Adam Scott to Star in Ben Stiller Directed ‘Severance’ for Apple TV+

Adam Scott has been cast in the starring role of Severance, an upcoming series on Apple TV+ directed by Ben Stiller. The show is a drama and different from much of Scott’s best-known comedy work. However, fans who have seen him in shows like Big Little Lies will be excited for the change of pace.

Scott’s casting was revealed in a report by Entertainment Weekly on Friday. The outlet learned that he was taking the lead role in a “workplace thriller.” His character is named Mark, an according to Apple TV+ he has “a dark past,” but is “in the process of… putting himself back together.”

The show itself reportedly revolves around Lumen Industries, a company “looking to take work-life balance to a new level.”

Severance has been ordered straight to series, according to another report by TV Line. Scott will serve as a producer on the show as well as the star. Stiller, meanwhile, will share executive producer duties with series creator Dan Erickson, as well as Nicky Weinstock and Jackie Cohn.

Of course, fans know Scott best from comedy — specifically Parks and Recreation, where he played Leslie Knope’s love interest Ben Wyatt. He is also a fan-favorite on The Good Place, where he occasionally pops up as a snarky demon.

However, Scott has gotten more and more chances to flex his dramatic prowess lately as well. In addition to Big Little Lies, he appeared in Jordan Peele’s reboot of The Twilight Zone just this year, on CBS All Access.

Meanwhile, Stiller’s reputation as a director has been growing as well. Last year, he directed the TV mini-series Escape at Dannemora, to great acclaim. He also directed himself in Zoolander 2, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Tropic Thunder, among others.

Stiller directed nine episodes of his own series, The Ben Stiller Show, in the mid-1990s. It is clear that the actor has been trying to establish himself behind the camera for years, having already gained acclaim as an A-lister. In 1999, he directed an infamous TV pilot called Heat Vision and Jack, starring Jack Black and written by Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon. That cult classic was one of the most expensive pilots ever ordered at the time, and was pitched on the back of Stiller’s fame.

Severance joins a daunting catalogue of programs on Apple TV+, the latest massive push into the streaming industry. The service launched on Nov. 1 with the premiere of original series like The Morning Show starring Steve Carell, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. Other upcoming projects include a reboot of Amazing Stories by Steven Spielberg and a series called Servant by M. Night Shyamalan.

There is no release date for Severance in place yet.