Who is Tellis in ‘Succession?’

Succession said its long-awaited farewell to viewers this past Sunday, bidding adieu to the Roys with a final and heartbreaking hurrah. The chaotic climax of the battle for control over Waystar Royco completely engrossed audiences for four years, providing a perfect blend of intensity and subtle comedy that left a lasting impact on television as a whole. After such captivating storytelling, the insatiable struggle for power among Logan Roy’s heirs has ultimately and perfectly come to a close at long last.

Along with the ginormous cast accompanying the three leads for years, the fourth season saw one particular name thrown around, especially during the Roys’ last deal. Even though we only heard his voice, Tellis makes a surprise appearance one last time. In case you may not have been paying attention, or may have forgotten about Tellis, here’s exactly how he came into play in this final battle for succession.

Who is Tellis?

Introduced in the fourth season premiere episode, “The Munsters,” Tellis – portrayed by Kevin Changaris – joins the cast of Succession as a financial advisor. He first interacts with Kendall, Roman, and Shiv while conveying messages in hopes of guiding them through a resolution regarding the PGM deal. Frustrated by the siblings’ indecisiveness on the matter, he becomes increasingly more infuriated the longer the Roys take to make a call.

Although Tellis’ role is relatively brief, it provides some insight into his personality and his significance within the story, quickly becoming a source of comedy amidst the financial chaos. His primary function is to advise the Roys on whether they can achieve specific goals, particularly pertaining to finances. Additionally, Tellis demonstrates a certain cunning, as Roman mentions that he bills them for strategy advice, even on matters that may seem insignificant.

Ultimately, Tellis’ tendency to state the obvious is what generates all the buzz surrounding this seemingly unimportant character. Despite the siblings’ awareness that Tellis will, in the end, be absolutely useless to their case, he continues to work for the Roys as a financial advisor, profiting from his downright obvious asides. We can even say that he has the best job in the entire show, as he just stood there giving the most common sense advice, only to bill them for thousands of dollars for a few words. Goals.

Sadly, this was the last we’ve seen of Tellis in Succession. As a matter of fact, we may never see any of the Roys ever again, but at least we can sleep soundly with the thought that the series was perfect from start to finish.