J Smith-Cameron has revealed how her sizzling real-life chemistry with Succession co-star Kieran Culkin was spotted by show execs and turned into something on screen more… enthralling.
The dynamic – one part maternal, three parts erotic -between Smith-Cameron and Culkin as Gerri, Waystar Royce’s general counsel, and mogul Logan Roy’s wayward third son Roman respectively, has caught viewers’ imagination as the show careers towards its ultimate ending.
Smith-Cameron told The Times in London that, with her friendship with Culkin going back many years, they were having fun improvising off-set during the filming of the second season, and making martinis together.
“We had a little talk about how you can’t get a good martini in England unless you were in London,” said Smith-Cameron. Then, “I left and he looked back at me, and then I looked back at him. We missed each other.” And it was this look that was caught by the writers.
The following season, Smith-Cameron revealed director Mark Myold told her to sit a little closer to Culkin during a scene. From there, it was only a short hop to the now infamous ‘behind the door’ scene between the two actors.
Smith-Cameron told The Times she was happy if her character has helped nudge the needle on the screen portrayal of women over some arbitrary age.
“There’s that age-old horrible wound of a woman only being valuable when she’s at her most fecund and beautiful and guidable… It’s against some faux rule of nature.”
In the same interview, Smith-Cameron laughed at the idea that she had become a sex symbol for many at the age of 65.
“The Brits have always [had this],” Smith-Cameron says. “I mean, Helen Mirren is the definition of it. And Charlotte Rampling, right? They paved the way.”
But Mirren “had a huge part in changing [attitudes in Hollywood] and I think Gerri’s had her part in changing that too.”
Succession continues on HBO in the US, Sky Atlantic in the UK.
