Stephen Presents: 'Severance' Stars Tramell Tillman & Britt Lower

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert

Episode: Stephen Presents: 'Severance' Stars Tramell Tillman & Britt Lower
Release Date: March 20, 2025

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert, Stephen Colbert welcomes two prominent stars from the acclaimed Apple TV series Severance: Tramell Tillman, who portrays the pivotal character Mr. Milchick, and Britt Lower, who stars as Helly R. The episode delves into their experiences on set, the nuances of their characters, and their personal journeys within the show. Colbert’s trademark humor and insightful questioning create a lively and informative conversation for fans and newcomers alike.

---

Interview with Tramell Tillman

Guest: Tramell Tillman
Role: Mr. Milchick in Severance

Getting Back on Set

Tramell Tillman shares his initial apprehensions about returning to a film set post-pandemic. Reflecting on his first day back, he acknowledges feeling "terrified" due to a year and a half hiatus from acting. Filming during COVID-19 added an extra layer of complexity, but the presence of seasoned actors like John Turturro provided comfort. [07:10]

Working with John Turturro

Tramell fondly describes John Turturro as "the best uncle ever," highlighting their supportive dynamic. Turturro's calming influence helped Tramell navigate moments of nervousness and forgetfulness on set. [07:25]

The Grashupen Pronunciation Fiasco

A humorous highlight of the interview revolves around Tramell’s pronunciation of the fictional Swedish word "grashupen." Colbert teases Tramell about his playful mispronunciation, which has sparked amusement among Swedish fans. [07:57] Tramell explains the creative process behind his pronunciation choice, referencing The Golden Girls and striving to infuse authenticity while embracing comedic flair. [10:17]

Notable Quotes:

• "You are a pain in the ass." — Stephen Colbert to Tramell regarding his on-set antics. [06:17]
• "I smell like a sheep." — Stephen Colbert, humorously referencing Tramell’s character's attire. [02:08]

Behind-the-Scenes Moments

Tramell recounts a memorable incident where he accidentally struck his hero, John Turturro, during a shadowboxing session on set. This anecdote not only underscores the camaraderie among the cast but also showcases Tramell’s dedication to embodying his character's toughness. [18:19]

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Interview with Britt Lower

Guest: Britt Lower
Role: Helly R. in Severance

Auditioning Amidst Adversity

Britt Lower discusses her unconventional audition process for Severance, which involved submitting a self-taped scene from her home. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Britt's passion for the role shone through, leading to her successful casting. [15:13]

Breaking into the Show

Britt shares her excitement and humility in joining the second season of Severance. She reflects on her journey from auditioning to working alongside industry veterans like Ben Stiller and John Turturro. [15:41]

Personal Anecdotes

Britt reminisces about her time at Northwestern University, humorously recounting an elusive quest to find Stephen Colbert on campus. This lighthearted story adds a personal touch to her interview, highlighting her down-to-earth personality. [14:11]

Character Development

Delving into her role as Helly R., Britt explains how she connects with her character's complexities and motivations. Her commitment to portraying Helly authentically contributes significantly to the show's depth and appeal. [15:13]

Notable Quotes:

• "I just feel so grateful to be on this show because I get to work with my heroes, Ben Stiller being one of them." — Britt Lower expressing her admiration and gratitude. [16:43]
• "You're also my hero." — Tramell Tillman to Stephen Colbert, demonstrating the mutual respect among the cast and crew. [16:58]

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Conclusion

Stephen Colbert wraps up the episode by congratulating both Tramell Tillman and Britt Lower on their remarkable performances in Severance. He emphasizes the show's success and anticipates its continued impact with the forthcoming second season available on Apple TV. The episode not only highlights the actors' professional experiences but also offers listeners a glimpse into the camaraderie and creative processes behind a hit television series.

Closing Remarks:

• "Season two of Severance is on Apple TV." — Stephen Colbert inviting listeners to engage with the series. [16:52]

---

This episode serves as a delightful exploration of Severance through the eyes of its talented cast members, providing fans with deeper insights into the making of the show and the personal journeys of Tramell Tillman and Britt Lower.

Transcript

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[Becca]

Hey, everybody. I'm Becca. I'm a producer here at the Late Show.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm Stephen Colbert. I am the host of the Late show and we are here to do one of Stephen Time. What's it called?

