The Big Picture

J. Smith-Cameron auditioned for her role in ‘In the Know’ from her closet, using winter coats for soundproofing. She enjoys playing her character, Barb, who is innocent and levelheaded, and provides a dramatic backstory. Smith-Cameron finds stop-motion animation “trippy” and admires the incredible skill and craftsmanship of the artisans involved in creating the puppets.

From co-creator/co-showrunner/executive producer Zach Woods (Silicon Valley), the stop-motion and live-action hybrid series In the Know follows radio host puppet Lauren Caspian (Woods) as he conducts interviews on the air with real world well-known human guests. At the same time, you get a glimpse into the lives and hard work of the puppet crew that helps make each episode of the show possible.

In the series, J. Smith-Cameron voices Barb, the co-executive producer who ensures that the radio show goes off without a hitch every time. During this interview with Collider, she talked about why she auditioned from her closet, being new to the voiceover world but really loving it, what she loved about being the comedic foil for Woods’ Laurn Caspian, how different her puppet looked from what she had imagined. Smith-Cameron also discussed why her Succession character was probably thrilled with how the CEO situation ultimately played out and why she thinks Gerri would be a good choice for a spinoff, how fun it was to get to do a Sleater Kinney music video, how special her time on Rectify was, and what she looks for in a project.

In the Know Lauren Caspian is the host of In the Know, public radio’s third most popular interview program. He’s a well-meaning, hypocritical nimrod. He’s also a stop motion puppet. Release Date January 25, 2024 Creator Brandon Gardner, Mike Judge, Zach Woods Seasons 1

J. Smith-Cameron Saw Her ‘In the Know’ Character as an Earnest Midwesterner
Image via Peacock

Collider: This is such a crazy, unique, hard to describe project. When this came your way, how was it described to you? Did they give you a visual demonstration? What did they say it would be?

J. SMITH-CAMERON: I don’t remember a visual on it. I remember hearing, pretty early on, that there would be stop-motion puppets with live-action guests and that was unique enough to digest for a while. And then, I knew Zach [Woods] and Mike Judge by reputation. It all sounded just great to me. I auditioned. I thought the script was really funny. I remember, I wasn’t anywhere with the right sound equipment. I went into my closet and put all the winter coats around me for good sound and I came up with a little character that they didn’t specify would be from the Midwest, but I decided she should be from the Midwest. There’s something about Midwesterners, in my experience, especially middle-aged older women, who can often be just so kindly and earnest and direct. I just thought that’s who Barb is, even with her name. So, I just had a ball auditioning for it. I really wanted it. It seemed really funny and I was just delighted.

When you’re an actor and you’re auditioning in a closet, what goes through your head?

SMITH-CAMERON: It’s funny because I’m new to the voiceover world. When I was a much younger actress, I did some voiceover advertising and I had one really interesting job where I redubbed an actress’s voice in a commercial. That was a real lesson about the power of voiceover because I was hearing her voice on the track and speaking along with her and seeing her image. And then, when they cut everything off and would play the playback, I would hear my voice and I’d be like, “Wow, that’s really different from her voice.” And then, at the end, they did a rough cut for me to see, and honestly, it didn’t sound like me or the original actress. It was a unique person. That’s the unseen element, which is so powerful and cool. If I ever get enough time to really set up a studio for myself, I would really like to pursue it more because I really love animated shows and adult animated shows. This was delightful. I loved this, I loved the scripts, and the personnel involved were all exciting to me.

J. Smith-Cameron Wants to Know More About Her ‘In the Know’ Character’s Mysterious Backstory
Image via Peacock

When it came to this character, what did you ultimately most enjoy about playing her, as she developed and you got to know a little more about her?

SMITH-CAMERON: She was so innocent, but I also think she’s the only reason the show gets produced every time. She’s the only levelheaded one. She’s quite capable, but she has this really unassuming, innocent quality. At least, that’s what my take on her. I’m drawn to that kind of character sometimes. They seem like softies, but inside they’re toughies. There’s also this whole mysterious thing that we don’t learn much about in these six episodes, about her husband who’s apparently been murdered. She’s so unassuming that she doesn’t even do anything to garner extra attention, even though her personal life and her backstory is so dramatic. I would like to know more about that storyline and the story about her and her daughter. There’s also a camaraderie between Barb and Carl that’s special. Because she’s so unassuming, she never seems to be disappointed when people don’t ask her. She’s just better off, not in the limelight. It makes her tantalizing. She’s a poker-faced comedic foil for Lauren Caspian and all the others.

I absolutely love stop-motion animation. I think it’s such a cool art form that we just don’t get to see enough of. Had you been a fan? Had you watched much of it before doing this? What’s it like to see your own stop-motion figure?

SMITH-CAMERON: Very trippy. Without realizing it, I had imagined how Barb would look, and it’s very different from how the puppeteers and the creators of the show envisioned her somewhat differently. It’s that thing of it truly being more than the sum of its parts. There’s such a lot of talented people collaborating. I had seen her as soft and roly-poly, but she’s athletic looking and she’s got a nice, short, serious haircut, which was delightful. I love stop-motion too. I think it’s really cool. I remember watching a YouTube video about how they made Pinocchio and the incredible skill and craftsmanship and patience was just mind-blowing to me. This was a chance to work, indirectly in my case, with these artisans and craftsmen that are more skilled than most people get to meet in their lifetime, so that’s pretty cool.

