‘Severance’ Season 2 Character Guide: Who’s Who at Lumon

Scott plays Mark Scout, a Lumon Industries employee who has undergone the “severance” procedure and is completely unaware of the work his severed “innie” counterpart, known as Mark S., does each day at the company, where he works in the Macrodata Refinement division alongside Irving, Dylan and Helly (with whom he develops a romantic relationship). Formerly a history professor, Mark is a widow whose wife, Gemma Scout, was also a professor. During Season 1, Mark’s “outie” learns his former Lumon colleague Petey underwent a process that reversed the severance procedure and was piecing together nefarious ongoings at the company. In the Season 1 finale, Mark’s innie discovers that Gemma is actually alive and working at Lumon as Ms. Casey, the wellness director on the severed floor. 

Lower plays Helly R., who joins the Macrodata Refinement team at the start of the series. Helly fights tooth and nail against the status quo of the severed floor in an effort to get her outie’s attention, breaking dozens of rules and even attempting suicide. During the Overtime Contingency, when Helly wakes up in her outie’s world, she discovers that she’s actually Helena Eagan, the daughter of Lumon Industries CEO Jame Eagan. Upon discovering that Helena underwent the severance procedure to foster public trust of her family’s company, Helly tells the crowd at a swanky Lumon event that everything they’ve been told about severance is a lie — just before the Overtime Contingency ends.

John Turturro portrays Irving B., the longest-tenured macrodata refiner on the severed floor. He has immense respect for the rules of Lumon but sometimes falls asleep at work and dreams of oozing black paint. He falls for fellow severed employee Burt G. (Christopher Walken) from the Optics and Design department, who is “permanently retired” from Lumon suddenly after their romance begins. When Irving sees his own outie’s life via the Overtime Contingency, he discovers that he has a dog named Radar and has been repeatedly making oil paintings of the Testing Floor hallway. He is also heartbroken when he learns that Burt’s outie is married to another man.

Cherry plays Dylan George, one of the Lumon employees who works on the severed floor. After getting a brief glimpse into the outside world and meeting one of his children, he leads the Macrodata Refinement squad through the Overtime Contingency Protocol, staying behind so Mark, Helly and Irving can experience their lives on the outside. At the beginning of Season 2, all Dylan knows about his outie self is that he has three kids. Prior to learning about his outie’s life, Dylan was most focused on office perks and waffle parties.

Arquette returns as the villainous Harmony Cobel, the eerily stoic middle manager who oversaw the severed floor of Lumon Industries in Season 1. She continues to keep close tabs on Mark in the outside world as the undercover Mrs. Selvig, his meddling next-door neighbor and the doula to his sister, Devon. The second season kicks off with Cobel ousted from the severed floor, replaced by her previous underling, Seth Milchik, after she fails to prevent the innies from escaping the confines of Lumon in the Season 1 finale.

Tillman is the calm and terrifying Seth Milchick, who in Season 2 is promoted to head of the severed floor. In surveilling and reprimanding Mark, Helly, Dylan and Irving, Mr. Milchick is always on the brink of losing his cool. In the Season 1 finale, he tackles Dylan while operating the Overtime Contingency Protocol, cutting short the innies’ experience in the outside world.

Burt has a bit of mystique to him. As a member of Optics and Design, he kindles a romance with Irving despite Lumon’s strict separation of departments. Shortly after their taboo romance begins, Burt retires from Lumon under mysterious circumstances. Beyond the confines of Lumon, Outie Burt is married to another man.

Ms. Casey is the emotionally distant, part-time wellness director of the severed floor. She conducts therapeutic sessions with the macrodata refiners, sharing details about their outies’ lives and demanding that they enjoy each fact equally. Ms. Casey is eventually fired and sent to the Testing Floor. Late in the first season, when Mark tears up (and tapes back together) a photo of his late wife Gemma (the main reason Mark got severed was to escape the grief), it’s revealed to the audience that she is actually Ms. Casey. During the Overtime Contingency, in the final seconds of Season 1, Mark’s innie discovers this Earth-shaking piece of information and exclaims, “She’s alive!”

Devon is Mark’s younger sister, who is married to Ricken Hale. During Season 1, Devon is pregnant with her and Ricken’s first child and eventually gives birth to a baby girl named Eleanor. Devon is tricked into hiring Innie Mark’s Lumon boss, Harmony Cobel, as her doula because Ms. Cobel is leading a double life as Outie Mark’s eccentric neighbor, Mrs. Selvig. When Mark’s innie gains consciousness over his body while at Devon’s house in the Season 1 finale, she speaks with him extensively about his concerns about working at Lumon. While Devon is having this conversation with Mark, she finds out the truth about Ms. Cobel/Mrs. Selvig and is frightened to realize she has just left baby Eleanor with the woman. The baby is later found, with Selvig nowhere to be seen.

