Steven Knight on 'House of Guinness': how real history became Hollywood’s hottest new obsession

Historical dramas are the holy grail for Hollywood’s writers and creators. 

Legacy storytelling has found a new home and a wide audience on streaming platforms. Popular examples such as “The Crown”, “Peaky Blinders”, “The Gilded Age”, “Boardwalk Empire”, “Downton Abbey”, and even “The Fall of the House of Usher” highlight the enduring appeal of this genre.

Recently, “House of Guinness” has lured fans of the genre. This eight-part series chronicles the renowned Guinness family, tracing their brewing legacy from 19th-century Ireland to New York.

Opening on a sombre note with the passing of Benjamin Guinness, it unpacks how his footprints will be taken forward ss his four children - Arthur Guinness (Anthony Boyle), the eldest son; Edward Guinness (Louis Partridge); Anne Plunket (née Guinness) (Emily Fairn); and Benjamin Lee Guinness II (Fionn O'Shea) - prepare to say their goodbyes.

At the same time, a rebellion stirs within the Fenian Brotherhood. Sean Rafferty (James Norton), the head warehouse foreman and security for Guinness Brewery, maintains a vigilant watch over the agitators, ready to intervene if the situation escalates.

Behind the scenes, significant anxiety surrounds the succession plan. While the siblings are engaged in their own disputes, their relatives are also vying for a share of the empire.

In a recent interview, creator and writer Steven Knight, along with Boyle and Partridge, provided insights into the historical drama.

How real-life events inspired artistic expression 

With plenty of critically acclaimed film and television work under his belt, Knight shed light on the genesis of this series. 

“I work a lot with a production company called Kudos, which had on the shelf a project about the Guinness family, so they invited me to look at some of the research, and immediately, I just thought, ‘Why has nobody done this before?’, because the true story of the family, the beer and the success of the brewery is quite remarkable.”

“And the more I delved, the more I found, and I was committed quite soon. Netflix got involved, and it sort of snowballed.”

As a writer, he was asked if he had envisioned actors when etching the layered characters. 

Knight explained, “No, the process was that by the time I had written episode two, as is the normal way of these things, the scripts get out there mysteriously, and you start to get the process of the beginning of casting.

"In this case, by episode three, maybe four, we had cast. Knowing who was playing these roles, you sort of go back and make whatever adjustments you need according to the characters.”

Fortunately, they got their first choice when it came to the cast. 

Knight added, “We benefited from the fact that there is a generation of Irish actors coming through that are so good. Across the board, we got the best of them. I think it shows in the scripts and the narrative that plays out.”

Aside from the LGBTQ storyline, the women in the series are portrayed with depth, confidence and a strong voice, which is very incongruous with the time period. 

He explained, “I think that Arthur's sexuality is a really fascinating element to this, because of course, he lived in a time when he couldn't be openly gay. So there was this structure in place where someone like him, who needs to get elected and to run a big business, would have a marriage blanc, which is a marriage of convenience. 

“What I found fascinating about that from everything that I've read about that relationship, they actually really loved each other.”

He continued: “In those days in the 1860s, all the way up to the present day, back then women didn't have a vote, and you would say they were disenfranchised, but I believed that women were the powerhouses within a family and in a dynasty like this. 

“In the absence of the ability to sit in the boardroom, and this is true of the Guinness family, historically, the women took it upon themselves to do the good work. You know, all this money's coming in, and they decided they should just do something good with it.”

The actors weigh in on their scenes as the prominent Guinness brothers

On screen, there is a lot of friction between Arthur and Edward. However, in real life, these two are like two peas in a pod, as witnessed at the press junket. 

While Arthur carries the name forward, Edward is the mastermind behind the scenes, striking up deals and putting out fires to further their agenda as an influential family and brewery. 

Boyle felt his character was perhaps best described as the heart or the body of the story. 

Partridge added, “I think Edward is brainy; he likes to be behind the scenes, not in the spotlight. He's not very good with people; he's more about figures and strategy, and pragmatism, whereas Arthur has got a lot of other things going on. 

Boyle interjected: “Yeah, he’s a very complex character. You mentioned the sexuality. Arthur wasn’t ashamed of his sexuality. He was very comfortable with it.”

On researching their characters, Partridge revealed that he didn’t need to do much as “Steven works in such a way that he gives you a lot to work with.”

He added, “I didn’t need to be making stories up or coming to my own conclusions, as everything was on the page.” 

This series is a fascinating brew of scandal, power struggles, rebellion, forbidden romance, betrayal and political intrigue. 

Rating: **** a standout series with exceptional qualities.