Ben Stiller approached Barack Obama for cameo in Severance, former US President refused: ‘Big fan of the show, but…’

The latest episode of TV series Severance had several eagle-eyed fans notice a familiar voice. The animated Lumon building appears in the second episode of the Apple TV show and many viewers wondered if it was Keanu Reeves voicing. While the show’s director, Ben Stiller, confirmed it later, he also added that the actor was the second choice for the role. The first was former US President Barack Obama. (Also read: Adam Scott learnt to run in a suit in Severance by watching Tom Cruise: ‘He’s the best runner in the world’)

How Obama was almost a part of Severance

On Monday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Ben Stiller recalled how he initially thought Obama would be perfect for the voice role. “I knew someone who knew his lawyer. And his lawyer said he can relay the request if I write an email. So I wrote an email saying, ‘Hey, we have this show, whatever’,” the actor said.

Stiller added that Obama even responded to the e-mail but added that he could not do the show because of his schedule. He added, “And two days later, I get an email back from Obama, saying, ‘Hey, man! Big fan of the show. Loved season 1, can’t wait for season 2. Don’t think I have time in my schedule to make this happen.’ And like, what? What’s more important than doing the voiceover for the animated filming in Severance? But it was pretty cool that he responded.”

About Severance

Created by Dan Erickson, Severance revolves around the employees of Lumon, played by Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, and Zach Cherry. The employees undergo a surgical procedure called severance separating their work selves from their personal selves. The show has been praised for its dark comedic tackling of issues like work-life balance.