Ben Stiller says Barack Obama turned down role in ‘Severance’ season 2

Former President Barack Obama passed up a job opportunity at Lumon Industries, Ben Stiller has revealed. 

The Severance executive producer and director, 59, explained on Monday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live that he personally reached out to the politician to ask if he’d be able to provide the voice of the “Lumon is Listening” video featured in the Apple TV+ series’ celebrated second season, but that Obama was unfortunately too busy at the time to do so. 

“I didn’t ask him in person, I knew someone who knew his lawyer and his lawyer said I can relay the request if you write an email,” Stiller clarified to host Jimmy Kimmel. “So I wrote an email to him saying like, ‘Hey we have this show,’ whatever. And like two days later, I get an email back from President Barack Obama.”

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In his note, Stiller said that Obama, 63, expressed that he was a “‘big fan of the show’” and couldn’t “‘wait for season 2,’” but that “I don’t think I have time in my schedule to make this happen.’” 

To which Stiller teasingly remarked, “I’m like, what’s more important than doing the voice-over for the animated building in Severance?”

Still, the Zoolander actor admitted that it was “pretty cool” that Obama responded at all, especially given his busy schedule. 

The Severance creators have long wished for Obama to make an appearance on the series. In 2022, executive producer Dan Erickson told The Hollywood Reporter that he hoped to pitch an undisclosed role to the 44th President of the United States at the Emmys. 

“If he is [there] I’m going to see if he wants a role on this show,” Erickson said at the time. “I think he’d be really good, he’d bring some gravitas.”

Instead of Obama, the gentle, soothing voice of the Lumon building was brought to life by Keanu Reeves, who Stiller said took his performance “very seriously” and provided them with multiple takes to choose from. 

“He’s just like the most warm and inviting voice,” Stiller continued. “I don’t know if when you see the building and you hear his voice, you necessarily think immediately that it’s Keanu, but then I think you have this just innate feeling.”

Severance airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Apple TV+. Watch Stiller discuss his attempt to cast Obama in the clip above.