Did Will Ferrell Secretly Cameo In Succession?

This fizzled partnership would, unfortunately, escalate shortly thereafter, due to McKay's new HBO series "Winning Time," which tells the story of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers dynasty. Ferrell, a well-known Lakers fan, had been gunning for the lead role of team owner Jerry Buss. Neither McKay nor others involved in the series felt Ferrell was right for the role, instead bringing in Michael Shannon. Once Shannon stepped away, they offered the role to Ferrell's close friend John C. Reilly — McKay maintains Reilly was his first choice for the part.

According to McKay, Ferrell took the casting decision very hard, especially since he heard the news from Reilly rather than McKay. The "Don't Look Up" director regrets not calling Ferrell and feels that a conversation between the two could have avoided the animosity created by the choice.

Though both men are credited as executive producers on "Succession," McKay was more personally involved in its creation and directed its pilot episode. Given that Gary Sanchez Productions no longer exists as anything more than a name within production credits — and that those credits are also the only place you'll see Ferrell and McKay together in the near future — it's pretty much guaranteed that Ferrell's already minimal involvement with "Succession" is finished for good.