See the “House of Guinness” Cast and the Real Guinness Family Members They Play
- - See the “House of Guinness” Cast and the Real Guinness Family Members They Play
Emily BlackwoodSeptember 27, 2025 at 9:00 PM
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The Picture Art Collection via Alamy ; Ben Blackall/Netflix
Arthur Guinness II ; Anthony Boyle as Arthur Guinness in 'House of Guinness'. -
House of Guinness stars Anthony Boyle, Louis Partridge, Emily Fairn and Fionn O'Shea as the real-life heirs of the iconic Irish brewing family, the Guinnesses
The Netflix historical drama premiered on Sept. 25 and chronicles the events of the 19th-century family after their patriarch's death
Danielle Galligan, Dervla Kirwan and Ann Skelly also star in the show
House of Guinness recounts a fictionalized version of what happened to the real-life Guinness family following the death of patriarch Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness in 1868.
The grandson of Irish brewer Arthur Guinness, who founded the famous Irish brewery, became one of the richest men in the country after he developed a stout export trade to the United States, England and continental Europe. When he died, he left his fortune to his four children: Arthur Guinness, Edward Guinness, Anne Plunket and Ben Guinness.
"They were all so young, and their father left them both huge responsibility and a huge legacy," Ivana Lowell, a Guinness descendant who inspired the series, told the BBC in September 2025. "Each was forced to find a path."
Although some of the figures in the historical drama were created for the series, many — including Sir Benjamin's four children — were inspired by real individuals.
See some of the House of Guinness cast side-by-side with the real family members they portray from the brewing dynasty.
01 of 07
Anthony Boyle as Arthur Guinness
The Picture Art Collection via Alamy ; Ben Blackall/Netflix
Arthur Guinness II ; Anthony Boyle as Arthur Guinness in 'House of Guinness'.
Anthony Boyle's character, Arthur, was the eldest of the family who inherited half of his father's empire alongside his brother, Edward. According to the Dictionary of Irish Biography, he also took over his father's Dublin city parliamentary seat but was later removed due to corruption. He regained the seat in 1874 and held it until 1880.
Arthur remained with the family beer business until 1877, when he sold his shares to Edward.
The Say Nothing star told Town & Country in September 2025 that he was drawn to the role after seeing a photo of Arthur and being mesmerized by his "powerful glare."
"I was like, 'Oh, I think I know this guy. I think I can kind of get into who he is a little bit,' through that photo," he said.
02 of 07
Louis Partridge as Edward Guinness
Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty ; Ben Blackall/Netflix
A portrait of Edward Guinness ; Louis Partridge as Edward Guinness in 'House of Guinness'.
Edward, played by Louis Partridge, was the youngest of the Guinness siblings and played in the series as the most idealistic and ambitious of the heirs.
In real life, he took over as sole proprietor of the brewery business in 1877 and had a successful municipal career as a high sheriff and, eventually, an earl.
After the company went public in 1886, Edward remained chairman until 1890. However, he remained deeply involved with the company until his death, according to the Dictionary of Irish Biography.
03 of 07
Emily Fairn as Anne Plunket
Ben Blackall/Netflix
Emily Fairn as Anne Plunket in 'House of Guinness'.
Emily Fairn plays Anne Plunket, Sir Benjamin's only daughter. According to the BBC, she inherited only a small amount of her father's empire and used it to help the poor and sick in her city.
“She’s the only girl [in the family], which is tricky because in the 1800s, women had very little power,” Fairn told Tudum in September 2025. “She begins to grow despite her circumstances. There is so much she is battling against, and she’s trying her best to be strong and powerful despite all of this.”
04 of 07
Fionn O'Shea as Ben Guinness
Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty ; Ben Blackall/Netflix
Benjamin Guinness, circa 1916 ; Fionn O'Shea as Ben Guinness in 'House of Guinness'.
In House of Guinness, Ben is portrayed as the struggling black sheep of the family. Little is known about the real life of the Guinness middle brother, but the actor who plays him said his character has "demons."
“When we first meet Ben, he’s battling a lot of demons,” Fionn O'Shea told Tudum. “He has never really been given a chance to be someone within the family. He feels like a ghost in his own home — ignored, overlooked.”
05 of 07
Danielle Galligan as Lady Olivia Hedges
Ben Blackall/Netflix
Anthony Boyle as Arthur Guinness and Danielle Galligan as Lady Olivia Hedges in 'House of Guinness'.
Danielle Galligan's character, Lady Olivia Hedges, is a real-life aristocrat who married Arthur Guinness in 1871. The couple had no children.
The actress told Tudum that Lady Olivia was "a dream role" and described her as "vivacious, ambitious, hedonistic, very forward in her thinking."
"She’s obviously a woman in a man’s world, but she tries to use the constraints of her station to her advantage," Galligan said, "She bends the rules to make the most out of a bad lot.”
06 of 07
Dervla Kirwan as Aunt Agnes Guinness
Ben Blackall/Netflix
Dervla Kirwan as Aunt Agnes Guinness in 'House of Guinness'.
Another real-life Guinness relative that made it to the small screen was Agnes Guinness, the siblings' aunt. Little is known about Agnes, but she's portrayed as a sharp and shrewd matriarch by Dervla Kirwan in House of Guinness.
"As a Victorian woman, her raison d’être is to protect the family’s reputation," the actress told Tudum. "Which, given the children she’s essentially inherited, is a very difficult job."
07 of 07
Ann Skelly as Adelaide Guinness
Ben Blackall/Netflix
Ann Skelly as Adelaide Guinness in 'House of Guinness'.
Ann Skelly's character, Adelaide Guinness, is the last real-life figure featured on the show. She's inspired by a real aristocrat and is the Guinness sibling's cousin.
She married and had three children with Edward.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
