Apple TV's 2-Part Sci-Fi Series Has One Of Its Best Casts

Published Mar 21, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT

Severance Has One Of The Best Casts On TV

The Severance cast includes a host of familiar faces, including Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Dichen Lachmann, and Britt Lower. While some of the cast are instantly recognizable for their work in major productions, like Christopher Walken (Pulp Fiction) and Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones,) Severance has been remarkable for mostly casting character actors, known for quirkier projects.

Most of the actors in Severance have been involved in a very varied range of projects, avoiding being typecast. This has given them the range needed to play several dimensions of the same person. The characters have excellent chemistry, and many of the supporting actors have been widely praised. This eclectic casting has given Severance one of the best casts on TV.

As with any TV show, Severance has main characters and smaller roles. However, while many TV shows feature some standout performances that overshadow others, Severance maintains a great balance. The stark emptiness of many of the show's sets allows us to focus on the acting, and the fact that the main cast all have one thing in common.

Severance's Actors Have Nailed 1 Important Thing

The actors in Severance all have unique faces, allowing them to spend more time playing character parts rather than conventional or romantic leads. This has led to some incredible acting performances that we never expected. Before playing Mark in Severance, Adam Scott was best known for his comedic role in Parks & Recreation, and he shocked viewers with his emotional range in the dystopian sci-fi.

This versatility is not limited to Scott, as all the actors in Severance have interesting faces which contribute to the show's intense and unsettling atmosphere. The fact that many of the main actors have a background in comedy, like Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, and Zach Cherry, adds to the sense of unpredictability as we are so used to seeing them in a wildly different context.

Many of the main characters in Severance have to portray two different versions of their character, and actors with experience in several different genres are at a great advantage. Severance might be disturbing, but there are elements of dark drama and comedy, which play into the show's casting choices, and with more characters coming in season 3, Severance can only get better.

The Stars Of Severance Help Sell The Show's Premise

Severance's premise is a world in which the employees of a corporation can be split into two distinct personalities which have no memory of the other and their activities. However, Mark starts to investigate the sinister nature of the company. By rejecting the typical sci-fi tropes like high-budget action and space travel, Severance rewrote the rules of science fiction, helped by its phenomenal cast.

The show has moments of absurdity, but rather than leaning into self-aware silliness or campy humor, the cast plays this completely straight, emphasizing the humanity in their characters. Even in the strangest set-ups, Severance showcases realistic emotions as the cast shift between their "innie" and "outie" personalities. This could only be done by actors used to selling strange and complex premises.

Release Date February 17, 2022

Network Apple TV

Showrunner Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman

Writers Anna Ouyang Moench, Wei-Ning Yu