanizer and alcoholic, he shares a similar sense of humor as he insults others with no empathy. Both Rome and Roger represent the immature nature of the uber-rich.

7 Logan Roy- Bertie Cooper

The aged patriarch of the Roy family is perpetually grumpy with his actions and profane with his words. He doesn’t trust his children and clings to the remains of his fading business empire. He’s truly one of the most terrifying characters of Succession.

On the other hand, Bert Cooper is a polar opposite as he’s usually jolly and understanding with the top shot employees of his firm. It’s perhaps their old age and senior status in their respective companies that make them counterparts for each other. Regardless of personality, Logan and Bert yet again represent the extreme privileges of the upper echelons of American society.

6 Siobhan ‘Shiv’ Roy- Peggy Olson

Shiv is as ambitious and selfish as her siblings but she still struggles more than the spoilt Roy brothers largely because of her being a woman. She has to often overcome the ire of judgmental, sexist, old men in the business and political space. And yet, she gives her best to come out as the next Roy that could run Waystar RoyCo.

Peggy Olsen has to similarly climb up the corporate ladder while going against such men. Even though she has been genuinely nice in general, the later season finds her acquiring a more self-centered personality as she grows professionally in a male-dominated ad business.

5 Connor Roy- Harry Crane

Despite being the eldest of the Roy siblings, Connor is the bumbling brother who can’t focus on business as his interests lie elsewhere. For most of Season 2 and 3, Connor harbors dreams of becoming the President even though he has no previous political experience.

Paul Kinsey is similarly a character on Mad Men who’s heavily insecure and engages in different pursuits to prove his worth. After leaving the ad business, he joins the Hare Krishna movement as a mystic while also wishing to write Star Trek episodes. For the latter, he has some lofty ambitions even though it’s revealed to be an over-the-top and ridiculous script. Their financial backgrounds might differ but Connor and Paul both cultivate unrealistic dreams.

4 Gerri Kellman- Joan Harris

Serving as both General Counsel and acting CEO of Waystar RoyCo, Gerri is the one person whom others rely on in times of trouble. Unfortunately, her peers like Logan Roy don’t seem to recognize her hard work and end up taking out their frustration on her. She’s still calm and balanced despite everything and is loyal to the company (at least so far).

Joan is a like-minded individual who’s not treated with the respect she deserves in her misogynistic workplace. At the same time, people like Don Draper do respect her problem-solving skills with Joan eventually getting her own share in the firm. Gerri and Joan are inspirational in the sense that both of them weren’t born with a silver spoon and yet they are bold enough to counter those in power.

3 Marcia Roy- Betty Draper

Even though not much is known about Marcia, she’s depicted as a confident and self-asserting person. In the face of her husband Logan’s temper tantrums, she stands up against him and even leaves him for a brief while.

Such spats and phases of separation are quite common for Betty Draper. Out of the many saddest things about Betty,  she has to deal with Don’s constant adultery while struggling to finish her own education. Their husbands are different in terms of personality but the pressures these two characters face seem to evoke some similarities.

2 Tom Wamsgans- Ken Cosgrove

Tom is Shiv Roy’s husband even though he wishes to be seen as much more than that. But for that, he hardly seems to put in any effort in Waystar Royco. In fact, his dubious testimony and patronizing relationship with employees cause more harm than good. His marriage to Shiv and his general selfishness does imply that he also hoped to become Logan’s future successor.

While Ken Cosgrove is definitely smarter than Tom and better at his job, he too seems to have entered into a matrimonial alliance with a rich woman hoping to inherit her father’s business (which he eventually does). Coming to the intricacies, both also share an awkward sense of humor at times.

1 Greg- Michael Ginsberg

Popularly known as Cousin Greg, he’s Logan’s great-nephew and distant from the Roys’ family wealth. While his endgame is unpredictable, he’s currently serving as a middle party between both Kendall and Logan. Still, he’s not as manipulative as his cousins and is often shown to be a misunderstood introvert. However, when characters like Tom get a tad bit too patronizing, Greg can engage in bursts of anger too.

Michael Ginsberg was a late addition to Mad Men but immediately made his presence felt with his brilliant copywriting ideas. And yet others like Don didn’t take him seriously for his lack of social skills and general awkwardness. This does drive Ginsberg to the point of blasting out with his anger, albeit in a more vocal way than Cousin Greg. The frustration and judgment they face are still a mutual feeling between the two.

About The Author

Shaurya Thapa
(727 Articles Published)

Shaurya Thapa is an Indian freelance journalist who mostly dabbles in writings on cinema, music, and human interest features. When it comes to Screen Rant, he writes lists on a wide array of subjects ranging from international films to mainstream Netflix series and comic book trivia. He also hosts a podcast called ‘BhindiWire’, an Indian parody of IndieWire.

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