House of Guinness Cast: Who Stars in the Netflix Series?

Few family names carry the weight — and the frothy head — of Guinness. With Netflix’s new drama House of Guinness, viewers are about to meet the heirs behind an empire that started with a single Dublin brewery in the 18th century (Wikipedia). The series assembles a talented cast to bring the story to life, and we’ve dug into what’s fact, what’s fiction, and where it was all shot.

IMDb top cast members: 80 · Series premiere year: 2025 · Network: Netflix · Lead actors: Anthony Boyle, Louis Partridge

Six key details give you the lay of the land.

Was House of Guinness filmed in Ireland?

Despite the Irish setting, the series was primarily shot across the UK. Manchester, Liverpool, North Wales, and Yorkshire stand in for 19th-century Dublin and New York (Cosmopolitan).

Where were the Irish scenes filmed?

Stockport’s Underbanks area, complete with two churches, doubled for Dublin streets and funeral scenes (Cosmopolitan). Liverpool’s St George’s Hall stood in for College Green during the Episode 1 riot (Travel Noire). Penrhyn Castle in Bangor, Wales, represented Ashford Estate (Trafalgar).

Can you visit the filming locations?

Yes, several are accessible. Broughton Hall in the Yorkshire Dales, used as St Anne’s House, is privately owned but opens for events (Trafalgar). Liverpool’s Stanley Docks, which portrayed the brewery, and Sefton Park Palm House (used as a botanical setting) are both public (Travel Noire).

What other locations were used?

• Space Studios Manchester – period interiors and ballroom scenes doubling Dublin and New York (Trafalgar)
• St Philips Church, Salford – 19th-century Dublin streets (Filming in England)
• Manchester Northern Quarter – Lever Street, Back Piccadilly, Heaton Hall, Ancoats (Filming in England)
• Liverpool Town Hall and Collingwood Docks – key scenes and factory floors (Filming in England)

The implication: every cobblestone and warehouse you see is a deliberate re-creation, not a documentary time capsule.

House of Guinness Cast: Is the Family Based on a True Story?

Yes and no. The characters are inspired by real members of the Guinness dynasty, but the show takes fictional liberties with their relationships and conflicts.

Who are the main actors and their characters?

• Anthony Boyle plays Arthur Guinness, the eldest heir (Cosmopolitan)
• Louis Partridge plays Edward Guinness, the second son (Cosmopolitan)
• Emily Fairn plays Anne Guinness (later Anne Plunket), the only sister (Cosmopolitan)
• Fionn O’Shea plays Benjamin Guinness (Cosmopolitan)
• Niamh McCormack plays Ellen Cochrane (IMDb)

How accurate is the portrayal of the Guinness family?

The real Arthur Guinness (born 1725) founded the brewery in 1759, died in 1803 (Wikipedia). The series skips ahead to 1868, after the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, so the central conflict — the inheritance and survival of the brewery — is historically grounded. The family’s Protestant identity and immense wealth are accurate (Wikipedia – Guinness family).

What creative liberties were taken?

The show invents personal dramas and romantic subplots that aren’t documented in historical records. For example, Anne Guinness’s marriage and her brother Edward’s business decisions are dramatized. The creator Steven Knight has said the aim is to capture “the emotional truth” of the family saga (Cosmopolitan).

What this means: the series is a period drama inspired by real people, not a documentary. Treat character arcs as plausible fiction unless they align with the verified facts below.

Is the Guinness family still wealthy?

Absolutely. The Guinness family remains one of the wealthiest in Ireland and the UK, though their fortune is now tied up in shares and trusts rather than direct brewery ownership.

What is the Guinness family net worth?

Estimates place the collective net worth in the billions, thanks to the 1886 public listing of Guinness & Co. and subsequent mergers (Wikipedia – Guinness family). The 1st Earl of Iveagh, Edward Cecil Guinness, was said to be one of the richest men in the UK at his death.

Who are the current wealthiest members?

The current Earl of Iveagh, Edward Guinness (4th Earl), along with other branches like the Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, hold substantial assets. The family’s wealth is managed through trusts and holdings in Diageo (Wikipedia – Guinness family).

How is their wealth structured today?

Diageo, the global drinks giant that owns the Guinness brand, has a market cap over £60 billion. The Guinness family no longer controls the company but retains significant shareholdings and influence (Wikipedia – Guinness family).

The pattern: the brand that built the fortune now generates income without requiring family management — a classic wealth-preservation structure.

Who is left of the Guinness family today?

Several notable descendants carry the Guinness name and legacy, though none are directly involved in brewing.

Who are the living descendants?

• Edward Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh (born 1969) – current head of the aristocratic branch (Wikipedia – Guinness family)
• Rory Guinness – investment banker and philanthropist
• Patrick Guinness – former international showjumper
• Daphne Guinness – fashion icon and heiress

Do any family members still work in the brewery?

No. Diageo operates the St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin, and the family is not involved in day-to-day operations. Some descendants serve on charitable boards, such as the Guinness Partnership and the Iveagh Trust (Wikipedia – Guinness family).

What is the family’s current influence?

The Guinness name remains potent in business, philanthropy, and the arts. The family’s charitable foundation, the Guinness Trust, funds housing and social projects. Their historical association with the brand still carries cultural weight in Ireland and beyond.

Why this matters: the Guinness story is not just a historical curiosity — the family’s ongoing presence in public life shows how dynastic wealth can evolve over centuries.

What happened to the real Sir Arthur Guinness?

The founder of the Guinness empire, Arthur Guinness, lived a life that blends entrepreneurial flair with philanthropy.

When was Arthur Guinness born and when did he die?

Born in 1725 in Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland, Arthur Guinness died in 1803 (Wikipedia).

What did he achieve in his lifetime?

• In 1759, he signed a 9,000-year lease on the St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin (Wikipedia)
• He built a brewing empire that exported beer across the British Empire
• He was a philanthropist, funding schools and charities in Dublin

What is his legacy?

Arthur Guinness is remembered as one of Ireland’s greatest industrialists. His name is synonymous with stout, and the company he founded — now part of Diageo — produces over 1.8 billion pints of Guinness annually (Wikipedia). The series dramatizes how his descendants managed that empire after his death.

The takeaway: Arthur’s story is the foundation, but the series focuses on the generation that inherited his fortune — a shift from rags to riches to “how to keep the riches.”

Blending historical fact with fiction was essential to capture the emotional truth of the Guinness story, according to creator Steven Knight.

Cosmopolitan

Anthony Boyle described playing Arthur Guinness as a chance to explore the weight of inheriting a dynasty.

Cosmopolitan

Bottom line: House of Guinness is an entertaining period drama built on a very real fortune and family. For history buffs, the verified timeline and family records offer satisfying context; for casual viewers, the cast delivers a gripping saga — just don’t mistake the fiction for fact. For fans of Irish history, the clear recommendation is to read the Wikipedia entries on Arthur Guinness and the Guinness family after watching. Anthony Boyle’s portrayal of Arthur Guinness brings the dynasty’s internal conflicts to life, but viewers should check Wikipedia for the real history.