Millions of watchers have gathered from all over the world to watch the two seasons of Apple TV's hit-show entitled Severance. While fans are eagerly awaiting the third series, which is yet to be announced by Apple TV, one of the producers recently revealed a bit of trivia. Indeed, Ben Stiller explained he had originally wanted Barack Obama to voice one of the characters. So, what did the President answer?
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Barack Obama was asked to voice a character on Severance
On 3 March 2025, during an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Ben Stiller revealed he had thought of Barack Obama to voice the show's puppet propaganda video. The actor-turned-producer explained how he first reached out to the former President:
I didn't ask him in person, I knew someone who knew his lawyer and his lawyer said I can relay the request if you write an email. So I wrote an email to him saying like, 'Hey we have this show,' whatever.
Ben Stiller then revealed how surprised he had been when Barack Obama actually responded to his request, although he denied the invitation. He said:
Two days later, I get an email back from President Barack Obama. Saying, ‘Hey Ben, big fan of the show, love season one, can’t wait for season two. Don’t think I have time in my schedule to make this happen.’
Ben Stiller's little-known role on the production of Severance
Apple TV's Severancequickly became a fan favourite, raking in excellent ratings from viewers on IMDb. The seventh episode actually earned a 9.5/10 on the website. However, it seems not many people know about Ben Stiller's involvement in the production of the series. According to Screen Rant:
Stiller has long been a major driving force in the acclaimed show's production, both creatively and financially.
The actor-turned-producer followed the series' journey from script writing to filming. He helped assemble the cast, which includes Adam Scott, Britt Lower and Zach Cherry, among others. Ben Stiller also directed one of the episodes, and his own production company is responsible from bringing the story to life.
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Sources used:
Entertainment News: Ben Stiller Wanted Barack Obama to Play This Severance Role
IMDb: Severance
Screen Rant: Ben Stiller's Role In Severance Explained
