Since people were first able to sign up for an Apple TV+ subscription in November 2019, the streaming service has released some pretty amazing shows like Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, and Servant, to name only a few. And, as time goes by, the list of great original series only continues to get better and better, thanks in part to shows like the platform’s latest addition: Severance.
Directed by Ben Stiller, this workplace psychological drama about a group of people who can’t remember what happens in the office once they leave and have no memories of the outside world when they clock-in each day. This promising story is only made better thanks to the impressive Severance cast, which features some heavy hitters. But, in the event you’ve forgotten where you’ve seen them before, worry not, because we’re about to break it down…
Adam Scott (Mark)
Leading the Severance cast is Adam Scott, who takes on the role of Mark, the mild-mannered team lead whose life is thrown out of whack when a former coworker finds him in the outside world, a colleague he does not remember.
Scott has long been a fixture of the small screen, having appeared on shows like Party of Five, Eastbound & Down, Big Little Lies, Parks and Recreation, and Party Down, which is set for a revival in the near future. His film work is just as impressive, with titles like The Aviator, Step Brothers, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (also directed by Ben Stiller), and Krampus.
Britt Lower (Helly)
Stepping in as Helly, the new hire who joins Mark and the rest of his mysterious coworkers who underwent the same operation to divide their memory into two-halves, is Britt Lower, who has been in quite a few movies and TV shows since bursting onto the scene in 2010.
Throughout her career, Lower has shown up on series like Man Seeking Woman, Unforgettable, Casual, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and High Maintenance, a.k.a. one of the best HBO shows that ended way too early. During that same stretch of time, Lower has appeared in movies like Domain, Holly Slept Over, Mr. Roosevelt, and Sisters.
Patricia Arquette (Harmony Cobel)
Taking on the role of Harmony Cobel, Mark’s domineering boss, on Severance is Patricia Arquette, who brings a unique blend of drama, humor, and awkwardness to the Apple TV+ series.
A Tony Award away from having an EGOT, Arquette has given commanding performances in movies like Boyhood, True Romance, Fast Food Nation, and Holes. Those roles would be enough to earn Arquette a place on the list of best actresses of the past 35 years, but her work on the small screen only makes that idea much stronger. Over the years, Arquette has led series like The Act, Escape at Dannemora (also directed by Ben Stiller), Boardwalk Empire, and Medium, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award and countless nominations throughout the shows’ seven-season run.
John Turturro (Irving)
John Turturro shows up in the Severance cast as Irving, a rather pretentious member of Mark’s team and one who also has a divided memory that prevents him from remembering his life outside of the office and the other way around.
Prior to landing a role on the new Apple TV+ series, Turturro found a great deal of success with various film and projects as well as some impressive stage productions (both on and off Broadway). Starting with his TV contributions, Turturro has appeared on The Plot Against America, The Night Of, Monk, and The Bronx Is Burning, to name just a few. The longtime Coen brothers collaborator has given memorable performances in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski, and Barton Fink. Other film appearances include Mr. Deeds, Gloria Bell, and The Color of Money.
Christopher Walken (Burt)
Next up is Christopher Walken, who appears on the Severance cast as Burt, Mark’s quirky coworker, the latest in a long line of unique characters played by the one-of-a-kind actor.
Arguably the most prolific actor in the entire Severance cast, Walken has given memorable performances in everything from gritty, Academy Award-winning war movies like The Deer Hunter to Stephen King adaptations like The Dead Zone, to some of the best movies of the ‘90s like Pulp Fiction and True Romance, and just about every other type of film. Hell, he’s even been a part of some of the best Saturday Night Live moments, despite never being in the cast.
Zach Cherry (Dylan)
Taking on the role Dylan, one of Mark’s competitive coworkers on Severance, is Zach Cherry, who fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will immediately recognize as soon as he starts screaming with that signature high-pitched voice.
But, in case you need a little reminder, Cherry plays the street vendor who yells out to Spider-Man to get him to do a flip in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Cherry would also later appear in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings bus scene taking on the role of the vlogger documenting the badass fight. Outside of the MCU, Cherry has voiced characters on Duncanville, shown up on Succession and Crashing, and the first season of Search Party.
Tramell Tillman (Milchick)
Tramell Tillman shows up on the Severance cast as Milchick, the always smiling security guard who can usually be found standing not too far from Harmony Cobel or walking around with that oh so creepy optimism.
If you are a fan of the Epix drama series, Godfather of Harlem, then you will most likely recognize Tillman as Bobby Robinson. If not, then you have probably seen him on Difficult People, Dietland, or Hunters. He also had a one-off role on Elementary, for all those diehard fans out there.
Yul Vazquez (Petey)
Taking on the role of Petey, Mark’s former colleague who approaches him in the outside world and opens his mind to the true nature of their profession on Severance, is the veteran film and TV actor Yul Vazquez.
Throughout his career, which goes back to an episode of Tales from the Crypt in 1992, Vasquez has landed roles on some of the best and most-watched shows of the past 30 years, including Seinfeld (he played Bob The Intimidating Gay Guy in three episodes), The Sopranos, Sex and the City, The Good Wife, Narcos: Mexico, The Outsider, and Russian Doll. Over on the film side of things, Vasquez has popped up in Bad Boys II, American Gangster, Traffic, O.G., and dozens of other movies.
Jenn Tullock (Devon)
The Severance cast also includes several characters who aren’t part of the the program where their memories are divided into two halves, and one of those is Mark’s supportive sister Devon, played by Jen Tullock.
Throughout her career, Tullock has landed roles on shows like The Coop, Bless This Mess, Door No. 1, Disengaged, and even Curb Your Enthusiasm. She has also completed a great deal of film work over the years as well, including 2019 comedy-drama, Before You Know It, which she co-wrote with director and co-star Hannah Pearl Utt.
Dichen Lachman (Ms. Casey)
Taking on the role of Ms. Casey, another employee of Mark’s mysterious and downright unethical company, is Dichen Lachman, another star of the new Apple TV+ series who has made their mark on the small screen.
Throughout her career, which goes back to a 106-episode run on the Australian soap opera Neighbours, Lachman has shown up on Dollhouse, Hawaii Five-0, The League, Last Resort, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Shameless, Supergirl, Altered Carbon, and Animal Kingdom, and that is just including some of the more well-known shows she’s been on over the years. Her film work, which is not as extensive as her list of credits on TV looks to be on the up-and-up, with appearances in Bad Therapy, Too Late, and Raya and the Last Dragon. And, it looks like this is just the beginning, as she is set to appear in the forthcoming Jurassic World: Dominion.
Michael Chernus (Rickon)
Rounding out the main portion of Severance cast is Michael Chernus, who takes on the role of Rickon, Mark’s pretentious, know-it-all writer brother-in-law in the outside world.
Just like with Zach Cherry up above, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will recognize Chernus from his appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming, in which he played Phineas Mason, a.k.a. Tinker, the man behind most of Vulture’s big bad gadgetry. Sticking with his film contributions, Chernus has appeared in movies like The Messenger, Love & Other Drugs, The Bourne Legacy, Captain Phillips, Mistress America, and tons of other film projects. His work on the small screen includes Nurse Jackie, Orange is the New Black, Manhattan, Easy, Tommy, and most recently, Prodigal Son.
Well, this just about covers all the main actors who appear in Severance, but with a premise as promising and expansive as the one found in Ben Stiller's latest project, expect some surprises throughout the show's nine-episode run. If you want to know what else is coming to the small screen while you wait for new episodes to drop, take a quick glance at CinemaBlend's rundown of all the new and returning shows on the 2022 TV schedule.
