A Complete Guide to the ‘Severance’ Cast

1. Adam Scott as Mark Scout

• First appears in: Season 1, Episode 1, "Good News About Hell"
• What else he’s been in: Parks and Recreation, Party Down, The Good Place

While Scott is best known for his comedic performances, he got his start by taking on more dramatic roles. However, he decided to pivot to comedy after starring in Step Brothers, then did several other major comedies like Hot Tub Time Machine 2 and Krampus. You may know him as Ben Wyatt from Parks and Recreation, but it’s just one of a whopping 129 acting credits. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Aside from delivering solid performances on screen, Scott also works behind the camera, having produced episodes of Severance, Party Down, Ghosted and more.

On Severance, he stars as Mark, a Lumon Industries employee who undergoes the severance procedure after he loses his wife. While discussing his first impression of the series, he told W magazine, "One of the reasons I loved is that it reminded me of nothing else. It was exactly the kind of thing I seek out as an audience member. I love to watch The Twilight Zone, and Lost, and Black Mirror, but I’ve never been a part of anything like that."

Prior to Severance, Lower appeared in titles like Unforgettable, Man Seeking Woman, Casual and Ghosted. She has also made guest appearances in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, American Horror Stories and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, just to name a few.

On Severance, she portrays the fearless Helly Riggs, a severed newcomer who replaces Petey. As for what drew her to the character, Lower told Elle, "she’s the most defiant, brave, unapologetically honest person I’ve ever countered on a page. And as myself, [someone] who was such a rule-follower growing up, it was exciting to jump into the shoes of someone who does not care what anyone thinks about her. And is on a very clear mission to get out of this place at all costs, to challenge these rules that she's been presented with that make no sense to her ethically."

• First appears in: Season 1, Episode 1, "Good News About Hell"
• What else he’s been in: You, You Hurt My Feelings, Fallout

The New Jersey native and improv comedian has popped up in dozens of shows since 2015, including Broad City, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Search Party, but perhaps his most popular role is bookstore clerk Ethan Russell on Netflix’s You. Cherry also played minor roles in successful movies like Spider-Man: Homecoming and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

In Severance, Cherry plays Dylan, another severed employee (and conspiracy theorist) who lives for the perks and benefits. And interestingly enough, fans are still none the wiser about his life outside of work—including Cherry. He told Uproxx, “I have some ideas. Early on, Dan [Erickson] and Ben [Stiller] asked how much backstory I wanted to know and I said not a ton because, for most of the season, we only see Dylan as an Innie. We only see him at work. He doesn’t know who he is. So I was like, ‘Well, I don’t really need to know until that becomes relevant.’”

• First appears in: Season 1, Episode 1, "Good News About Hell"
• What else he’s been in: Dietland, Godfather of Harlem, Hunters

While Tillman doesn’t have extensive acting credits, he is known for playing Bobby Robinson in Godfather of Harlem and Detective Sommers on Prime Video’s Hunters. Still, it’s safe to say that Tillman got his big break after joining the Severance cast as Seth, supervisor of the severed floor at Lumon. 

Tillman told The Hollywood Reporter, “This was a guy who was extremely measured and controlled, so I did a lot of breathing exercises. I spent many hours meditating. I would get up two hours before I was picked up to go to set, and I would meditate and do small physical exercises to really find the center of magic. I wanted to create Milchick as a duck on water, if you will: very calm, but there’s always something going on underneath.” 

• First appears in: Season 1, Episode 1, "Good News About Hell"
• What else he’s been in: The Night Of, The Plot Against America, Barton Fink

The actor has come a long way since he starred in Spike Lee’s ‘80s gem, Do the Right Thing. To date, he boasts 119 acting credits, having appeared in blockbuster movies like The Batman and Transformers. His most notable films include Barton Fink, Fading Gigolo, Quiz Show and ​​The Big Lebowski. You may have also spotted the star in a few shows, from Frasier and Monk to Difficult People.

Regarding his decision to join the Severance cast, Turturro told ScreenRant, “The characters were all different and nuanced. I liked the whole idea of the character that they had offered me and I thought it would be interesting to see someone who's really formal and disciplined and rigid. Then all of a sudden, he gets rocked and this wave of emotion comes in.”

