Share and Follow
Patricia Arquette’s portrayal of Ms. Harmony Cobel in the show Severance not only gives viewers chills but also deeply resonates with her co-star Tramell Tillman.
When asked if he ever feels uneasy watching the Oscar winner embody her character on the set of the Apple TV+ thriller, Tillman admitted to People, “I do. I do. She is terrifying!”
However, he was quick to add, “But it’s also such a joy to watch on set and play alongside. She’s fantastic, and some of my favorite scenes with her—or really with most of the cast—are when I don’t have any lines. I can just sit and watch them work. It’s such a delight.”
Like Arquette, Tillman brings his own layer of intrigue to his character.
Fans were first introduced to Tillman’s Seth Milchick as a supervisor on Lumon Industries’ enigmatic severed floor and Ms. Cobel’s loyal right-hand man. In season 2, however, Milchick steps into a new role as the floor manager, while Ms. Huang (Sarah Bock), a young child, takes over his former position.
“He’s a mystery. I think what makes him work is that his story remains unresolved at this point, and I’m enjoying that aspect,” Tillman says of his character. “We’ll learn a bit more about his backstory in season 2, but it’ll stay true to the show’s style. Everything we uncover will just raise more questions.”
Before stepping back into Milchick’s shoes, Tillman rewatched the first season to reconnect with his character.
“Revisiting the work, rereading the scripts, and having ongoing conversations with [series creator] Dan [Erickson] and [director] Ben [Stiller] about Milchick’s journey in the new season really helped. Developing more depth and meaning for him was also a big focus,” he explains.
Despite the show’s heavy themes, Tillman notes that the cast and crew try to maintain some levity when possible.
“We keep it jovial when we can, but there’s definitely a seriousness and focus on set,” he says. “The content is intense, with all the paranoia and questions of trust, control, and loyalty that our characters grapple with. But you also feel the passion from everyone involved, from our craftspersons to our designers. There’s a strong sense of dedication on set—100%. That said, we still make sure to have a good time when we can.”
New episodes of Severance Season 2 premiere Fridays on Apple TV+.
(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&appId=823934954307605&version=v2.8”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));
