And, what the actors who play them have had to say about them

House of Guinness is being heralded as the 19th-century Irish beer barons’ answer to Succession. The Netflix series, directed by Tom Shankland and created by Steven Knight, of Peaky Blinders fame, offers a fictionalised chronicle of the Guinness heirs, the family behind the famous beer, and their squabble over the fortune and business their patriarch, Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, left behind.

This starchy tale has been rubbed with salacious polish thanks to its sexy young cast — think Louis Partridge, Danielle Galligan, James Norton (whose “pheromones positively sizzle off the screen,” according to The Guardian) and Jack Gleeson (Game of Thrones’s King Joffrey, out of retirement). What emerges is not a dry period piece, but a surprisingly steamy drama full of ambition, betrayal and political intrigue.

Set against a backdrop of intense political and religious division in Ireland, the Guinness children are walking a tightrope, trying to manage their political and commercial interests from the first episode. The Catholic Fenians, particularly siblings Ellen and Patrick Cochrane, are petitioning the Protestant Guinness family to oppose British rule while posing serious threats to their business interests. And, they’re trying to capture the political hearts of the working class while remaining a profitable employer. No mean feat for four children, relatively new to the world of business, with complicated personal lives.

Below, we walk through the key characters in House of Guinness, the actors who portray them, and the real-life historical figures they are inspired by.

Is House Of Guinness A True Story?

Yes and no. There wasn’t much scandal in Benjamin Lee Guinness’s life. He was too busy. Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness was the grandson of Arthur Guinness, who founded Guinness in 1759. Nearly a century later, Benjamin took control of the business and tripled its sales. Politically astute, before he took over the family business, he dabbled in politics, becoming Mayor of Dublin in 1851. In 1865, he was elected to the House of Commons as an MP. When he died, he left control of the company to two of his three sons, Arthur and Edward, which is where House of Guinness starts. While there’s plenty of dramatisation, the story of this family is very real.

Below, find the cast and the dramatic lives of the characters they play.

House Of Guinness Cast And Characters:

Anthony Boyle: Arthur Guinness II

Arthur Guinness was the eldest of the Guinness heirs, and upon his father’s death, he inherited significant power over both the brewery and the family estate. Eton and Trinity educated, he spent much of his twenties in London among the elite. Actor Anthony Boyle portrays him as a cosmopolitan figure, horrified to learn that the terms of his father’s will will bind him to a life in Dublin running the Guinness business and a career in politics. Both prospects seem to bore him.

In real life, Arthur had a taste for the finer things. He spent large portions of his fortune acquiring land in Galway, including the 33,298-acre Ashford Estate (now a luxury hotel). He was also a muse to James Joyce — the author referenced Arthur and his Victorian mannerisms in Ulysses, one of the most influential novels of all time.

The show explores the question of Arthur’s sexuality. In his era, the death penalty for “penetrative acts” between men had only just been abolished, replaced by life imprisonment, and Athur’s secret is a heavy burden. Was he gay in real life? Historian Joe Joyce believes so. Arthur’s marriage to Lady Olivia in 1871 was “arranged in advance as a marriage blanche,” meaning it was sexless, strongly implying Arthur was gay. This is compounded by the fact that the couple never had children, an unusual state of affairs for any husband and wife during the 19th century.

What Else Has Anthony Boyle Been In?

Irish actor Boyle has previously appeared in films such as Tetris, Say Nothing, and Masters of the Air.

Finn O’Shea: Benjamin Guinness

While Benjamin Guinness was a real figure and the second son of the family, there is little written about him in the history books. Steven Knight takes creative liberty, characterising Benjamin as the black sheep. Despite his seniority over his brother Edward, his father did not consider him a natural successor. While he might have been his father’s namesake, Benjamin Guinness had not worked in the family business and he inherited fewer shares in the Guinness brewery than his two brothers, though the reasons remain unclear — some suggest his military career made him unsuitable for business; others believe he had health problems.

In House of Guinness, Benjamin is portrayed as an alcoholic. His father writes in his will: “I feel it is not wise to burden Benjamin and Anne with the temptations that come with fortune,” and gives him an allowance rather than an inheritance. Benjamin appears to have a romance with Lady Christine O’Madden (Jessica Reynolds). Despite her devotion, he continually rebuffs her requests to marry, instead enlisting in military service to avoid inflicting further pain on her with his “madness” and to prove his father wrong.

Finn O’Shea, best known as Marianne’s repulsive boyfriend Jamie in Normal People, brings a tortured energy to the role. “When we first meet Ben, he’s battling a lot of demons,” O’Shea says. “He has never really been given a chance to be someone within the family. He feels like a ghost in his own home — ignored, overlooked.”

