The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller & Adam Scott

It's a bittersweet day, because it's Ben and Adam's final podcast episode for awhile! For this special episode, Adam talks to Yul Vazquez, who plays Petey, Mark's best friend (but Mark is just Petey's very good friend). They talk about shooting the very first scene of the show and the joy of playing two guys who just really like each other. Then, Ben and Adam answer more fan hotline questions to close out the season.

This week, the podcast turns its focus to one of Severance's biggest influences: the science of the brain. First, Ben and Adam talk to one of their favorite fictional scientists, Karen Aldridge, who plays Dr. Asal Reghabi, about working with their science consultant on set and what it's like pretending to perform brain surgery. Then, they are joined by a real scientist, Carleton neuroscience professor and host of the Minding The Brain podcast, Dr. Kim Hellemans. They ask Dr. Hellemans all about the brain, how memories are formed, and what "real life severance" looks like. Finally, Ben and Adam talk to Mike "The Mailman" Lang — a military veteran, mailman, and Severance superfan — about how Severance resonates with him as someone with PTSD.

On August 16, 2025, Ben Stiller and Adam Scott convened Severance's Emmy-nominated cast and creators for a live taping of the podcast. They welcome the great actor and comedian Patton Oswalt to step in as the host of the first-ever Tournament of Fripperies, a Severance-themed game show that tests contestants' knowledge of Severance and of each other. The all-star lineup includes Britt Lower, John Turturro, Zach Cherry, Patricia Arquette, Tramell Tillman, and Severance creator Dan Erickson as the Tournament Judge. Only one can be crowned the Frippery Champion and be named a true child of Kier. Who will it be? “Main Titles” performed live on the theremin by Randy George

Today is the Lost / Severance crossover we've all been waiting for. Adam sits down with Damon Lindelof, the co-creator of Lost, and Dan Erickson, the big brain who created Severance, for a wide-ranging conversation about fandom, how Lost inspired Severance, the origins of the "mystery box" show, and why Dan keeps getting sent 27 Dresses memes. Then, Ben and Adam answer some fan hotline questions, including: are Mark's fishes okay?!

Ben and Adam are joined today by Mike Schur, who has created or produced many of the best TV shows of the last 20 years, including Parks & Recreation, The Office, The Good Place, and, most recently, the Netflix series A Man on the Inside. They talk about the sticky philosophical questions that influence both Severance and Mike’s work, and the challenges of creating and defining a distinct tone for a show. Plus, Mike reveals the super secret password to enter this podcast (hint: it’s also the password in Eyes Wide Shut). Then, Ben and Adam talk to the great Sandra Bernhard, who plays Nurse Cecily in Severance, to talk about her work in Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy and Cecily’s most iconic moments on the show.

It's been a few months since the season two finale, but Ben and Adam just couldn't stay away from the mic. For their first episode back, they sit down with Conan O'Brien, a Severance superfan, to discuss how he inspired a pivotal scene from the finale, the fear and risk involved with making creative work, and they try to get to the bottom of why Ben wasn't invited to Conan's Mark Twain Prize event. Then, Ben and Adam talk with another Severace superfan -- Allen Stare, host of Severed: The Ultimate Severance Podcast -- about why he started a Severance podcast as his retirement hobby.

The second season may be over, but the Severance Podcast is back with an extra special bonus episode, where Ben and Adam look at all of season 2 with some incredible guests. First, they welcome back everyone’s favorite brain-in-a-jar, Severance creator Dan Erickson, to answer your hotline questions and uncover the origin story behind how his brain got in a jar. Then, Ben and Adam are joined by the hosts of the podcast We Know Severance (Josh Wigler, Dr. Melissa Woodward, Dr. Amanda Rabinowitz) to talk about the real-world science of Severance — and two of the hosts are literal doctors, so they know what they’re talking about. Finally, Grammy-winning artist SZA comes on the pod to share how Severance has impacted her life and meditate on one of the central themes of the show: who are you?

If you did a word cloud of this week’s podcast episode, the number one word would be PENULTIMATE. Because this week, we’re talking all about Season 2 Episode 9 — that’s right, it’s the penultimate episode of the season. For this momentous occasion, Ben and Adam are joined by Sydney Cole Alexander, who plays Natalie, conduit to the Board and conduit to our fan hotline. They discuss Natalie’s infamous smile, the different way she handles Milchick and Cobel, and how corporate “friendly feedback” can feel like getting stabbed in the heart. Plus, Sydney sticks around to give some Lumon-approved answers to your hotline questions.

This week, it’s finally time to take the elevator down to the testing floor. To break down all the revelations in Season 2 Episode 7, Ben and Adam are joined by Dichen Lachman, who plays Gemma / Ms. Casey. She shares what it was like filming in a brand new location with a new cast of characters, how she and Adam built out the relationship between Gemma and Mark, and the origin story of Ms. Casey’s iconic wig. Then, Ben sits down with Jessica Lee Gagné, Severance’s main cinematographer and director of the episode, to talk about why she chose this episode as her directorial debut. Plus: why you should never offer up your own house as a filming location.

This week, Ben and Adam welcome Michael Chernus — who plays Ricken Hale, the visionary author of “The You You Are” — to help unpack Season 2 Episode 5. And while you might expect Ricken to host a podcast of his own, Michael reveals that Ricken is actually post-podcast, so today’s episode is a really big deal. Together, they discuss Ricken’s writing, his relationship with Devon, and the actorly impulse to be liked. Then, Ben and Adam break down the rest of the episode and the challenges of crafting this soft-reset for the MDR team.

To unpack Season 2 Episode 3, Ben and Adam are joined by Gwendoline Christie, who plays a mysterious new Lumon employee, for her first ever podcast. And she’s a natural! They talk all about her unique acting journey, the power of leaning into the absurd and obscene, and how protective her character is of her department -- the people and the goats. Plus, she reveals the three things she learned about goats while filming Severance: they are highly intelligent, they eat everything, and they are little freaks.

The wait is over. Ben and Adam break down the Season 2 Premiere with the incredible Tramell Tillman — aka Mr. Milchick, aka Mr. Milkshake. Tramell shares what it means for Milchick to become the new Floor Manager and argues that he really isn’t all that bad, once you get to know him. Plus, the pod unveils a few new perks: the guys answer fan questions from the Severed Floor Post Box and clairvoyant Zach Cherry predicts what will happen in next week’s episode.Our hearts go out to all those impacted by the Los Angeles fires. Here are some links to organizations supporting the relief efforts:California Fire Foundation Wildfire & Disaster Relief FundWorld Central KitchenCalifornia Community Foundation - Wildfire Recovery FundPasadena Humane - Eaton Fire EmergencyLetters From Altadena: Wildfire Relief