6. Christopher Walken as Burt Goodman

• First appears in: Season 1, Episode 1, "Good News About Hell"
• What else he’s been in: Dune Part 2, The Deer Hunter, Percy, Catch Me If You Can

Walken is easily one of the most famous veteran actors in Hollywood, which explains his 143 acting credits and numerous accolades. He’s known for his performances in The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy, Man on Fire, Pulp Fiction, Batman Returns, Catch Me If You Can and Dune: Part Two. But did you know that he’s also an accomplished stage actor? He has played the lead in four different Shakespeare plays including Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and Coriolanus. 

On Severance, Walken is Burt, a severed employee who starts a romantic relationship with Irving. Regarding Burt’s chemistry with Irving, Walken told IndieWire, “There was this, what’s the word, frisson between us. Even though in the show they’re meeting for the first time, you can sense a little sparkle between them. When you know each other a little bit, you know how each other works and [how we] bounce off each other, then you don’t have to act as much.”

7. Dichen Lachman as Ms. Casey

• First appears in: Season 1, Episode 1, "Good News About Hell"
• What else she's been in: Neighbours, Dollhouse, Being Human, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Lachman is best known for starring as Katya Kinski in Neighbours and as Sierra in the science fiction drama series, Dollhouse.  She has also landed roles in titles like Altered Carbon, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Aquamarine, Lust for Love and Bad Therapy. She has also done voice work for Raya and the Last Dragon (as General Atitaya) and for the Disney animated series Baymax!.  

Lachman plays Ms. Casey on Severance, a wellness counselor at Lumon. Speaking about how she gets into character, she explained, “I was thinking about how new she was in the world. You know, she says in the script, ‘My life has been 107 hours long.’ And because we know she goes down onto the testing floor, and we know she's had a terrible accident, there's something missing from her that the others don't quite have. And I imagined her like a child, or like a doe, like an animal being born into the world and just learning to walk and absorbing everything around them. To some degree she has to do what she's told. She's very literal.”

8. Patricia Arquette as Harmony Cobel

• First appears in: Season 1, Episode 1, "Good News About Hell"
• What else she's been in: Boyhood, Stigmata, Medium, True Romance, CSI: Cyber

Perhaps you recognize her as Kissin' Kate Barlow from Holes or as Valerie from the throwback comedy film, Little Nicky, but those are just a few of her many supporting roles. Arquette has made appearances in several movies and shows, like Otherhood, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Boardwalk Empire, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Inside Amy Schumer.

Arquette joined the cast of Severance as Harmony, Mark's mysterious boss. While chatting with Parade about her role, she said, "Severance is totally controlled; it’s almost claustrophobic. You never know how anyone’s thinking or feeling or what they’re up to or what’s going on. This lady has no inhibitors, in a way, and is very clear about what she’s working on and what she’s trying to do and what her agenda is."

9. Michael Chernus as Ricken Hale

• First appears in: Season 1, Episode 1, "Good News About Hell"
• What else he’s been in: Orange Is the New Black, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Dead Ringers

Chernus is known for Prime Video's Dead Ringers, and he has appeared in popular shows like Patriot, Orange is the New Black, Evil and The Good Wife. As for his films, he has done Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Courtroom and most recently, Out of My Mind.

The actor achieved even more fame after joining the Severance cast as Ricken, Mark's brother-in-law who writes self-help books. He's set to return to season two and is currently working on five projects, including A Complete Unknown, The Wake, Birthrite and John Wayne Gacy.

10. Jen Tullock as Devon Scout-Hale

• What else he’s/she's been in: Spirited, The L Word: Generation Q, Perry Mason, Before You Know It
• First appears in: Season 1, Episode 1, "Good News About Hell"

Tullock is an actress and writer who has several acting credits—including theater productions in Chicago and New York. You may have seen her in shows and films like Lofty Dreams, Curb Your Enthusiasm, SMILF and 6 Balloons, just to name a few.

