What role does Ben Stiller play in Severance? Details explored as season 2 tops charts

Apple TV+’s workplace sci-fi drama, Severance premiered the first episode of its season 2 on January 17, 2025 and though the episode picked up right where the first season ended, there are of course numerous questions that this season has to answer as it proceeds.

Created by Dan Erickson, Severance is directed by Aoife McArdle and Ben Stiller. Given that Stiller has been associated with the show for the last five years, it’s quite understandable that he was thoroughly impressed by the script when Erickson had handed it to him. As said by Stiller himself,

"It was amazing; there was something about it that was both unique and familiar. The only thing that’s made up is the chip in their heads. Otherwise, it’s something that could actually happen."

While Stiller’s name mainly comes up as a director when talking about Severance, very few people know that the actor has an uncredited cameo in the first season of the show.

He plays the role of Kier Eagan, the founder of Lumon and while his character never appears on screen, Stiller gives voice to him, who speaks to Helly through a computer, as an animated character.

Let us now explore Stiller’s role in Severance in detail including what made him talk to Helly in season 1.

Ben Stiller has a cameo in Severance Season 1 Episode 8

While Stiller’s cameo had been confirmed by Dichen Lachman and Britt Lower back in 2022 in an interview with ET, it was an easy miss for someone watching the show for the first time. As told by Lower,

“There’s a little Easter egg of a voice. If you’re paying close attention, it’s Ben’s. That’s him.”

Stiller voices the character of Kier Eagan, Lumon founder as he appears on Helly’s computer screen in season 1 episode 8 as she successfully completes her task.

He also tells her that he loves her seems to be some kind of foreshadowing given how the end of season 1 reveals that Helly is actually an Eagan and her outtie’s name is Helen, who went through the severance procedure on her own accord to take forward the Eagan’s dream of getting the whole world severed one day.

Stiller himself has been rather shy about talking about his cameo and it wasn’t until the January 15 episode of The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller & Adam Scott that he accepted that it was him behind Eagan’s voice. As the podcast’s co-host Scott and guest star John Turturro play Kier Eagan’s clip saying Helly,

"In refining your macrodata file, you have brought glory to this company, and to me, Kier Eagan. I — I love you."

They ask Stiller if the voice sounds familiar and he jokingly says,

"This is some actor that they hired to do the voice for the congratulatory animated video. Obviously an out-of-work actor who needed the gig… A guy who got a couple of callbacks for Severance but couldn't get in."

This is the first time Stiller has somewhat acknowledged his cameo in Severance and fans who cannot recall that clip very well can go back to season 1 episode 8 and listen to Stiller’s Eagan praising Helly for her work at Lumon.

Also Read: Severance Season 2 Episode 2: Release date and time, what to expect and more

What is Severance about?

Severance is a sci-fi workplace drama that focuses on the company Lumon and how they have their workers severed who have completely different professional and personal lives. While their two selves are aware of the severance, they have no idea what their other half is like.

Starring Adam Scott, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, and Britt Lower in main roles, the show follows them as they get more and more suspicious of Lumon and its severance program and eventually want to get out of it.

Severance Season 1 and the first episode of season 2 can be streamed on Apple TV+. New episodes drop weekly, on every Friday.