The Disney Channel Movie You Likely Forgot Starred Cousin Greg From Succession

When "Succession" made its HBO debut in 2018, it proved a timely, hilarious, oddly horrifying study of mind-boggling wealth and the near soulless power-players who revel in it. At the center of that study is the Logan family — Connor (Alan Ruck), Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) — who continue to lie, cheat, steal, and lie some more in their endeavor to take over the media empire run by their big, bad, but aging father Logan (Brian Cox).

There are, of course, several Roy-adjacent players looking to carve out their own slice of the Waystar RoyCo pie too. Chief among them is the affable, slightly dim-witted, yet surprisingly enterprising Greg Hirsch. Perhaps better known to "Succession" fandom as Cousin Greg, the man who would be "Greg-ory" has, against all odds, become a major player in all the backstabbing, double-dealing action that fuels the series' narrative. In turn, the actor who plays Cousin Greg on "Succession" has become the series' legit breakout star. That actor's name is Nicholas Braun. And you may not realize it, but before he was bumbling through Congressional testimony, chasing dates with the Contessa, and posturing about his "principles" on "Succession," he actually starred in a teen comedy that became a big hit for The Disney Channel.

Yep, the man behind Cousin Greg is another in a long line of stars who got a big break on The Disney Channel. And Braun's was arguably bigger than most, with the actor turning up in 2009's teen fantasy "Princess Protection Program" opposite superstars-in-the-making Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez. 

If you're curious, the film finds Lovato portraying Rosalinda, the soon-to-be teen queen of Costa Luna. Unfortunately for Rosalinda, her country is invaded by a neighboring foe ahead of coronation day, with the titular agency thankfully whisking her away to safety in Louisiana. There, she must adapt to the ways of the average American teen until order is restored back home. She does so with the help of local tomboy Carter (Gomez), and Carter's best guy pal Ed, who was indeed portrayed by a young Nicholas Braun. 

Turns out, "Princess Protection Program" wasn't Braun's first Disney venture as the actor played a role in the teen superhero flick "Sky High," just a few years earlier. But his star rose a little faster in the wake of "PPP," with Braun quickly booking gigs on series like "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" and "10 Things I Hate About You" before graduating to films like "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," "How to be Single," and "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot." Most recently, Braun turned up in the 2021 indie hit "Zola," and with "Succession" continuing to front Cousin Greg's face, you'll no doubt be seeing it a lot more moving forward.