Tramell Tillman thought McQuarrie wanted to discuss Severance, got film offer instead!
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From Lumon to Submarines
Tramell Tillman never saw it coming. The actor behind Severance’s creepy supervisor Milchick was totally caught off guard when Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie reached out.
He genuinely thought McQuarrie just wanted to chat about Apple TV+’s mind-bending workplace thriller, not offer him a juicy role in one of Hollywood’s biggest franchises.
An Offer Too Good to Refuse
“He went on to talk about Mission Impossible, and said there was a role for me,” Tillman recalls with obvious excitement.
The director didn’t even make him audition—the part was his if he wanted it.
Tillman literally jumped around his apartment after hanging up, frantically calling his team to figure out scheduling around Severance’s second season.
Captain of the Deep
In The Final Reckoning, Tillman portrays Captain Bledsoe, who commands a stealth submarine crucial to Ethan Hunt’s latest world-saving mission.
His character helps Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the IMF team battle a dangerous rogue AI called the Entity.
The role required mastering naval terminology rather than Severance’s corporate jargon, but thankfully naval advisors were always nearby.
Fanboy Moments On Set
The Severance love followed Tillman onto the submarine set.
“In between takes, crew members would whisper, ‘We love Severance,’ then go back to filming,” he shares with a laugh.
Unlike his dancing supervisor role, Captain Bledsoe stays firmly in command mode—though Tillman jokes that “Bledsoe danced his commands.
That was a dance right there!”
No Stunts Required
While Tom Cruise continues his death-defying tradition of performing insane stunts, Tillman was perfectly content staying behind the controls.
“I was kind of glad to be the boss and tell people what to do instead,” he admits.
The actor joins an impressive ensemble including Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Hannah Waddingham when the film hits theaters May 23.