OSWESTRY-born Succession mastermin Jesse Armstrong has told how he was ‘terrified’ one of his stars was going to fall into New York's Hudson River while filming the programme's climactic moment.

As the fourth and final season drew to a close, Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) found himself staring into the river after losing control of his father's business empire while bodyguard Colin stood watch behind him.

The scene then cut to black, leaving viewers to ponder the fate of Kendall and his legacy.

And in one take - that was not included in the final cut - Strong climbed over the railing from the pedestrian side of the river to the riverside, suggesting that he might really decide to plunge into its depths.

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In an interview with US culture series NPR Fresh Air, Mr Armstrong said that there were no safety measures in place during the improvised scene.

He continued: “I was terrified – I was terrified that he might fall in and be injured.

“He didn't look like he was going to jump in, but once he climbed over that barrier, when you film, there are generally a lot of health and safety assessments made, and that was not our plan that day.

“And normally I know that if we'd even been thinking of that happening, we would have had boats and frogmen and all kinds of safety measures, which we didn't have.

“So, my first thought was for his physical safety as a human being, not anything about the character.”

Since its premiere in 2018, Succession has scooped a vast collection of awards for HBO, accumulating an impressive tally of 13 Emmys.

Among these accolades, Jeremy Strong has claimed two victories for his outstanding performance as the lead actor.

The gripping narrative of the series revolves around the tumultuous conflicts and ever-shifting loyalties among the Roy siblings, heirs to their father's vast media empire, as they relentlessly vie for control and supremacy.

Mr Armstrong, who was interviewed alongside executive producer Frank Rich, also discussed the dynamic between husband and wife Tom and Shiv as the series drew to a close with an enigmatic moment between the warring partners.

"Everyone has their own view, and I can tell you mine, which is that for me it was a moment of equality" he added.

"Chilly, rather terrifying equality, but equality, which has never been the case in that relationship before."

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Armstrong also discusses Kendall's lack of freedom and the tragedy of being trapped by his family name.

He added: "The name and the wealth around him – to lots of us, obviously it seems extraordinarily fortunate, and it is.

"But I do believe there is a certain kind of tragedy to a royal name, to a huge business name, to being a Disney or a Windsor or any of those kinds of names, and he can never, ever escape that."