Tullock appears in season one of Severance as Mark's sister, Devon, who has her suspicions about his severance. While chatting about what drew her to the charatcer, she told Awards Radar, "The thing I adore most about [Devon] is that she’s a person who garners intel by listening instead of asking. And so, a lot of the moments we see through her vantage point in the season are quiet. It was enjoyable to find the nuance of someone whose primary experience is happening internally."

11. Alia Shawkat (TBD)

• What else she's been in: Arrested Development, Whip It, The To Do List, Search Party
• First appears in: Season 2 

Shawkat is one actress you don't want to sleep on. She's got comedic skills (as you may have seen in Arrested Development) and she totally nailed her role as Dory in Search Party. Now, fans can enjoy seeing her play one of the innies (well, potentially) in Severance season two. But this isn't the only project she has coming up. She's currently working on a war drama called Atropia, and she'll voive the character of Mona in the adult animated comedy, #1 Happy Family USA.

12. Gwendoline Christie (TBD)

• What else she's been in: Game of Thrones, Wednesday, The Darkest Minds, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
• First appears in: Season 2 

Christie has shown her acting chops in Game of Thrones, Wednesday, The Sandman and, of course, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. Most recently, she starred in the fantasy film, Robin and the Hoods, and she serves as narrator of the upcoming video game, Sid Meier's Civilization VII.

While Christie's character hasn't been officially announced, I've seen enough from the show's teaser to deduce that her character works in O&D at Lumon Industries, thanks to her uniform that matches Burt's.

13. Merritt Wever (TBD)

• What else he’s been in: Marriage Story, Signs, Michael Clayton, Memory, Tiny Beautiful Things
• First appears in: Season 2 

The actress is best kown for her role as Zoey in Nurse Jackie, which earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series. She has also appeared in shows like The Walking Dead, Tiny Beautiful Things and Godless, while scoring minor roles in shows like Law & Order: Criminal Intent and The Wire.

Like the rest of the new cast, her character hasn't been revealed, and when asked if she could tease what fans can expect to see from her, she told Collider, "I absolutely have nothing that I would want to share, only because I think there are so few shows that you can watch, and part of what's valuable or exciting or satisfying or fulfilling about watching is getting to really encounter it for the first time. And I wouldn't want to rob anyone of that."

14. Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (TBD)

• What else he’s been in: The Minister, Somebody Somewhere, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
• First appears in: Season 2 

Ólafsson is known for his work in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and The Meg. He also starred in the drama series, The Minister, and he's got several other projects in the works. In addition to Severance season two, fans will see him as Jónas on Reykjavík Fusion and Travis on Nine Bodies in A Mexican Morgue.

15. John Noble (TBD)

• What else he’s been in: Running Scared, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Fringe
• First appears in: Season 2

Maybe you remember him as Denethor from The Lord of the Rings franchise, or perhaps you've seen him transform into Dr. Walter Bishop (aka Walternate) on Fringe, but the seasoned actor boasts a much lengthier resume. Per IMDB, he directed over 80 plays and guest starred in several shows, including 24, The Good Wife, Forever and DC's Legends of Tomorrow. His role on Severance is unknown as of now, but boy, am I looking forward to his performance.

16. Robby Benson 

• What else he’s been in: One on One, The Ed Sullivan Show, Beauty and the Beast
• First appears in: Season 2 

Benson is an actor, director, novelist, lyricist and composer, so you'll likely encountered some of his work. He has done quite a bit of voice acting, and he directed episodes in shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Friends and 8 Simple Rules. Also, fun fact: He voiced the character of the beast in the classic 1991 film, Beauty and the Beast.

Benson's character on Severance hasn't been confirmed, but my best guess? He'll be introduced as another severed Lumon employee.

17. Bob Balaban 

• What else he’s been in: Capote, A Mighty Wind, Asteroid City, Gosford Park
• First appears in: Season 2

Balaban, who most recently played an executive in Wes Anderson's Asteroid City, is also joining season two. Though his character has yet to be confirmed, the trailer suggests that he'll be a new innie at Lumon. The actor and director is best known for Gosford Park, A Mighty Wind and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.