[Becca]

Stephen Presents.

[Stephen Colbert]

Steven Presents.

[Becca]

Or Steven Presents because it's a gift to be with you here today.

[Stephen Colbert]

I love that. Yeah. These are intros to the podcast that we run when we're all off here. Sometimes we're actually in the office but not doing shows. Those are called gray weeks because there's dark weeks and then there's light weeks. I don't know. It's like.

[Tramell Tillman]

Yeah.

[Becca]

Working dark.

[Stephen Colbert]

Working dark. We call them gray weeks. So is this a gray week or dark?

[Becca]

This is dark. We're off.

[Stephen Colbert]

Good. Because I'm out of the country.

[Becca]

Yeah, I know. Really exciting.

[Stephen Colbert]

They're really getting the hell out of the pet.

[Becca]

A sheep. What are you going to do over there?

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm going to. I'm actually going to go see some friends in the uk.

[Becca]

Very cool.

[Stephen Colbert]

Ireland and the uk.

[Becca]

Cool.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, it's gonna be very nice.

[Becca]

Really nice. Should be nice this time of year. Maybe, eh?

[Stephen Colbert]

I mean, it's always lovely, but it's gonna be like high of 46.

[Becca]

Totally.

[Stephen Colbert]

And I'm guessing damp.

[Becca]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

But that's okay. Gotta get an aeronautics sweater on.

[Becca]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

I smell like a sheep.

[Becca]

Yeah. Good.

[Stephen Colbert]

This is a real Aeronau sweater. I'm wearing it right now. You can't tell at home. Here, listen to this.

[Tramell Tillman]

Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Ooh, that's an aeronautical sweater.

[Becca]

Exactly.

[Stephen Colbert]

You know, where they smell like sheep.

[Becca]

Oh, no. Can I take a whip?

[Stephen Colbert]

So smell that.

[Becca]

Oh, my gosh.

[Stephen Colbert]

Because it still has the lanolin in it.

[Becca]

It is.

[Stephen Colbert]

Thank you for smelling my sweater.

[Becca]

Yeah, no.

[Stephen Colbert]

I asked my co exec, Opus Moreski this morning in the writer's meeting. I said, do you want to smell my sweater? And he said, no, I do not.

[Becca]

Oh, really?

[Stephen Colbert]

I said, God, it smells like a sheep.

[Becca]

I'm always down to take a whiff.

[Stephen Colbert]

And he said, no, no thanks. And I'm pretty sure I have a meeting with HR later for asking one of my oldest and most valued producers to sniff my clothing.

[Becca]

He's missing out if you're asking me. It smells really good.

[Stephen Colbert]

Thank you.

[Becca]

You know, there's sheep in Central park at a petting zoo that you can go pet whenever.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, my God.

[Becca]

This is something I found out recently. They're so nice.

[Stephen Colbert]

Which part of the park? In the zoo.

[Becca]

In the zoo. In the children's zoo, which is a little bit north of the regular zoo. It's really nice. You can pet them. There's cool birds there. Anyways, that's just if you need your sheep fixed. But sounds like you're going somewhere where they got plenty of sheep for you to touch. Today on the POD show, we have two co stars of a show that I've been watching and we'll be watching more of over the break.

[Stephen Colbert]

Were they on at the same time?

[Becca]

Different time. We got a mash up situation.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, give me a hint.

[Becca]

This is a show about working. There you go.

[Stephen Colbert]

Stop right there. So is Britt Lauer one of them?

[Becca]

It's Britt Lauer and Tramell Tillman.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, Tramell. He was great.

[Becca]

Yeah, Milchick.

[Stephen Colbert]

Milchick. What you can't tell from the podcast is that he is wearing a vest with no shirt. Yeah, he's wearing like a nice, like men's suit. Vest, lovely pants, nice shoes, but a vest. No shirt. Yeah, it is a bold look. It would not work for me. It works for him.

[Becca]

He is pulling it off, sir. He is.

[Stephen Colbert]

Who knew that Milchick had the thickness?

[Becca]

Yeah, he's really glistening in this outfit.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, he's moisturized.

[Becca]

And Britt also is wearing that cool, all gray, silvery.

[Stephen Colbert]

Right. High collar.

[Becca]

This is what we should do for every podcaster. Just come on and be fashion police.

[Stephen Colbert]

Just describe, just describe what they're wearing.

