ASeveranceaudition tape has been revealed, demonstratingan original plan for Ms. Casey that was far darker than the end product. Ms. Casey, or Gemma, was absent for much ofSeveranceseason 2, but her pivotal role in the finale was an excellent reminder of the powerful performance Dichen Lachman gave the character in season 1. After a multi-year break between seasons 1 and 2,Severanceseason 3is already in production, and shouldn’t take as long to return to TV screens.
In an interview withEW,Severancestar Dichen Lachman revealed heroriginal audition tape for Ms. Casey, showing a much more aggressive version of the character. The scene shows Ms. Casey in a wellness session with John Turturro’s Irving B., with her tone and demeanor drastically contrasting the poised version audiences saw in season 1. The actress explains that Ms. Casey was a secretive character who, for obvious reasons, the production team wasn’t interested in revealing much about. The article reveals Lachman was selected because she had “beauty, mystery, complexity, and her instincts were on point from the very beginning.”
What The Original Ms. Casey Audition Means
Severance Benefits From Ms. Casey’s Changes
The production behind the hit Apple TV+ mystery series has been storied in and of itself, with season 2’s delays equally attributed to behind-the-scenes creative differences as they were to the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.Dichen Lachman’s audition tape is another example of the changes made along the way, with Ms. Casey’s tone taking a notable shiftfrom the audition to her appearance in season 1. Even if it wasn’t intended from the start, the shift in her character ultimately served the series in a positive way.
One area in whichSeverancesucceeds is the constant satire of work culture. As much as the series is an addictive sci-fi mystery, it’s also an absurd, darkly comedic take on the superficial world of office spaces. Tramell Tillman’s Mr. Milchick character is the perfect example of the kind-faced but evidently overbearing and malicious foreman, andhaving Ms. Casey as a snappy, straight-to-the-point wellness counselor might have upset that tone.Severancebenefits from Lumon’s absurd, outwardly positive representation, especially early on.
Dichen Lachman Is One Of Severance’s Most Exciting Stars
Image via Apple TV+
Dichen Lachman has been working in film and television for years, and she proved her sci-fi chops in Netflix’sAltered Carbon. WithSeveranceunder her belt, however, she’s seemingly moved to the next level, along with co-stars like Tramell Tillman, who have proved themselves as some of Hollywood’s most compelling character actors. The role of Ms. Casey, as we saw it in the show, allowed Lachman to demonstrate elegance and sophistication in a way that perfectly encapsulatedSeverance’smysterious tone.
