We’re calling it now: Judy Gemstone, of The Righteous Gemstones, will go down in history as one of the best comedic characters in TV historyâand thatâs due in large part to the writing and acting of Edi Patterson.
Something about her characterâs Southern twang and anger-meets-holiness persona is so specific and fully unique. It makes sense that Patterson would be able to nail the Southern idiosyncrasies and diatribes, as the 50-year-old actress grew up in Texas before moving to California to study at The Groundlings improv theater.
Whether you love the character for her vitriolic tantrums or the genuine joy she displays when performing for the Gemstonesâ congregation, itâs hard to deny the insane charisma she emits every time sheâs on screen. The HBO show features a cast thatâs second to none, with creator and star Danny McBride at the helm, and John Goodman portraying the familyâs patriarch. Theyâve also featured a lineup of heavy-hitting guest starsâthis seasonâs premiere revealed the origin of the Gemstone family ministry in a Civil War flashback starring ten-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper.
Patterson credits most if not all of this to McBride. âI think he’s the smartest dude on the planet,â she said. âA huge thing that I’ve learned from him, and that I think he’s just so good at, is to go exactly toward what you think is funny and good, and never worry about what may or may not work, or what people may or may not want.â
As The Righteous Gemstonesâ fourth and final season rolls on, Patterson opens up about how last week’s episode might go down as one of her favorite acting experiences thanks in part to guest star Megan Mullally. She also talks about some of her favorite guest stars, her time at The Groundlings, and manifests a future appearance on White Lotus.
GQ: You grew up in Texas. How do you think your background fed into the character of Judy?
Edi Patterson: Wait, where are you from?
Iâm from Georgia, hence the accent.
Thatâs awesome! I guess part of growing up in Texas and even part of my familyâlike, my dad was a plumber and so I knew a lot of working menâthey were all really funny, and my dad was so funny.
My mom was an elementary school teacher, and I don’t know, I just feel like there’s something that happens. There’s a magic that happens in the South, if you’re open to it and if you have a weird little brain like I did, and probably like you did, where quirkiness and, like, specificity of character just like comes out to you in neon. Thereâs plenty of it in Texas. Thereâs tons of awesome, awesome weirdos. I [grew] up, you know, staring at people in the post office or the grocery store and trying to come home and do them for my parents.
There’s also a vibe ofâI was gonna say âunapologetically,â but it’s almost more of an element of being completely unawarely whoever you are. And thatâs true in Texas, and I know in the other parts of the South. I feel like I knew a fair amount of wild people, like people who were just letting it rip, who had varying degrees of filters.