The Apple TV+ series' icy middle manager talks bringing the surreal show and her nuanced character to life.
InSeverance, even villains have bosses.
“She’s playing like she does, but she really doesn’t.
Patricia Arquette and Tramell Tillman in ‘Severance’.Apple TV +
Because it’s shifting sands.
It’s part of the rat trap.”
“It wasn’t all on the page.
Patricia Arquette in ‘Severance’.Apple TV +
Is it science fiction?
Is it a dark comedy?
Is it silly comedy?
What is the tone, exactly?”
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:How did you get involved withSeverance?
The tonal balance of the show is something I’ve been really curious about.
How did you work with Ben to pull that off?
I wasn’t clear on how broad we were going with it.
But you just really have to trust the director.
and I say “Both,” that’s an ad-lib that he ended up using.
Tell me more about what the experience of filming was like.
The layers that went into this world, I can’t even really explain to you.
You’d open a cupboard [on the set] and it would be Lumon, Lumon, Lumon.
It was all these tiny little layers, which were really interesting and strange to live in.
And we would get lost on the set all the time.
They were always changing doorway openings, adding walls, and taking walls out.
And it was just never-ending.
It kind of drove me insane.
How much did you discuss your character’s backstory with Dan and Ben?
We kind of worked on that together.
I think I can say that much.
So it’s not just a corporation; it’s almost like a religion or something.
And she’s trying to bring greatness and glory to this corporation whether they want it or not.
I think it would be easy for this character to become a cartoonish corporate-boss throw in.
I don’t know if I did.
I mean, you take those chances in hopes that your director edits out whatever’s bad.
She didn’t really grow up with any of that.
The differences of those two aspects are interesting to me.
And I’m not scared of being a villain.
I like playing villains.
I wanted to ask about the Mrs. Selvig side of the character.
What’s that process like, playing a character who’s playing a character?
It’s like [she’s thinking], “What’s disarming to people?
Somebody who doesn’t quite have it together.
A middle-aged woman, who’s a little extra friendly.”
To bring in mommy-ish, auntie-ish vibes brings out certain qualities in that person that you’re manipulating.
Is there anything about Harmony you’d like to explore more in a second season, if it happens?
I’m totally down for seeing where this goes.
This interviewhas been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
