Host Roger Bennett is joined by J. Smith-Cameron, who plays Gerri Kellman, Waystar Royco’s General Counsel, the smartest person in the room and a true boss in a sea of manboys. Smith-Cameron talks Gerri as a strong, empowering female role, her ability to steal a scene with a side-eye or smirk, and the origin of the term "slime puppy." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's exhilarating to be middle aged and have this unlikely identity come up, not just for me, but for all of womankind, because it's unexpected, it's anti ageist, it's feminist, and it's au courant because of everything that's on our mind right now.
So it's part of the zeitgeist that's thrilling.
This is Roger Bennett, and this is the HBO succession podcast, the equivalent of a night on the lash at Rhomboid with Roman Roy.
It's a big day for the pod.
First guest we've had grace the show who's not on the Roy family tree.
One of the first guests we've had who actually has any discernible skills, if I'm being honest.
Her workaholic character Jerry Kilman is Waystar Roycos general counsel, the inscrutable backbone of the operation.
No matter the crisis, scandal in the cruise line, family defection, a hostile bear hug, all of it falls on the steely, real politic shoulders of the smartest person in the room.
Shes a true boss in a sea of man boys, both repulsed by much of what she sees, but also quite pleased with the fact that she can take it as a Roy family designated driver.
When you think of great consiglieres, she's right up there with the Godfather's Tom Hagen in my mind.
Except she thrives in wartime.
With glasses perpetually atop her nose, Gerry is a walking meme.
Her smirks and side glances have made her scene stealing abilities.
The real cult star of season two, a stone cold killer and a really good job doer, according to Romande, a man who gets to know her better than most.
You are a revolting little worm, aren't you?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, I am, you little slime puppy.
Slime puppy?
Oh.