Severance Stars Open up About Playing Characters With Fractured Psyches

In some regards, the upcoming Apple TV+ series Severance offers audiences a glimpse into a medical procedure that could be a revelation, exploring a world in which your brain at work is entirely fractured from your mind outside of work, though there are understandably macabre and unsettling ramifications of such a procedure. While some viewers who feel fed up with their careers could see this as a major gift, others would understand this fragmentation could end up being much more of a curse. Stars of the series Zach Cherry and Britt Lower recently addressed how their own experiences relate to their on-screen characters. Severance debuts on Apple TV+ on February 18th.

“I think there were times when I was more on board with severing those experiences,” Cherry shared with ComicBook.com when asked if he ever had a job he wishes he could erase from his memory. “I had an office desk job where I was in a tiny room, that used to be a closet and it had a window that looked at a brick wall and there were days when I was like, ‘I don’t need to remember all of this,’ but I think on the whole, I’m on the side of everything is part of you and you’ve got to take it all.”

In the series, “Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in ‘work-life balance’ is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself.”

The world of Severance largely forces employees to cut off their entire personal lives from their careers, which is sometimes easier said than done when you’re an actor. Lower addressed whether she’s able to completely separate her own life from the lives of characters that she brings to life.

“Well, unquestionably, all of my characters have always looked like me and they have my same voice, to some extent,” the actor admitted. “We’re using the stuff that is ourself, but at the same time, the whole crew builds the character. It’s like the costume, the makeup, the hair, the set design, how it’s lit. It really is a team sport. As much as I’m bringing to the table, so many other people are bringing the aspects of their take on the character as well.”

Severance premieres on Apple TV+ on February 18th.

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