What Else Has Finn O’Shea Been In?

O’Shea has previously starred in Normal People, Hang Ups and Dating Amber.

Louis Partridge: Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh

Louis Partridge — of Enola Holmes and Olivia Rodrigo-boyfriend fame — plays Edward, the youngest Guinness sibling. When Fenian agitator Ellen Cochrane investigates the Guinness family, she says all of the siblings have dirty secrets, except for one: Edward. He’s portrayed as the most ambitious of the bunch. Suave and a little spoiled, Edward was homeschooled and raised within the business, brimming with big ideas for the brewery’s future. While Arthur likes to party, Edward is a serious guy who happily admits to being too busy to have any friends. His extreme pragmatism leads him to be one of the more open-minded of the siblings. He’s curious about the perspectives of the Fenians and adopts a more open-minded attitude towards their cause, as he wants to do business with them. He almost immediately implements progressive workplace policies at the Guinness factory, hoping to capture votes for his brother.

Essentially, while at first glance Edward appears to be a ruthlessly ambitious corporate drone, we soon learn that he’s devoted to his family and genuinely intellectually curious.

In The Guinnesses: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Most Successful Family, biographer Joe Joyce writes that the real-life Edward was “a stickler for detail, to the point of obsession.” He was domineering, controlling and ruthlessly ambitious, but he also accelerated the family’s fortunes, arguably making Guinness the global name it is today. Edwarded also donated millions to the poor in England and Ireland, funding housing, medical research, education and public gardens, and he co-funded Ernest Shackleton’s first expedition to the South Pole. Partridge said he doesn’t have too much in common with his 19th-century character.

“He’s so different to me that I was just intrigued,” says Partridge. “He’s quite straight-laced, very ambitious and very strategic.”

What Else Has Louis Partridge Been In?

Partridge has starred in Pistol, Enola Holmes, Medici and The Lost Girls — and of course, Olivia Rodrigo’s Instagram.

Emily Fairn: Anne Plunkett

While she doesn’t share the family name, Anne Plunkett is in fact the eldest Guinness sibling. Physically frail and married to a minor aristocrat 11 years her senior, Anne is frustrated by her lack of power within both her family and the wider world. She may have wealth, but she has no agency.

“She’s the only girl [in the family], which is tricky because in the 1800s women had very little power,” Fairn says. “She begins to grow despite her circumstances. There is so much she is battling against, and she’s trying to be strong and powerful despite all of this.” Anne suffers from classic eldest daughter syndrome. Trapped in an unhappy marriage due to the terms of her father’s will, she’s sent running errands all over the company by her newly important older brothers while trying to figure out the meaning of her life. The one silver lining seems to be a spicy past romance with her family’s hired help: Sean Rafferty. And, the two seem to share a fair bit of sexual tension still.

In real life, Anne Plunkett completed many charitable works, but died at the age of 50 from a neurodegenerative disease.

What Else Has Emily Fairn Been In?

Fairn has appeared in Black Mirror, Joy and Mary & George.

James Norton: Sean Rafferty

Played by James Norton (of the aforementioned sizzling pheromones), Rafferty is the Guinness family’s all-purpose fixer. “You’re more of a lynchpin, a protector, a weapon of control,” Arthur tells him. Rafferty describes himself as a “whore”, the sometimes-violent enforcer of the family’s will, a political operator, bodyguard and spy, he does as he’s told, although we suspect there are limits.

Steven Knight told Tudum that Rafferty is one of the most “extraordinary aspects of this series.” Was he a real person? No, but he’s based on the many men who worked behind the scenes to protect the Guinness name. “Fixers” like Rafferty were common, even if none were quite so compelling or enjoyed quite so much sizzling sexual tension with the women in the Guinness family.

What Else Has James Norton Been In?

As well as starring at the top of every “who will be the next James Bond?” list, British actor Norton is known for Happy Valley, Grantchester and War & Peace.

Danielle Galligan: Lady Olivia Hedges, Baroness Ardilaun

Olivia Charlotte Guinness née Hedges-White, Baroness Ardilaun — best known as Lady Ardilaun — was Arthur Guinness’s wife and the daughter of the Earl of Bantry. After the British monarch, she was the richest woman in Britain and Ireland. In the show, Lady Olivia is shown as flamboyant and pragmatic. She happily enters a marriage with Arthur, after stipulating that she’s happy he “functions” with others as he pleases throughout their marriage, so long as she can too when the mood takes her. Her frankness charms everything but the pants off Arthur, and he immediately agrees to the arrangement.

