Dichen Lachman plays the intriguing Ms. Casey on Apple TV+’s hit series Severance. Season 2 left fans with a lot of hope for her outie, Gemma, even though her husband, Mark (Adam Scott), is now trapped in Lumon thanks to his innie’s love for Helly (Britt Lower). Part of the love for Gemma and Ms. Casey came from Lachman’s performance, and Apple TV+ released her audition tape with an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly.
Lachman told the publication that it showed her “very first audition” for the show and how she didn’t really have any kind of context for what to expect since the show was still very secretive. “As you can imagine, the secrets of Ms. Casey and Gemma at this point were closely guarded, so I had very little context for the characters when I began reading.” But Lachman worked with Rachel Tenner, the casting director for the series, so that she could understand a bit about Ms. Casey and Gemma. “Rachel was so helpful and so generous with her time, talking me through as much as she could, so I’d be able to find even the tiniest window into the world and approximate what this character might sound like,” Lachman says.
As for Tenner, she knew that they’d found Ms. Casey when they saw how Lachman took to the role. “We were trying to navigate this odd, complicated character without giving away too much of the story that was about to unfold,” Tenner told the outlet. “When I saw Dichen audition, it was undeniable that she had exactly what we needed. She had beauty, mystery, complexity, and her instincts were on point from the very beginning. She felt different from everyone else and tonally was a wonderful match.”
Dichen Lachman Was the Perfect Choice
Ms. Casey was part of the intrigue of Season 1, but fans really got to spend a lot of time with Gemma in Season 2. It included an entire episode of Gemma and Mark’s love story titled “Chikhai Bardo.” Throughout this season, Gemma became a fan favorite, but Tenner and the team knew that when they cast Lachman in the role. “I loved watching how much warmth, vulnerability, and naiveté Dichen brought to Ms. Casey over the course of filming,” Tenner said. “I think in her initial read, she was much more austere and almost practical in her efficiency, but she ultimately brought something truly unique and open and lovely to the role. I loved watching the cast react to this strange bird in their midst.”
You can see Lachman on the Apple TV+ series Severance.
Source: Entertainment Weekly