If you thought watching the phenomenon known as "Severance" was stressful enough, imagine the pressure of having to put on the performance of your life as part of its cast. It's been almost exactly five months since we were left dangling on the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers after the Apple TV+ series' season 2 finale, but that doesn't mean we're done obsessing over the mystery-box story. From viewers getting embroiled in shipping wars over Mark S./Helly R. versus Mark Scout/Gemma, to pondering
all sorts of fan theories that have been keeping us up at night, to the sheer entertainment factor of watching star Tramell Tillman conduct that magnificent orchestra sequence over and over again as the GOAT Mr. Milchick (no, not those goats), there's no end to aspects of "Severance" that are keeping us preoccupied until the third season finally arrives.
The latest item on the agenda that's currently sweeping the internet comes in the form of an audition tape for one of the biggest stars of the show: Brit Lower as Helly R./Helena Eagan. The process of sending in self-tapes to snag highly competitive parts on the Next Big Thing™ can be a grueling one for actors -- not to mention an intensely vulnerable one. It's easy to look downright silly or even completely misread the tone of a script, particularly for a concept as outlandish and fantastical as "Severance." Luckily for us all, Lower threw caution to the wind and committed to her performance ... long before she even won the role. Apple officially released the video on its YouTube channel, giving us all an inside look at the clip that eventually gave us the best performance of the series' entire ensemble. What's more, no less a name than show director and producer Ben Stiller chimed in on social media and crowned this audition reel as one of "the best I've seen."
This and @MrEricLange self tape for Escape at Dannemora are the best I've seen. It's so amazing when you see someone nail a character like that at home. The hard work that goes in to it for actors on a daily basis, with no guarantee they will even get a call back.... https://t.co/YzjFeQV17H
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) August 19, 2025
"This and [Eric Lange's] self tape for 'Escape at Dannemora' are the best I've seen. It's so amazing when you see someone nail a character like that at home. The hard work that goes in to it for actors on a daily basis, with no guarantee they will even get a call back."
Check out the full video below!
Read more: The 12 Best TV Shows On BritBox
Brit Lower Goes The Extra Mile In Her Audition Tape For Helly R. In Severance
Give it up for Britt Lower, folks. We've seen some audition tapes that prove when an actor obviously isn't the right person for the job, and we've seen others that provide a fascinating window into what could've been (like this one featuring a certain "Boys" actor). Rarely, however, do we see one where a performer goes the extra mile to show the world (well, a casting director and other creative heads) why they were simply born to have the part.
The biggest and most immediate takeaway from this "Severance" tape has to be Lower's willingness to put her whole body and mind into the scene -- despite having to channel such intense emotions in the least ideal circumstances imaginable. The sequence in question will be a familiar one to fans: It's the very first scene from the season 1 premiere, when Helly R. wakes up on a table in a mysterious conference room with absolutely no memory of who she is or how she got there. We're going to go out on a limb and say she fully nails the frustration and fear the character would be experiencing, even going so far as to kick what looks like her own bathroom door and leave behind noticeable scuff marks. The second major realization will likely be the fact that, even this early in the production, the scene Lower was given almost perfectly matches the final scene that ended up in front of cameras. Creator Dan Erickson has spoken about the long-simmering inspirations behind the premise of "Severance," but who knew that the series' actual scripts appear to have been (mostly) set in stone as early as they were?
This is just another reminder of how much dedication and craft was involved in bringing one of the best streaming shows in recent years to life. We still have a bit of wait before season 3 of "Severance" finally arrives, but uncovering little gems like these will help make it somewhat more tolerable. In the meantime, you can watch (or re-watch) both seasons of the series on Apple TV+ right now.
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Read the original article on SlashFilm.
