Gerri Kellman

Gerri Kellman serves as General Counsel and interim CEO of Waystar Royco. She is portrayed by J. Smith-Cameron.

Personality[]

While serving her own interests like the rest of the Roy conglomerate, Gerri avoids harming others or belittling them in order to advance her career. She is incredibly smart, a natural leader and strong force behind the legal counsel for the company, although often overlooked. She briefly engages with Roman in a powerful word-sex-play relationship, but she refuses his further advances once she becomes interim CEO.

History[]

Early life[]

Gerri was previously married, though her husband passed away. She has two daughters. While unclear her undergraduate degree, she graduated with a joint-dual JD/MBA degree from the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Law School and Wharton School. Gerri has been at Waystar for 30 years (or more) and worked her way up to the C-suite as Chief Legal Counsel of the firm.

Season 1[]

At the hospital following Logan's stroke, Gerri and Karl arrive and pull Kendall aside. They inform him that he will be CEO in Logan's absence, and that Roman had just been promoted to COO. Shiv and Roman are against the idea of Kendall being CEO, and request that Gerri step up, but she declines.

Gerri then takes Kendall to the roof and reveals that the company is $3 billion in debt. She tells him that in 1985, Logan took out a loan to be able to expand into parks. The company had already been in considerable debt. She explains that the debt is secured against Waystar's stock, and once the stock hits 130, the bank can pursue repayment in full. If the bank decided to do this, it would eviscerate the company. Gerri jokingly tells Kendall to not jump off the building.^[1]

With Waystar Royco’s stock plunging to dangerous lows, Gerri informs Kendall the bank can take the company if the stocks fall below 130. Kendall immediately calls the bank but cannot control his temper while speaking to the manager, who later declines to make any special offers. Roman and Gerri are both displeased with Kendall.

Kendall had previously planned to give a speech at Logan's 50th anniversary celebration, but Logan informs Connor that he himself will be giving a speech instead. Connor informs Kendall of Logan's speech, and in a panic Ken consults with Gerri. Kendall is worried Logan may make a fool of himself, but Gerri insists that he'll do fine.

Greg informs Gerri of Tom's decision to go public with the scandals he discovered. This angers Tom, but Gerri reassures Greg that it was a wise decision and thanks him for telling her.^[2]

Kendall is out on the balcony and Gerri approaches him. She asks if he truly plans on moving against his father, he confirms, and Gerri implies she'll help and that she "spoke to Frank." However, at board meeting Gerri chooses to abstain from the vote.^[3]

Season 2[]

Shiv meets with Gerri to reveal some information she has on Tom. She says she has no problem with the current discourse about Gil, but once they reach the final round of the election, all negative press must stop. In addition, she is also angling to have Tom either promoted or moved away from his current position at Waystar, to ensure that he isn't hurt by the cover-up of cruise-line allegations.

Gerri confronts Roman about his spaceship launch in Japan. She demands to know why he hasn't been doing anything, and he lies, pretending to be shocked upon hearing of the explosion. Gerri immediately begins going over any legal ramifications with him. He confesses that he had the launch moved up so that it would be on his sister's wedding day. She tells him that he's looking at corporate manslaughter if anyone dies.

Gerri informs Roman that no one has died in Japan. The details are still unclear, but it seems two people have lost their thumbs and a third might have to have an arm amputated. Roman is overjoyed to not receive any major consequences. In the following days, Roman and Gerri fly to Japan to visit patients from the explosion in the hospital.^[4]

Kendall informs Lawrence Yee that he, alongside his brother, must perform a routine check of Vaulter for their father. Roman, feeling out of his comfort zone, briefly calls Gerri and requests that she visit Vaulter to help him. When she refuses, Roman hangs up on her.^[5]

While in Hungary, Gerri and Karl try to pressure Tom into changing Logan's mind about PGM. Later, after having upset his father, Gerri convinces Roman to take a 6-week training course at Waystar.^[6]

The program starts with a video featuring Logan and Kendall, and he notices that his own speaking role has been cut out. He quickly excuses himself to call Gerri and find out why. She promises to look into it before Roman takes it back and hangs up on her.

Shiv is having a work-related conversation with Gerri when they are interrupted by Jess Jordan, who whispers something in Gerri's ear. Once she hears that Karolina and Colin are also involved, Shiv pieces the clues together. Gerri then admits that Kendall has been shoplifting, and they are running damage control.

Roman and Tabitha make a small attempt at phone sex but Roman hangs up the phone in frustration. He then calls Gerri to ask if his winning idea can become a real attraction. Gerri scolds him, saying that it's a dumb suggestion. Roman begins touching himself to the sound of this.^[7]

Roman is in his room with Tabatha and the two are bickering. They decide to have sex for the first time in a long time, but it doesn't go well. Tabitha isn't enjoying it, and Roman appears to have a fantasy about a dead body. He then goes to Gerri's room and the two have a conversation about the night's events. It quickly becomes clear Roman came over to continue their erotic session. Gerri begins to say demeaning things to Roman, which arouses him. She then orders him to get inside her bathroom and Roman obeys, masturbating beside the bathroom door as Gerri stands outside to listen. At breakfast the next morning, Roman "jokes" that he was with Gerri while he masturbated in the other room.^[8]

Gerri suggests Roman to be a "white knight" during the cruise-line scandal.

Gerri finds Roman and tells him that he must secure a position with Eduard Asgarov, as things within the company seem rather uncertain now. Roman reluctantly agrees. That night, he follows Eduard into the bathroom and speaks with him. Eduard says he will comply, only if Waystar's media company will quietly propagate about his home country Azerbaijan and the city of Baku. Roman, again reluctantly, agrees. He later asks Gerri how legal or illegal that was of him, but she isn't too worried about it. Roman also proposes to Gerri that they should work together more. Insinuating she is brilliant but that no one pays attention to her, she needs him because he's willing to be the loudmouth rockstar.

Not long before presentation, Shiv arrives and tells her family that she wants to be on the panel. Everyone argues and they try to knock Roman off. Gerri shakes her head, indicating Roman fight to stay on. Gerri had previously declined being on the panel, thinking it may send a bad message to have a lawyer speaking.^[9]

While Roman and Gerri discuss their future work together, Roman subtly proposes marriage to her, though she is left uncertain of his question. Gerri asks Shiv of her opinion on the situation they discussed earlier on the plane. Not wanting to bother Logan, Shiv gives permission for them to go up to $20 million in attempt to stop the whistleblower. The whistleblower refuses $20 million as well and has ever intention of going public with his information.^[10]

Logan and some other family sit around and watch television, awaiting whose names will be racked across the coals in the cruise line sex scandal. Moe's name is brought up, as well as Gerri's and then Tom's.^[11]

Notes[]

Relationships[]

Roman Roy[]

Gallery[]

❝ Logan’s camera-ed up the wazoo... and he watches it back every night with a scotch. ❞

Click here for Gerri Kellman's photo gallery.

Appearances[]

Episodes	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Season 1		✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Season 2	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Season 3	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔		✔	✔	✔
Season 4	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔		✔	✔

References[]

[1] Sh*t Show at the F**k Factory

[2] Sad Sack Wasp Trap

[3] I Went to Market

[4] The Summer Palace

[5] Vaulter (episode)

[6] Hunting

[7] Safe Room

[8] Tern Haven

[9] Argestes

[10] Dundee

[11] DC

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