- Alia Shawkat won’t get another appearance in “Severance” season two.
- She told BI she was a huge fan of the show before briefly joining the cast.
- Shawkat appeared in the first episode as a new Lumon employee on Mark’s team.
We’re halfway through the new season of “Severance,” and if you were hoping for a certain guest star’s return, we have some bad news for you.
Business Insider spoke to Alia Shawkat on the red carpet for her movie “Atropia” at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Shawkat addressed her appearance in the “Severance” season two premiere and whether fans can expect to ever see her character again.
The short answer is no — not as far as Shawkat is aware.
“I’m only in the first episode,” she confirmed.
“Unless they shot something without me knowing,” she joked.
“Severance” follows employees of the fictional Lumon Industries who have agreed to be “severed.” The procedure keeps the employee’s work memories separate from their non-work memories, effectively creating split personalities that exist inside and outside the office building — “innies” and “outies.”
Shawkat was one of several big names to appear in the second season of the breakout Apple TV+ hit, including “Game of Thrones” star Gwendoline Christie, “Nurse Jackie” star Merritt Wever, and Keanu Reeves, who had an uncredited role as the voice of the Lumon building.
In the season premiere, Shawkat plays Gwendolyn Y., an innie who joins the Macrodata Refinement team (MDR) that Mark S. (Adam Scott) runs. Gwendolyn is one of several new employees who suddenly show up at Lumon, having replaced Mark’s friends and coworkers Dylan G. (Zach Cherry), Helly R. (Britt Lower), and Irving B. (John Turturro) after the group managed to remotely awaken their innies in the outside world, an incident dubbed the “Macrodat Uprising.”
Mark, desperate to get his friends back, sabotages his new team as a distraction to reach the mysterious Lumon board and demand their return. It works, and Gwendolyn and the other newbies aren’t seen again (at least as of episode six, which aired Friday).
Shawkat’s casting, announced in October 2022, generated excitement among viewers. Even though her appearance was effectively a cameo, Shawkat loved her brief time on the set. She praised the show and said she was a big fan even before her guest spot.
“I love being a part of that world,” she told BI. “It’s fun to be a part of something that’s so specific and unique. And as an actor, you hope you get lucky enough to be in those worlds.”
New episodes of “Severance” season two are released weekly on Fridays on Apple TV+.
