Ben Stiller approached Barack Obama for cameo in Severance, former US President refused: 'Big fan of the show, but...'

Ben Stiller wanted Barack Obama on his show, Severance, but eventually had to ‘settle’ for Keanu Reeves.

Updated on: Mar 5, 2025, 10:23:46 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

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The latest episode of TV series Severance had several eagle-eyed fans notice a familiar voice. The animated Lumon building appears in the second episode of the Apple TV show and many viewers wondered if it was Keanu Reeves voicing. While the show's director, Ben Stiller, confirmed it later, he also added that the actor was the second choice for the role. The first was former US President Barack Obama. (Also read: Adam Scott learnt to run in a suit in Severance by watching Tom Cruise: ‘He’s the best runner in the world’)

Ben Stiller tried to cast Barack Obama in Severance.

How Obama was almost a part of Severance

On Monday's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Ben Stiller recalled how he initially thought Obama would be perfect for the voice role. “I knew someone who knew his lawyer. And his lawyer said he can relay the request if I write an email. So I wrote an email saying, ‘Hey, we have this show, whatever’,” the actor said.

Stiller added that Obama even responded to the e-mail but added that he could not do the show because of his schedule. He added, “And two days later, I get an email back from Obama, saying, ‘Hey, man! Big fan of the show. Loved season 1, can’t wait for season 2. Don’t think I have time in my schedule to make this happen.’ And like, what? What’s more important than doing the voiceover for the animated filming in Severance? But it was pretty cool that he responded.”

About Severance

Created by Dan Erickson, Severance revolves around the employees of Lumon, played by Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, and Zach Cherry. The employees undergo a surgical procedure called severance separating their work selves from their personal selves. The show has been praised for its dark comedic tackling of issues like work-life balance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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