What role did Gina Gershon play in Doctor Odyssey? Explained
Doctor Odyssey is a medical drama series created by Ryan Murphy that first premiered on ABC in October 2024. The show follows Dr. Max Bankman, played by Joshua Jackson, who serves as the on-board doctor for a luxury cruise ship called The Odyssey.
As the medical team aboard this high-end vessel, Max and his colleagues, including nurse Avery Morgan (Phillipa Soo) and nurse Tristan Silva (Sean Teale), face a variety of medical emergencies from cruise passengers while dealing with their dynamics.
One of the standout guest stars in Doctor Odyssey is Gina Gershon. Known for her versatility and her roles in films like Showgirls and TV shows like Riverdale, Gershon brings her signature charm to the show. She plays a guest on the cruise ship during Plastic Surgery Week as Lenore Laurent the wife of the owner of the Odyssey.
Everything you need to know about Gina Gershon's role in Doctor Odyssey
Gina Gershon guest-starred on Doctor Odyssey season 1 episode 3, titled Plastic Surgery Week. She played Lenore Laurent, the wife of the Odyssey’s owner and a powerful figure with a strong presence. Lenore wasn’t on board just for fun; she booked the cruise to entertain her wealthy clients recovering from recent cosmetic procedures.
Because she’s married to the owner of the ship, everyone from Captain Massey (Don Johnson) down to Dr. Max Bankman (Joshua Jackson) knew they had to impress her. Lenore made it clear right from the start that things had to run perfectly—no mistakes, no slip-ups, and especially no embarrassing scenes.
Lenore immediately creates tension on the ship by firing Avery (Phillipa Soo) early in the episode. She overheard Avery making some critical remarks about the plastic surgery crowd, which Lenore did not appreciate at all.
Even though Avery was good at her job, Lenore didn’t hesitate for a second in firing her. Later, Lenore softened slightly, agreeing to help Avery secure her medical scholarship, but it was obvious Lenore was someone you did not want to cross.
The episode took a turn when Lenore herself got caught up in a medical scare. She experienced intense abdominal pains and initially blamed it on the ship’s food, publicly accusing the crew of negligence. Max diagnosed her with complications from an earlier tummy tuck procedure.
It turned out the stitches from Lenore’s surgery became infected, a common risk with cosmetic procedures. The situation quickly escalated, forcing Lenore to confront her vulnerabilities as she underwent emergency surgery onboard.
Gershon played Lenore with a mix of arrogance and vulnerability that stood out. Throughout the episode, she was critical, demanding, and the kind of person who used to be in control.
But when her health deteriorated, Lenore had no choice but to trust Max and the medical team she’d been bossing around. That shift in power dynamics was interesting to watch and gave Gershon a lot to work with as an actress. The audience got to see Lenore transition from being a bossy, confident woman to someone deeply afraid, realizing she wasn’t in control of everything.
The episode wrapped up by showing a more thoughtful Lenore. After surviving the surgery, she made peace with Avery, acknowledging she’d been too harsh earlier. Gershon’s performance made Lenore believable—someone used to get her way suddenly humbled by circumstances beyond her control.
The highly anticipated Doctor Odyssey and 9-1-1 crossover airs on Thursday, March 20, 2025, on ABC which will see Angela Bassett’s Athena Grant boarding The Odyssey during Casino Week to investigate a heist targeting the ship’s vault, teaming up with Max Bankman and his crew to stop it.
