Pratik Handore
The fourth season of HBO’s ‘Succession‘ shows the Roys playing a crucial role in the US Presidential elections. In the eighth episode, Jeryd Mencken is one of the candidates in the election race. Mencken’s political stature and campaign become an increasingly important plot thread as the narrative progresses. Hence, viewers must be curious about the character’s motivations and the actor who plays Jeryd Mencken in ‘Succession.’ SPOILERS AHEAD!
Jeryd Mencken Is a Presidential Candidate
Jeryd Mencken is introduced in the sixth episode of the third season, titled ‘What It Takes.’ He is a right-wing Congressman known for his conservative political outlook. In the episode, the current President chooses to step down and does not wish to be re-elected. As a result, the election race for the next President of the United States is wide open. Mencken is one of the candidates running in the elections, but his controversial political views make him a tough candidate to support. Mencken approaches Roman Roy and eventually earns the favor of Logan Roy for favorable coverage on ATN News Network. However, Mencken is considered a fascist but has a loyal following.
In the eighth episode of season 4, titled ‘America Decides,’ the election race is winding down, and the electoral votes are being counted. Meanwhile, Mencken has promised to block GoJo’s bid to purchase Waystar RoyCo, making him a favored candidate for the company. However, Mencken falls behind in the race and meets with Roman Roy to discuss their future. Mencken aspires to be the President in the future and wants to extend his partnership with Roman. Meanwhile, Roman lobbies for Mencken in the newsroom, and a controversial scenario in Wisconsin results in Mencken getting a slender lead. Connor Roy also throws his support behind Mencken, and he is eventually elected as the new President of the United States.
Justin Kirk Plays Jeryd Mencken
In ‘Succession,’ actor Justin Kirk plays the role of Jeryd Mencken. Kirk was born in Salem, Oregon, and grew up in Union, Washington, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. After graduating, Kirk moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting. He acted in several stage plays before making his screen debut in 1995. Kirk gained recognition for his performance as Bobby Brahms in the 1997 drama film ‘Love! Valour! Compassion!’ He rose to prominence with his role as Bartholomew Zane in the short-lived comedy-drama series ‘Jack & Jill.’
However, Kirk is arguably best known for Andy Botwin in the dark comedy-drama series ‘Weeds.’ Kirk is also known for his recurring role as Charlie Bingham in ‘Modern Family.’ His more recent credits include shows such as ‘Perry Mason,’ ‘ Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,’ and ‘Conversations in L.A.’ He is expected to appear in the upcoming drama film ‘Under the Bridge’ directed by Victoria Mahoney. Kirk appears in a recurring capacity in the third and fourth seasons of ‘Succession.’
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