Do you know what you’re going to be doing next? Especially after doing something like Succession, did you want to take a break? It feels like you’d need at least a bit of a break after that.

SMITH-CAMERON: Yeah. I had a couple of projects that I had to finish up once the strike was resolved, which I’m quite at freedom to talk about yet, but I did that. I did a music video with Sleater Kinney, which was mind-blowing fun and fit right in without violating any of the strike mandates. That was really fun and cool and I never thought that would come my way. I have some irons in the fire coming up. I’m not too panicky about it, but I would enjoy a little break.

Do you feel like you and Gerri both feel the same way about Tom having been named CEO at the end of Succession? Would Gerri rather have had it be herself?

SMITH-CAMERON: That’s a really interesting question because fans of the show will often say to me, “Gerri should be CEO,” and my character seemed to lobby for that during the last few episodes, but more as an interim CEO. Gerri is much more confident when she’s in a backseat driver position. I think that’s why Tom got named. He is a great moldable puppet in the hands of Alexander Skarsgård’s character, and maybe in Gerri Kellman’s hands, as well. He’s a nice, bland, mediocre person who’s not trying to really be original or try anything new. He’s a great front man. So, it’s implied that she landed exactly where she’s comfortable, which is back as general counsel, but with a big pay bump and she doesn’t have to deal with any Roys. She must just be thrilled.

J. Smith-Cameron Feels Gerri Is a Decent Candidate for a ‘Succession’ Spinoff
Image via HBO

I just thought it was funny, hearing you during the recent awards season, talking about what a Gerri spinoff could be like. I would just want to see her leave all of that behind, get away from the Roy family, and do something entirely different. I’d watch that too.

SMITH-CAMERON: She can start being a public defender or doing only pro bono stuff, or something else completely different from her M.O. I don’t know. I’m not holding my breath for a spinoff, but she would be a very decent candidate for a spinoff, Jesse Armstrong, if you’re listening.

Related ‘Succession’ Series Finale Recap: Who Succeeds Logan Roy as Waystar CEO? The series finale to one of the greatest shows ever made was as explosive and fitting a closing chapter as one could have hoped for.

I will always hold a special place in my heart for Rectify, which was such a heartbreakingly beautiful series and so well done. Do you have fond memories of that experience, working on that series and with that cast? That was such a beautiful piece of art.

SMITH-CAMERON: Thank you for that. I think so, too. I loved Rectify. It was such an unusual thing to be a television show. It was almost like a novel. It was slower and than a typical TV series. It had this slow, deliberate pace, but it was so full that I didn’t think it was tedious, slow, I thought it was captivatingly slow. I thought all our characters were very distinct. Ray McKinnon is a really gifted writer. He had a clear vision, and we had such a good cast. We were pretty tight-knit. I’m still really close to the Rectify cast who happen to live in New York. Luke Kirby and Adelaide Clemens are still two of my very best friends. I see them quite a lot. I actually got to see Luke during the awards cycle because he was nominated for Mrs. Maisel. It’s very dear to my heart. I love that show. I’m glad you did, too.

What is the most nervous you’ve ever been, the night before starting a project? Are you someone who likes to always find projects that at least make you a little nervous?

SMITH-CAMERON: It’s not that I ever want to be nervous, but it tends to fit the profile with the kind of thing I like because they’re things that matter a great deal to me. Live performing is more nerve-wracking because if you flub your line, or you do something awkward, on a TV camera or a film camera, you can start, stop, and start again. On stage, not so much. That’s really nerve-wracking. Every preview for any play is incredibly nerve-wracking, in the wings, hoping you don’t throw up before you walk on.

J. Smith-Cameron Wants to Bring Something Unique to Each Character She Embodies
Image via Peacock

At this point in your life and career, what do you hope to find in a project? Does it always start with whether you connect with the character or is it about who you’re working with?

SMITH-CAMERON: It’s case by case. For instance, with Succession, I didn’t really have a script to read. I just had the sides. And as you may have heard before, it was originally conceived as a male character. I had these scenes but didn’t know what they were in reference to. I could tell it was well-written, and I could tell it was funny, and I could tell it was specific, so I just got very intrigued by it. And with Rectify, the writing of my character was so nuanced and so full. The writing really draws me, but also the character. I got to invent the Gerri character and the writers certainly supported me. I’m not claiming that I did that. We did that. They were a very collaborative company and that was wonderful because I had an idea for that character, and they liked it and we all conspired together to make it a reality. Going forward, I don’t know. Sometimes it’s the people I’m working with. It could be, “Oh, I get to work with so-and-so, that’s incredible,” or “I’ve always wanted to play that part,” if it’s a theater show. It’s always different things, but certainly the personnel matter a lot. It’s not just your fellow cast, but who’s writing and directing is huge. In the end, it’s whether I feel I can bring something unique to a character that I can really embody.

In the Know is available to stream on Peacock. Check out the trailer:

Watch on Peacock