Ricken Hale is married to Mark’s sister, Devon. As Mark’s brother-in-law, Ricken displays concern for his well-being and is wary of the severance procedure. He often plugs his own self-help book, “The You You Are,” which Outie Mark shrugs off. Ironically, Mark had unknowingly smuggled the book into Lumon, where it became a bible of sorts for the innies, providing words of encouragement on their path to liberation.

Natalie is the board liaison who, much to their displeasure, delivers messages to Ms. Cobel and Mr. Milchick from the invisible higher-ups at Lumon. Armed with a fake smile, she is cold and only interested in serving the board’s interests. She also represents Lumon as a public spokesperson, defending the company against criticism on a news program.

An 18-year-old newcomer, Bock plays the disconcertingly young manager on the severed floor, Miss Huang. On some type of internship program, she reports to Mr. Milchick. When she pulls the new macrodata refinement team into the kitchenette for an ice breaker, Miss Huang reveals a bizarre fun fact about herself: “Before this, I was a crossing guard.” When Mark W. asks, “Why are you a child?” she responds, perfectly, “Because of when I was born.” “Severance” is Bock’s first major role.

Drummond is a new character for Season 2 of “Severance” played by Icelandic American actor Ólafsson. Drummond is described in marketing materials as “security chief” at Lumon. He does not appear in the premiere episode. Ólafsson is also known for his roles in “Trapped,” “The Tourist,” “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and “Somebody Somewhere.” 

Reghabi is a former Lumon employee who is now covertly acting against the company. She claims to have performed the severance procedure on employees, including Mark, and the reintegration of his colleague Petey. After Petey died, Mark found the phone Petey used to communicate with Reghabi and reached out to meet with her. While Mark is meeting with Reghabi, they are interrupted by Lumon henchman Doug Graner, and Reghabi attacks and kills him and sends Mark home, saying she’ll be in touch.

Felicia works in the Optics and Design department alongside Burt in Season 1. She’s one of the few characters who witnesses Burt and Irving’s fledgling relationship, turning a blind eye as the pair become slowly more intimate in their tight-knit office space. Robinson has appeared in such films as the comedy “Smile Orange” with Carl Bradshaw, the musical “Countryman” and “Harry & Son.” 

In Season 2, when Mark returns to work for the first time since his innie experienced the outie world, he is welcomed in the Macrodata Refinement department by three new faces. We don’t know much about Shawkat’s character, Gwendolyn Y., but in the first episode she pesters Mark about what he saw on the other side: “We made a list of what we’d most like to see on the outside, and a sky was an easy number one. Brothers-in-law weren’t even on the list!” Shawkat is best known for her roles as Dory Sief in “Search Party” and Maeby Fünke in “Arrested Development.” She recently appeared in Zoë Kravitz’s “Blink Twice.” 

Carannante plays another one of the new macrodata refiners. Flipping between English and Italian, he rubs Mark the wrong way with brusqueness. “Severance” is Carannante’s biggest gig yet. A newcomer, he has only a couple of past acting credits: a 2023 episode of “Blue Bloods” and a 2024 James Franco movie titled “Hey Joe.” 

As Mark W., Babalan rounds out the new Macrodata Refinement crew, and his shared name with Mark S. lays the foundation for immediate workplace tension. As revealed in an ice-breaker game, Mark S. comes from the MDR department of Branch 5X, and he was set to be “permanently retired” after his branch shut down. Instead, he was given a second life. As Mark S. reels over the disappearance of his colleagues, Mark W. babbles about the new office. Babalan is an actor, director and producer whose credits include “Midnight Cowboy,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” 

While Christie’s role is kept under wraps, the “Game of Thrones” favorite can be seen in the Season 2 trailer ringing a cowbell, in an unfamiliar section of the office that seems to store the mysterious goats. While the British actor is best known for portraying Brienne of Tarth in George R.R. Martin’s long-running fantasy series, she has also starred in two “Star Wars” movies and Netflix’s “The Sandman” and “Wednesday.” 

Wever joined the Season 2 cast in 2022, but her specific role has been kept under wraps. The two-time Emmy-winning actor is best known for her television work in acclaimed series such as “Nurse Jackie,” “Godless” and “Unbelievable.” In film, she has appeared in “Birdman,” “Marriage Story” and “Michael Clayton.” 

John Noble was added as a “Severance” cast member in 2022, but his character doesn’t make an appearance until later in Season 2. The Australian actor is best known for his roles as Denethor in “The Lord of the Rings” film trilogy and Dr. Walter Bishop in the Fox sci-fi series “Fringe.” 

Back in October 2022, Benson was announced as part of the second season’s cast, without any details about who he’d be playing. Benson, now 68, is a 1970s teen idol star of “One on One” and “Ice Castles,” who also voiced the Beast in the 1991 Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast,” and has had a prolific TV directing career. While his “Severance” role is still a mystery, expect him to appear later in the season.