Jeremy Strong defends use of ‘dramaturgically’ after becoming a meme

‘I stand by it,’ actor said

Jeremy Strong has defended his use of the term “dramaturgically” after the Succession star became a meme.

In a featurette airing after the historic third episode of Succession’s fourth and final season, Kendall Roy actor Strong said that he hadn’t been “terribly surprised” by the episode’s events.

“I thought it made sense dramaturgically. And then when I read the script, I found it shocking and emotionally devastating,” Strong said.

The clip quickly went viral online, with many social media users questioning whether “dramaturgically” was even a real word.

In response, the Merriam-Webster dictionary tweeted the word’s definition, describing it as “relating to the art or technique of dramatic composition and theatrical representation”.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, however, Strong has now doubled down on his use of the term.

When the interviewer told Strong he had had to Google its meaning, Strong responded: “Well, it’s a real word.

“I’m a theatre nerd and it’s a theatre nerd word, so I stand by it,” he said.

Strong raised eyebrows with his choice of word (Getty Images)

Strong is known for his method acting style and taking his work incredibly seriously – something his co-star Brian Cox has often dismissed.

However, their co-star Alan Ruck last month defended Strong, saying: “Every actor is different… That’s fine. Let him do it.

“I think Jeremy is very hard on himself. And my personal feeling is that he doesn’t fully trust his talent. I think it could be an easier path for him. But he doesn’t believe it.”

Following last week’s shocking episode, the writers of Succession shared the sneaky code they used to keep the show’s biggest twist yet under wraps.

Fans, meanwhile, realised a clue about the events of season three had been hinted at in the poster for the last run of episodes.

You can read The Independent’s review of Succession’s – equally surprising – episode four here.

Succession airs Sundays on HBO Max in the US and on Mondays on Sky Atlantic and Now in the UK.