[Becca]

Because when you're not sure, you're getting extended moments. You're driving your car you're not in danger, but are you getting the fashion? No, but we can provide that for you.

[Stephen Colbert]

It was a Chantung beige of a raw silk. So you saw sort of the knot, sort of the weave inclusions in it, and it had a very, very, very structured bodice that had a very flared skirt. I don't know if there was crinoline or anything or if there's just many, many, many layers of the silk. But absolutely beautiful off the shoulder, obviously.

[Becca]

Yeah. This is something me and Kara Washington would do during COVID when you were zooming with celebrities from their homes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, you would do the fash, but.

[Becca]

Like, Architecture Digest of their zoom background.

[Tramell Tillman]

Oh, sure.

[Becca]

And we'd be like, ooh, the archway. Oh, look at that vase in the background.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, that's nice.

[Becca]

It was a fun way to keep ourselves entertained when we were apart.

[Stephen Colbert]

Love the show. Love these interviews.

[Becca]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Enjoy. Welcome back, everybody. Folks, you know my next guest from his breakout role as the supervisor, Mr. Milchick, in the hit series Severance. Please welcome to the Late Show, Tramell Tillman. Good to see you.

[Tramell Tillman]

Good to see you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Good to see you. Listen, you know what? Sun's out, guns out. I am. I had no idea that Milchick was swole.

[Tramell Tillman]

Well, you know, he's hiding under that.

[Stephen Colbert]

You know, he's part of the plan of Egan. Last time we saw each other was a couple, two, three years ago. It was.

[Tramell Tillman]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

When you guys were nice enough to allow me to come in there, and we shot a bit with y'all Severance cast in the offices in the location.

[Tramell Tillman]

Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

Which was an amazing treat. I mean, that's like me going to Middle Earth. It's like. That is. That was incredibly exciting.

[Tramell Tillman]

When are you coming back?

[Stephen Colbert]

What?

[Tramell Tillman]

When are you coming back?

[Stephen Colbert]

Anytime you want, man. Didn't know I was playing coy about it. You were in character as A company man, Mr. Milchick. What do you remember about that day? Did I disrupt your day? Did you have time for that? Or was it a pain in the ass?

[Tramell Tillman]

You are a pain in the ass.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes. We have a taste here of our version with you of the musical dance experience.

[Tramell Tillman]

As you know, good behavior is rewarded here at Lumen. Therefore, you may choose one option for a music dance experience. Select carefully from this list of options. Hit it. Somebody won't tell me the world is gonna roll me now that' I think my favorite part is when you were backing your ass up on me. That has to be my favorite part.

[Stephen Colbert]

Back it up like a Tonka truck that's what I do now. It's a phenomenon, this show. We waited a while for the second season. People are absolutely gripped by it.

[Tramell Tillman]

Yes, yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

What was it like the first day when you started shooting? Because before you started this journey, you had no idea what this thing's gonna be.

[Tramell Tillman]

No, I was terrified, I have to be honest. You know, I hadn't been on set in about a year and a half. We were filming in the middle of COVID you know, and Ben Stiller was directing, and John Turturro was my scene partner. Day one. John Turturro.

[Stephen Colbert]

What's Turturro like as a part? Music? Oh, he's.

[Tramell Tillman]

He's. He's like the best uncle ever. You know, he has all these wonderful stories. And even when I was freaking out and losing my lines, you know, John would just say, tramel. You got it. Just relax. You got it.

[Stephen Colbert]

The audience is really captivated by Milchick, as I said. But there's one thing that got a few people up in arms, mostly Swedes, because you got some people up in arms about your pronunciation of a specific word. Let's watch you say the word.

[Tramell Tillman]

Okay?

[Stephen Colbert]

And then we'll talk about it.

[Tramell Tillman]

Here we go. In ancient times, the King of Sweden himself was known to go incognito amongst his people in the hopes of learning their true grievances. He would don an old gray robe, a krakschupen, the name for which he was remembered to disguise his royal vestments. Geir Egan himself was known to do so in his ether factories. And Ms. Egan was carrying on this noble tradition.

[Stephen Colbert]

Smells like horse.

[Instacart Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Tramell Tillman]

Swedish horse.

