J. Smith-Cameron misses "Succession" too. "It's hard to get through your head that it's not continuing," the Emmy- and Tony-nominated actor admits, "but that's showbiz, as they say."

Now, after wrapping up four memorable seasons as the steely Gerri Kellman on the HBO hit, she's taking on an entirely different role in Peacock's new animated comedy "In the Know." As the much-maligned producer and “boomer witch” on a fictional public radio interview show, the theater-trained star gets to show off her acting skills using just her voice. "In the Know," which was co-created by Mike Judge of "King of the Hill," also pokes fun at both liberals and conservatives in a way that Judge does best. In our “Salon Talks” interview, Smith-Cameron, who is outspoken about her distaste for Trump, shared her frustrations with those on her own side, like how "we're sort of unable to fully rally behind our candidate ever."

During our discussion, Smith-Cameron also revealed the genesis of her iconic chemistry with her "Succession" co-star Kieran Culkin, the origin of the infamous phrase "slime puppy," and why she thinks their dynamic resonated so well with viewers. "It was kind of sexy," she said, "but in an unusual, unexpected way that sneaks up on people." She also talks about what attaining high-profile success later in her career has meant. "It's a win for middle-aged and older women everywhere," she said. "It has been proof that it's not over until it's over."

You can watch our full “Salon Talks” here or read a transcript of our conversation below.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

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This show is a workplace comedy with puppets. You play a very different character from Gerri. Tell me about Barb.

Barb is the producer of “In the Know.” It's an NPR type show, and Barb is sort of the straight man in a way, although she's funny too in her own right. She's slightly Midwestern and very earnest and gets the short end of the stick around the office a lot, unfairly, because she's really the den mother and she's kind to everyone and she keeps the thing going along.

This show pokes fun in a way that I only something Mike Judge affiliated could do by appealing to people on the left and on the right. It raises questions about those of us who consider ourselves progressive and interrogates our own hypocrisies and blind spots. You are outspoken about where you stand politically. Do you feel that the show is a reflection of the frustrations some of us on our side of the aisle feel with ourselves?

I definitely feel that way. It's kind of too bad that we're unable to fully rally behind our candidate ever. We're always nitpicking and virtue signaling a bit. It's too bad because the other side sort of plays dirty. I don't think we should play dirty, but I wish that we would toughen up and play offensive a little more, not just defensive.

You've done a lot of stage work. When people talk about you, they talk about your physicality. This is a very different skill set for you. What drew you to something that's so outside the box?

I've always thought it was interesting. Voice acting fascinates me. When I was a young actress, I had one job where I was hired to dub an actress's voice for a commercial. There was nothing wrong with her voice; they just wanted to make the character a little kookier........

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