Stiller, 59, and Scott, 51, co-starred in the 2013 film, which Stiller also directed, about a lonely negative asset manager (Stiller) working for Life as the magazine transitions

Casting was about figuring out who could handle that. There is humor in Severance, even if most of it comes from perpetual weirdness (what is up with the goats anyway?) rather than jokes. Also, the show does revolve around a workplace,

Ben Stiller apparently had to fight to get Adam Scott cast in the lead role for "Severance." Stiller told The Hollywood Reporter that it was paramount he convince streaming platform Apple TV+ to give Scott the chance to take on the character of Mark S.