[Stephen Colbert]

So the word is again. Okay, so the reviews are in. The pronunciation of grashupen in Severance season two, episode five is straight up the worst Swedish pronunciation I have ever heard. The way Milczick said grashupen is a crime against Swedish law. And Mr. Milkshake's pronunciation of grashupen in the new episode of Severance might be the funniest thing the show has ever done. Okay. How did you. How did you arrive? How did you. Swedish isn't easy. I've had to say a few Swedish words. How did you arrive? Yes.

[Tramell Tillman]

Okay, so this is the story of the story of the Grachschuppen. Okay?

[Stephen Colbert]

Grushuppen.

[Tramell Tillman]

Grushuppen. So it is a totally made up word. And I didn't know that until I talked to Bo Williman and I asked him, how do you pronounce this word? And he said, I have no idea. Go with God. So I said, okay, well, I'll try it. It's spelled G R a K, K a P a N. Right. So I consulted my Swedish advisor, Google, and I learned that in some words, G, R A is tapped or rolled like gra, Right?

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Tramell Tillman]

Okay. So then there's the K. And if the K is coming before a vowel, it's a sh sound. So Gra Chipan, right?

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, sure, right.

[Tramell Tillman]

Okay, that's.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, 100% okay. Yeah, right.

[Tramell Tillman]

That's what Google said. So I had an option. I had gracopan, which is the American pronunciation. Graspan.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Tramell Tillman]

Which is more of the Swedish interpretation. But then I got a little inspired. One of my favorite television sitcoms is Golden Girls.

[Stephen Colbert]

Sure, sure.

[Tramell Tillman]

That's my Golden Girls. Yes, yes. And Rose Nylan, played by Betty White, has Swedish Norwegian roots.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes.

[Tramell Tillman]

So I thought to myself, how would Rose Nylund say this word? Cause she has all of these, like, nonsensical words that she says in the show. So in order for me to figure out which one was the right choice, I had to workshop it. So I was on set and I said, have you ever heard of the story of the Grokoparten? Take one. Have you ever heard of the story of the Grasscheppen? Take two? Have you ever heard of the story of the Grasshoppen.

[Stephen Colbert]

Settle?

[Tramell Tillman]

And the response that we just heard was the response on set. The crew fell out.

[Stephen Colbert]

Done.

[Tramell Tillman]

So I was like, this is the one. This is the option. So I do have to say I sincerely apologize to the lovely people of Sweden if I have butchered your language through my artistic interpretation of a made up word.

[Stephen Colbert]

But it's a made up word.

[Tramell Tillman]

It's a made up word.

[Stephen Colbert]

So it's not even Swedish.

[Tramell Tillman]

It's not Swedish, no, as far as I know.

[Stephen Colbert]

Tramell, it was lovely to see you again. Thank you for being here. Season two of Severance is on Apple tv. Tramelle Tillman, everybody.

[Nourish Dietitian]

Coming up, Brit Lauer.

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[Stephen Colbert]

Welcome back friends and neighbors, ladies and gentlemen. My next guest stars is Helly R in the Apple TV series Severance, which just returned for its second season. Hel. Oh my God. Are you okay?

[Tramell Tillman]

I'm okay. Did you wake up?

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, yeah, it was crazy.

[Becca]

Same.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh my God.

[Tramell Tillman]

I was so worried about you.

How long has it been?

[Stephen Colbert]

Five months, maybe more.

[Tramell Tillman]

Where's everybody else?

[Stephen Colbert]

Come on, please. Welcome to the Late Show, Britt Lauer. Hey, nice to see you again.

[Tramell Tillman]

It's nice to see you as well.

[Stephen Colbert]

We met Lou two, three years ago. When did. Yeah, it was after the first season, so at least two years ago. Out at the Emmys. Yes, at some thing and found out we're both Northwestern Wildcats. You were an nu. You're an NU grad. Good for you. Theater and interp. That kind of thing.

[Tramell Tillman]

Theater and art and yeah, it's so nice to see you because there was one day on campus where you came to visit and I tried to find.

[Stephen Colbert]

You when you were a student.

[Tramell Tillman]

When I was a student. And I just kept hearing these rumors, oh, he's at Norris getting a coffee. And I'd go there and you were gone. And then I'd go to north campus and you weren't there. And then all of a sudden I heard that you were biking around, so I got on my bike and I tried to find you.

[Stephen Colbert]

I'm the win.

[Tramell Tillman]

It was this legendary day. The day I couldn't find Colbert.

