This is what the Real Guinness family is saying about Netflix’s House of Guinness

House of Guinness on Netflix has surged to become one of the most discussed dramas on the platform in 2025, combining history, wealth, and family mysteries in the context of the most popular family-owned brewing company in Ireland. The show is a dramatization of the ascendancy and intrigues in the Guinness family, whose name is synonymous with both international business success and family inheritance.

Launching to critical applause, the show develops the themes of ambition, deceit, and legacy and revisits real historical events through the lens of the modern world. Its over-the-top production and convoluted plotting have been compared to Succession and The Crown.

According to The Times, members of the actual Guinness family have now come forward to comment on the House of Guinness, providing open-minded responses to how their forebears are depicted in the series - and what Netflix has gotten right (and wrong).

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House of Guinness

Various members of the Guinness family have responded ambivalently, yet considerately, to the Netflix dramatization of their history. Some found the cinematic spectacle of the series and its focus on period detail appealing, while others found the fictionalization of personal and political conflict to be a source of discomfort.

House of Guinness is an Irish historical drama series created by Steven Knight, which premiered on Netflix on September 25, 2025. It tells the story of the Guinness family, the founders of the famous brewing company, and is set in nineteenth-century Ireland and New York. The show looks at their rise, struggles, and legacy, combining history with intense family drama. Fans can expect a captivating exploration of power, ambition, and loyalty.

Molly Guinness, the great-great-granddaughter of Edward Guinness, claimed a lot of it is blown out of proportion to entertain. Guinness is a heritage of business and charity, but not of scandal.

“All the characters come straight from a bingo card of modern clichés about rich people,” she said. “Every episode starts with the weaselly old Netflix disclaimer ‘This fiction is inspired by true stories,’ so it’s art—I suppose—and I shouldn’t be a bore. Yet the more I watched, the more indignant I became.”

A House of Guinness is the story of Arthur Guinness III and his heirs as they try to overcome the challenges of holding their empire together amid the political crises and family feuds. It explores the cost of the game and the human tradeoffs that underlie one of the most recognized brands in the world.

The actual history of the Guinness family dates back to the 18th century when Arthur Guinness established the Dublin brewery in 1759. Throughout the generations, the family was associated with more than just beer; it was also linked to Irish identity, charity, and impact across the world. The Netflix series picks up that mythos, but, as family members are keen to point out, with a creative flair that muddies reality with fiction.

Cast of House of Guinness

House of Guinness stars a star-studded cast, including James Norton as the heir, Arthur Guinness III, who must choose between tradition and allegiance. Claire Foy plays the role of Eleanor Guinness, the tough matriarch who works both grace and ambition into a balance.

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Other performances that have been applauded are Tom Hiddleston as the competing industrialist Patrick Byrne, Ruth Wilson as Catherine Guinness, and Colin Morgan as Thomas Guinness, whose ethical dilemma is central to the play.

Under the direction of Julian Jarrold (The Crown), the series dramatizes the magnificence, family dynamics, and ethical maze behind the Guinness empire, a combination of real-life and film storytelling, making the show the most fascinating period show on Netflix.

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