Dichen Lachman changed her style, from an aggressive audition to the mystery of Miss Casey-Severance
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Oh man, ever wonder how actors find their characters? Dichen Lachman’s journey to become Miss Casey in Apple TV+’s mind-bending series “Severance” was truly amazing!
Dichen Lachman’s transformation from tough to soft
Oh wow, what a transformation! EW has an exclusive look at Dichen’s original audition, and you can’t believe it!
The Miss Casey we know – the quiet, soft-voiced one – was initially shown to be very aggressive and fiery!
“When I started reading, I knew very little about the characters,” Dichen admits.
And that’s understandable, since the show was very secretive about its twists.
Behind the scenes
Casting director Rachel Tanner didn’t have an easy job. How do you cast someone when you can’t reveal the character’s big secret? (The secret that Miss Casey is actually Mark’s “dead” wife Gemma!)
“When I saw Dichen’s audition, it was clear she had exactly what we needed,” Rachel explains.
“Beauty, mystery, complexity — her sense was perfect from day one.”
Finding the voice
The real magic happened on set. Working with veterans like Ben Stiller (executive producer) and John Turturro (as Irving) helped Lachman determine the character’s unique presence.
“It’s not Gemma’s voice,” Dichen explains, “but some aspects of her needed to be reflected in Miss Casey.”
The emotional rollercoaster of Season 2
And that finale, remember? When Mark finally meets Gemma but refuses to leave Lumon with her? Heartbreaking scene!
“One of the most technically and emotionally challenging things I’ve ever done in front of a camera,” Dichen says of those final scenes.
“With a co-star like Adam and a director like Ben, I really felt empowered.”
This transition from audition to screen shows how collaborative great TV can be.
From tough to tender, Dichen’s journey is as twisted as the show’s twists and turns – never exactly as it first appears.