Ben Stiller had big ambitions while working on Severance Season 2.
When the highly anticipated Apple TV+ series returned in January, fans quickly noticed Keanu Reeves making a surprising cameo as the narrator of a “Lumon Is Listening” video shown to the Macrodata Refiners. However, Stiller, an executive producer and director on the show, revealed that the 60-year-old actor wasn’t his first choice for the role.
Stiller revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on March 3 that his first choice was actually former President Barack Obama—and he went to great lengths to try and make it happen.
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, 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.
Stiller recalled
In his email reply, Obama, 63, told Stiller, 59, that he was a “big fan of the show” and “can’t wait for season 2.” However, when it came to the Zoolander star’s request, the former president explained that he didn’t “think I have time in my schedule to make this happen.”
Joking about the response, Stiller said, “What’s more important than doing the voiceover for the animated building in Severance?”
Still, he admitted, “It was pretty cool that he responded.”
Stiller was more than pleased with Reeves, 60, taking on the role and told host Jimmy Kimmel that he “took it very seriously.”
He’s just like the most warm, inviting voice, 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.
Stiller said
Read More: ‘Severance’ Creator Dan Erickson Confirms Keanu Reeves Was the Voice of the Lumon Building
The show’s creator, Dan Erickson, shared Stiller’s sentiment in an interview with Collider, saying, “We talked about a couple of different people for that role.”
We always wanted it to be somebody that people have certain associations with, but also, it had to be a very warm presence. The Lumon building is very friendly in the context of this video, and there’s a friendliness to that particular voice and a heart to that particular voice.
New episodes of Severance season 2 premiere Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Apple TV+.