Why the HBO hit series Succession chose to film in Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. -- Sometimes your favorite television and movie stars are spotted around Richmond (hello, Ewan McGregor). Other times Richmond can be spotted in your favorite television shows and movies. Such was the case Sunday night when Richmond played a role in the critically-acclaimed HBO series Succession.

How and why was Richmond chosen to host the Roy family in Succession season three, episode six entitled "What It Takes?"

For that answer, we went straight to the source.

"We have a long-standing relationship with HBO," Andy Edmunds, Director of the Virginia Film Office, said when asked why Succession chose to film in Richmond.

The plot of the episode (no spoilers) centered around Logan Roy and his family attending a political conference in Virginia.

While Succession could have stayed in New York to film those scenes, the production team instead chose to hit the road.

"They were looking for a place to expand the show. Looking for a grand hotel entrance," Edmunds said. "The Jefferson Hotel can't get much more perfect than that."

So for a few monuments toward the start of the hour-long episode, we see the Roy family drive through Richmond with shots of the skyline, Monument Avenue, and of course the Jefferson Hotel.

While the exterior shots are familiar to Richmond natives and Jefferson Hotel guests, the interior hotel shots might not be.

Edmunds said he believed the interior shots were filmed at a hotel in New York City.

While Richmond was never mentioned by name in the show, the characters did talk about being in Virginia.

Ultimately, Edmunds said the cast was in town for about a day and a half. But that brief time was preceded by a couple of months of prep work and exterior shooting.

"A lot of production went into it. The show's crew blended in with our local Virginia crews," he said. "For one day of production, crews will usually spend about $300,000 on the ground."

So were any of the Succession stars actually in Richmond or was it all Hollywood magic?

While Edmunds said he was not sure exactly who was or was not in town, actor Nicholas Braun (who portrays Cousin Greg) posted on social media back in May 2021 that he was in Richmond and looking for restaurant recommendations. We wonder where he ended up.

Did you see Succession filming in Richmond? Did you run into any of the stars? Share your story and photos by emailing newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.