'House of Guinness' Is Like 'Succession' in the 1800s: Meet the Cast and Real Life Counterparts!
'House of Guinness' is an eight-part series on Netflix.
Published Sept. 24 2025, 12:52 p.m. ET
Everyone loves a good period drama, and the Netflix series House of Guinness proves that it doesn't even have to be about the royal family or royalty at all, for viewers to get excited. Though to be fair, the show, which follows the 19th-century story of the family behind the Guinness brewing company in Ireland and the United States, is about royalty, in a way.
Most people around the world know the Guinness name because of the beer. House of Guinness is a historical drama set in a time period where the family is at a turning point with the company that so many know about today. Naturally, fans want to know about the House of Guinness cast versus their real-life counterparts.
Meet the cast of 'House of Guinness' versus the real-life family that inspired them.
House of Guinness shows how the brewing company came to be and how it made the leap from Ireland to New York City. Of course, there is plenty of drama along the way, and a cast that includes Game of Thrones icon Jack Gleeson, Anthony Boyle from the movies Tolkien and Tetris, and Paddington 2 star Louis Partridge, among others.
Anthony Boyle plays Arthur Guinness.
In the trailer for the show, the family's patriarch leaves his brewery and its fortune to two of his kids, Edward and Arthur. In real life, Arthur was the oldest of the four Guinness siblings, and he was reportedly briefly a member of Parliament. Arthur is played by Anthony Boyle, known for narrating the Apple TV+ series Masters of the Air and starring in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway.
Fionn O'Shea plays Benjamin Guinness.
Not to be confused with the Sir Benjamin Guinness who dies at the start of the series, Benjamin was one of his other sons. He was not part of the family business, per The Irish Emigration Museum. Instead, he spent much of his life in Britain and became a Captain in the Royal Horse Guards. In the show, Benjamin is played by Fionn O'Shea, who may be most recognized from his role in the Hulu miniseries Normal People.
Louis Partridge stars as Edward Guinness.
Edward was one of the other adult children left in charge of the brewery when his father died. According to the Dictionary of Irish Biography, Edward was eventually the sole owner of the company (spoiler alert) when his brother sold his shares. He was also known for social reform when it came to workers' rights and pensions. He is played by Louis Partridge from the movies Pan and Paddington 2 and the Netflix movie Enola Holmes.
Emily Fairn is Anne Guinness in the show.
As the only daughter of the Guinness patriarch, Anne was one of two siblings who were not left an equal portion of the brewery. Per The Irish Emigration Museum, Anne was a philanthropist, and she established the St. Patrick's nursing home in 1876. Anne is played by Emily Fairn in House of Guinness. Emily is known for multiple BBC One shows, including Rain Dogs and The Responder.
Dervla Kirwan is Agnes Guinness.
As another important member of the family, though not one of Sir Benjamin's kids, Agnes was an important part of the family, according to Elle, especially after Sir Benjamin's death. She is seen in the trailer guiding the adult children he left behind. The actress who plays Agnes in House of Guinness, Dervla Kirwan, is an award-winning actress who has been in numerous Irish and BBC movies and TV shows.