Anyone who’s seen interviews with Kieran Culkin will realize he’s basically playing himself on Succession.
His character, Roman Roy, is known for his controversial witticisms and filter-free charisma. As the son of Waystar Royco’s CEO Logan Roy, Roman’s clownish behavior and diabolical antics often lead to less-than-favorable outcomes that cause a mess for everyone involved. Similarly, Kieran Culkin’s off-screen shenanigans sometimes result in drinks being thrown at his face. In this case, by his Succession co-star, J. Smith Cameron. (Classic Roman and Gerri.)
Inside Roman and Gerri’s Unique Relationship on Succession
We’ve seen plenty of unique romances throughout television history, yet nothing beats the utter eccentricity of Roman and Gerri. These two, by all accounts, shouldn’t work as a romantic duo. Yet regardless of the millions of reasons why these two shouldn’t even think about getting involved, it’s the inappropriate nature of the relationship that keeps drawing the two back to each other. The sheer “wrongness” of their unusual dynamic is what excites both Roman and Gerri most.
Interestingly enough, as Smith Cameron revealed, the role of Gerri was initially intended to be male. Her character was supposed to be just another “suit” at the office, played with corporate insignificance. Yet her on-screen chemistry with Culkin was so undeniable during test shoots, that the showrunners knew they had to cast her for the role.
Culkin was thrilled by this news, since he’d already known Smith Cameron for decades beforehand. “My first day of shooting Succession, I looked on the schedule and I see ‘J. Smith-Cameron,’” Culkin spilled to The Hollywood Reporter. “I went, ‘You got to be f*cking kidding me.’”
In season 1, their characters’ relationship is strictly professional, yet due to some heavy flirting between Smith-Cameron and Culkin behind the scenes, their off-screen chemistry slipped into the script. “I remember saying to my wife in season one, ‘I really hope something happens sort of sexually or romantically between those two, but I don’t know that it ever will,’ ” Culkin told the magazine. “But we were sure trying. I would flirt with J. in the most obnoxious way, just to f*ck around.”
Why Did J. Smith Cameron Throw A Drink At Kieran Culkin?
One night, when the two were drinking martinis at a bar, Culkin began teasing Smith Cameron about her “old age.” According to the Succession co-stars, he had been teasing her all night in a flirtatious attempt to push her buttons.
Eventually, he took the teasing one step out of line, which resulted in Smith Cameron’s drink splashing all over Culkin’s shirt.
“He was just riding me the whole time, like being horrid,” the actress revealed on Late Night With Seth Meyers. “Like, if I couldn’t hear something that was said that everyone was laughing about at the other end of the table and I’d be like, ‘What’d he say? What’d he say?’ [and] he’d be like, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, dear. Did you forget your hearing aids?’ Or, like, if I yawned, he’d be like, ‘Is it past your bedtime? That’s so terrible.’”
When she’d had enough, Smith Cameron drenched his shirt. “I just threw my martini at him. He was asking for it.”
In response, Culkin said while sitting down with Stephen Colbert, “I deserved it.”
Well, there you have it, folks. Sheer proof that J. Smith Cameron and Kieran Culkin are the real-life Roman and Gerri.
Simone Torn is a pop culture writer with 10 years of experience. She has written for several entertainment magazines such as Nicki Swift, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Dexerto, and more.
