House of Guinness is a 2025 historical drama series from creator Steven Knight that landed on Netflix on September 25, 2025. The show tracks the Guinness family after the death of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness and focuses on four adult children who inherit his fortune and its problems. The series is led by Anthony Boyle as Arthur Guinness, Louis Partridge as Edward Guinness, Emily Fairn as Anne Plunket and Fionn O’Shea as Benjamin Guinness. Across eight episodes the cast includes James Norton, Jack Gleeson, Danielle Galligan, Dervla Kirwan, Ann Skelly and others who play allies, rivals and in-laws. The show mixes family conflict, business battles and politics in 19th century Ireland and New York. It was produced by Kudos and directed by Tom Shankland and Mounia Akl.
This guide explains the plot and breaks down the cast and characters so you can follow who is who and how they connect.
House of Guinness (Netflix TV Series 2025) Synopsis:
House of Guinness centers on the family behind the Guinness brewery after the death of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness in 1868. The story follows the fate of his four adult children — Arthur, Edward, Anne and Ben — as they wrestle with inheritance, control of the brewery, public life and private rivalries. The timeline moves between local Irish scenes and a New York thread, showing how family choices affect business and public standing. The series ties the brewery’s rise to political moves, marriages, debts and betrayals, and it frames those events against wider social change in the 1800s. The show runs eight episodes and places family drama at the center of its plot.
House of Guinness (Netflix TV Series 2025) Cast and Characters:
Arthur Guinness — Anthony Boyle
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Arthur is the eldest sibling. He spent time in London and speaks with an upper-class edge. In the story he holds political ambitions and faces the burden of being the public face of the family. Anthony Boyle anchors the role and plays Arthur as someone with taste for status who also has to defend his stake in the brewery.
Edward Guinness — Louis Partridge
Edward is the youngest of the four but the one most tied to the brewery. He learned the business early and wants control. The series shows his push to take charge and his tensions with Arthur. Louis Partridge brings that mix of ambition and duty to Edward. Historically Edward later took over the brewery and built a public career; the show touches on those moves in its arc.
Anne Plunket — Emily Fairn
Anne is the only daughter in the family. She has less formal power than her brothers but she uses what she has in charity and family matters. Emily Fairn plays Anne as quietly strong, a figure who must navigate marriage, society and limits placed on women in that era.
Benjamin “Ben” Guinness — Fionn O’Shea
Ben is the middle brother who is often overlooked. He struggles with addiction and self worth, and he looks for love and a purpose away from the family business. Fionn O’Shea’s Ben is written as a wounded, sympathetic figure whose choices complicate the family story.
Lady Olivia Hedges — Danielle Galligan
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Olivia is Arthur’s wife in the story. She comes from an impoverished aristocratic line and uses title and will to shape her own path. Danielle Galligan describes Olivia as lively and outspoken, a character who shifts the family balance.
Aunt Agnes Guinness — Dervla Kirwan
Aunt Agnes is a force behind the scenes. She arranges marriages and manages social matters for the family. Dervla Kirwan plays Agnes as a sharp and practical relative who defends the family name.
Byron Hedges — Jack Gleeson
Byron is an outsider who works with Edward. He is ambitious, risky and loyal only to himself. Jack Gleeson’s Byron is the kind of character who can raise stakes and split loyalties inside the business.
Sean Rafferty — James Norton
Sean Rafferty moves through the family orbit in ways that affect business and law. James Norton’s role adds a public and political dimension to the cast.
Other key characters:
Ann Skelly appears as Adelaide Guinness, Edward’s wife and a key figure in the family lineage. Niamh McCormack and Seamus O’Hara play Ellen and Patrick Cochrane, who connect to the family through marriage and local politics. Michael McElhatton, David Wilmot and others fill roles tied to the brewery, finance and social rivalries. These supporting parts frame the main siblings and bring the wider world into the family story.
How the cast of House of Guinness fits the story?
The casting mixes younger leads who carry the sibling rivalries with established actors who add weight to the political and social scenes. That mix helps the series show the family as both private people and public figures. The character writing keeps the focus on succession, money and reputation, so every cast choice is meant to move those threads.
If you want to follow who is who in House of Guinness, start with the four siblings: Anthony Boyle as Arthur, Louis Partridge as Edward, Emily Fairn as Anne and Fionn O’Shea as Ben. From there the rest of the cast fills in partners, rivals and enablers who shape the brewery and the family’s public life. Use this guide as your quick reference for the House of Guinness cast and characters explained, whether you are watching episode by episode or rewatching scenes to catch who said what.
