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Severance EP and director Ben Stiller shared that the series almost had a different voice of Lumon Industries: former President Barack Obama.
Posted in: Apple, TV | Tagged: barack obama, ben stiller, Severance
Severance: Ben Stiller on Obama Turning Down Lumon Video Voice Cameo
Severance EP and director Ben Stiller shared that the series almost had a different voice of Lumon Industries: former President Barack Obama.
Article Summary
- Ben Stiller reveals Barack Obama almost voiced Lumon's video in Severance Season 2.
- Obama praised Severance but cited scheduling as a reason for not participating.
- Keanu Reeves took the role seriously, delivering multiple takes for Lumon's friendly voice.
- Showrunner Dan Erickson wanted a warm presence for the Lumon building's voice.
Just when you think Severance couldn't stop pulling out all the stops with cameos from Gwendoline Christie and Keanu Reeves for the AppleTV+ series, director Ben Stiller had a loftier goal in mind as the voice of the Lumon puppet propaganda video the innies watch early in season two. While promoting the series on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the actor, director, and executive producer spoke about the quest to get former President Barack Obama to appear in a vocal cameo.
Severance EP/Director Ben Stiller on Trying to Recruit Barack Obama
"There was one person that I asked before [Keanu Reeves], and he said no: President Barack Obama," Stiller told host Jimmy Kimmel, who revealed he has a friend who knows the 44th president's lawyer and was able to send an email to field the inquiry and got a response two days later. "Hey Ben, big fan of the show, love Season 1, can't wait for Season 2. Don't think I have time in my schedule to make this happen."
Photo by Mark Reinstein / Shutterstock.com
Stiller continued, "What's more important than doing the voice-over for the animated building in 'Severance'? It was pretty cool that he responded." Reeves wasn't credited with his vocal cameo in the "Lumon Is Listening" video, as Stiller recalled the John Wick star taking the part "very seriously" with multiple takes. Severance creator Dan Erickson told Collider, "We always wanted it to be somebody that people have certain associations with, but also, it had to be a very warm presence. The Lumon building is very friendly in the context of this video, and there's a friendliness to that particular voice and a heart to that particular voice." For more, you can check out the video. New episodes of Severance, which stars Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Zach Cherry, John Turturro, Dichan Lachman, Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Patricia Arquette, and Christopher Walken, stream Fridays on AppleTV+.
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