Arthur and Olivia married in 1871 in County Cork, and while they did not have a sexual relationship, they did seem to enjoy a platonic one. They frequently threw lavish parties together at the Dublin House mansion they had renovated, hosting a young King George V and Queen Victoria. Olivia was a talented painter and a member of the Watercolour Society of Ireland. She also worked closely with the Mercer Charity Hospital as a benefactor and regularly spent time there with patients.

What Else Has Danielle Galligan Been In?

Galligan has appeared in Lakelands, Obituary and Shadow and Bone.

Niamh McCormack: Ellen Cochrane

Ellen Cochrane is a fictional Fenian activist, but she’s inspired by Ellen O’Leary — a real-life poet and revolutionary. She is the plucky sister of Patrick Cochrane (played by Seamus O’Hara) and is portrayed as the brains behind the Fenian operation.

Ellen is a passionate fighter for the Fenian cause and Dublin’s working class — and she’s not afraid to play dirty. This is what brings her into contact with the Guinness clan, specifically, with Edward. Is she the woman who can take his mind off work? We’ll have to watch the series to find out, although in the world of Guinness’s work, romance is frequently intertwined.

Actress Niamh McCormack told Screen Daily the role was deeply personal, as she’s a descendant of a First Lieutenant in the Irish Republican Brotherhood. “It’s important for me to tell this story because I’m a direct descendant of a first lieutenant of the IRB,” she said, admitting it was still difficult to talk about. “It’s still such a sensitive topic.”

In real life, it’s unlikely any romance would have blossomed between Edward and Ellen, but Ellen O’Leary was dedicated to the Fenian cause. She wrote poetry under pseudonyms for The Irish People and Irish Republican Brotherhood newspaper and was involved in the Ladies’ Committee.

What Else Has Niamh McCormack Been In?

McCormack has modelled and acted in Everything Now, The Magic Flute and Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves.

Seamus O’Hara: Patrick Cochrane

Patrick Cochrane is Ellen’s brother and ostensibly a leader of the Fenians, a revolutionary nationalist group operating in Ireland. But, behind the scenes, hot-headed Patrick takes a lot of direction from his sister. Patrick is committed to destroying the Guinness family, but in the early stages of the series, we see him spend a lot of time being outsmarted and overpowered by Rafferty. The same can’t be said for Ellen. Seamus O’Hara plays Patrick Cochrane. In an interview with Irish News, Seamus spoke about playing Patrick. “Cochrane absolutely despises the Guinness family. They represent everything that is the antithesis of what the IRB, Fenianism and Irish Nationalism stood for at that time,” he said. “This was an impoverished Ireland, partly due to the policies of Britain, and the Fenians and the IRB recognised the Guinnesses as enemies.” He did note that this didn’t stop his character from enjoying the drink. “The Fenians loved Guinness; it was a strong drink… like with a lot of nationalism, especially Irish nationalism, people could be pragmatic. I think what that tells us about Patrick is that the rules can’t always be black and white.”

What Else Has Seamus O’Hara Been In?

You might recognise Seamus from roles in The Northman, In the Land of Saints and Sinners and Game of Thrones.

Dervla Kirwan: Aunt Agnes Guinnes

Aunt Agness Guinness is the only matriarchal presence in the lives of the four Guinness children, whose mother died in early childhood. She’s a wry cynic who finds Edward and Anne’s idealism entertaining. She convinces Anne to help her in matchmaking for the two Guinness brothers. While Anne thinks this is beneath her, Aunt Agness pragmatically points out that the wrong match could make their lives hell. Aunt Agnes brings Lady Olivia into the fold with relative ease, but has a harder time with Edward.

What Else Has Dervla Kerwin Been In?

Dervla is a much-loved Irish actor who has appeared in many shows over the years, including True Detective, Doctor Who, and Law & Order: UK.

Jack Gleeson: Byron Hughes

Game of Thrones fans will be thrilled to see Jack Gleeson — aka King Joffrey — out of retirement as Guinness cousin Byron Hughes. Hughes is a Guinness bastard; his mother was a Guinness who had an affair with a Fenian. He uses this to pitch himself to Edward as a useful ally and heads to New York to liaise with the Fenian Brotherhood. However, both the character and storyline appear to be fictional. The Guinnesses were staunchly anti-Republican, making any real alliance with the Fenians, American or otherwise, unlikely.

What Else Has Jack Gleeson Been In?

After announcing an early retirement post-Game of Thrones, Gleeson returned to acting in In the Land of Saints and Sinners (2023) and House of Guinness.