[Stephen Colbert]

Was this 2006? Was that what that year was?

[Tramell Tillman]

It was just last year. Yeah.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay, now you're starring another feather in the cap of Northwestern. Now you're starring in the second season of Severance as Helior. Great series. I don't want to give anything away. Does this part really put you on the map? Here you are literally almost like falling out of the sky into this series. There you are. This is how we meet your character. What has it been like for you to like to be part of this journey of this such a lauded show.

[Tramell Tillman]

I mean, I still can't believe I get to be Helly r. Yeah, I made a self tape in my bathroom with that scene. And.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wait, so you didn't actually even get to go into the room with people? You had to do it at home?

[Tramell Tillman]

Was this during COVID No, this was prior to Covid. I just, you know, it was the kind of thing where my agents were like, this is a long shot, but can you make a really good tape in your house? And so, you know, I was just falling in love with this character on the page, and, you know, never in a million years thought I would get to be in the show, but I thought, you know, at least I get to be helly today.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, that's nice. Wow. That's a very positive attitude about auditioning, which I never had. Well, it's extraordinary. I can't even talk to you about it. I've seen six of the episodes, and I dare not say anything.

[Tramell Tillman]

No, you can't.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, I won't.

[Tramell Tillman]

But can I tell you, I just feel so grateful to be on this show because I get to work with my heroes, Ben Stiller being one of them.

[Stephen Colbert]

And I thought you meant this show for a second.

[Tramell Tillman]

Oh, yeah. Sorry, sorry, sorry.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, that's fine. No, that's fine. Let's move on. Let's move on. Wait, wait, wait.

[Tramell Tillman]

Back it up.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, no, no. Talk about your thing. Talk about your thing. Y.

[Tramell Tillman]

You're also my hero.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, okay.

[Tramell Tillman]

You are.

[Stephen Colbert]

No, but, like, I've never worked with Ben. I would love to work with Ben and Adam and Turturro.

[Tramell Tillman]

Okay, so Turturro is truly my role model. And so season one, our dressing rooms were next to each other. We didn't have trailers. They were dressing rooms. So I could hear him doing his vocal warm up in the morning. And I want to be like John Turturro. So he would be doing his ba ba ba ba ba bi baba boo, and I would be parroting him in my room. I don't think he knows this, that I did that, but I just wanted to do my vocal warm ups like John, and so. Okay. The other thing you should know about me is that I'm a younger sister to an older brother, and I've spent my whole life kind of trying to demonstrate how tough I am.

[Stephen Colbert]

Okay?

[Tramell Tillman]

This ties together. I promise. Okay. The third thing is that in order to stay warm on set and to get into character as helly are, I shadow box in the corner by myself. And you can imagine me in my heels and pantyhose and just. I'm boxing.

[WIX Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Tramell Tillman]

So one night it was. We were filming at like 2am and I'm so tired, I'm like violently yawning. You know when you're like, you're tearing, like you're crying Cause you're so tired.

[Stephen Colbert]

And you haven't even shot yet.

[Tramell Tillman]

No. Yeah. And I'm. And I'm. Even boxing isn't working. And. And dear John Turturro took pity on me and he says, brit, why don't you punch me in the stomach? And of course, I perk up because I've just gotten a mission from my hero. And it's a chance to demonstrate how tough I am. And so I'm like, okay, okay. And I kind of start by just giving him just like a little jab, you know? And he looks at me, he's like, come on, really punch me. And I'm like, john, I'm strong. Like, are you sure? He's like, come on, punch me in the stomach. And I look at him, he nods his consent.

[Stephen Colbert]

Very important.

[Tramell Tillman]

And by this time, you know, the whole crew's watching. And I just. I wind up and I give a cross punch. My wrist snaps at the last second and it's just like a pop. And his eyes go wide and my hand hurts because he has strong abs. And I'm just. Oh, no. I just hit my hero.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, you broke the. Jesus.

[Tramell Tillman]

And he looks around and he goes, she's macho.

[Stephen Colbert]

Congratulations. Congratulations.

[Tramell Tillman]

And I was awake for the rest of the night. I was just flying. I was soaring.

[Stephen Colbert]

Brit, lovely to see you. Thank you so much for being here. Congratulations on season two. Season two of Severance is on Apple tv. Brit Lauer, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.

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