Latest news with #Milchick
Buzz Feed
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Tramell Tillman Talks 'Severance' Secrets, Dance Moves, And Milchick's Mysterious Backstory
If you've been watching Severance, then you already know that Seth Milchick is one of the most intense, mysterious, and meme-worthy characters on TV. Apple tv+ Played by the enigmatic Tramell Tillman, Milchick went from being a slightly terrifying corporate enforcer to a fan favourite, and it turns out, there's a lot more to him than big words and dance moves. In the latest episode of Seasoned Sessions, we sat down with Tramell Tillman to talk all things Milchick – from representation and microaggressions to what Seth might be like behind the walls of Lumon. Tramell's route into acting is far from traditional – he was studying in med school before pursuing his passion. Apple tv+ Tramell told us that he 'fell in love with acting' as a child, but due to not having any mentors within the industry, he settled on becoming a doctor. After a pivot, in 2014, he became the first Black man to graduate with an MFA in acting; 'Hopefully I'm paving the way for someone else,' he shared. The famous Milkshake moves were freestyled. Apple tv+ Tramell made it clear that while he did freestyle, Milchick's vibe is very different to his own: 'How he moves is a machine, so it really was just tapping into this other energy he has and just let him fly.' He thinks Milchick may have a different approach to the severed floor than Cobel, and even Lumon as a whole. Apple tv+ Episode eight – Sweet Vitriol – explored Harmony Cobel's backstory, and we learned just how deeply her life was intertwined with Lumon, explaining her dedication to Kier. Since we've not seen much of Seth outside of Lumon, we wanted to know if Tramell thought he may have a similar background to Cobel. While he doesn't know his backstory, he pointed out that though things like the ORTBO and kindness reforms, Milchick's trying to offer the innies something different to what they've had before. Tramell considers the Kier paintings as one of the catalysts in Milchick's character arc. Apple tv+ In the Severance podcast, Tramell asked, 'Does Milchick know he's Black?' He explained what he meant by that, saying, ' Does he identify with his Blackness, with the culture? That's what I meant. Because even in real life, many people assimilate, or suppress parts of themselves to fit in – especially in corporate environments.' And we can all agree that Milchick went on a journey of identity this season. Tramell thinks the stakes were raised once he got promoted, and felt the pressure to deliver; 'I think every decision that he makes from episode three to 10 is influenced by that Kier painting and the cost of what it is to be a leader on the Severed floor without having the support.' The microaggressions and that scene with Drummond were (unfortunately) very relatable to Tramell. Apple tv+ In Season 2, Milchick gets penalised for using 'big words,' and the moment hit hard. 'I've had my speech policed often for being too articulate,' Tramell shared. 'And that scene with Drummond felt very, very real. You know, there is this expectation of Blackness and expectation of how we're supposed to speak and communicate.' Who would Seth be friends with outside of Lumon? Tramell reckons it would be Irving. Apple tv+ Tramell shared that it was painful to watch how things panned out between Irv and Seth, but on a lighter note, 'Irving's got swag. They'd definitely bond over the swag.'
Forbes
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
NYT Mini Today: Hints, Clues And Answers For Wednesday, April 2
Answers for today's NYT Mini Crossword are just ahead. In case you missed Tuesday's NYT Mini, you can find the answers here: Wondering what magical substance enables flight in Peter Pan? Not sure what Mr. Milchick's first name is on Severance? Don't worry, because I'm here to help you with some extra clues and the answers for today's NYT Mini crossword. The NYT Mini is a quick and dirty version of the newspaper's larger and long-running crossword. Most days, there are between three and five clues in each direction on a five by five grid, but the puzzles are sometimes larger, especially on Saturdays. Unlike its larger sibling, the NYT Mini crossword is free to play on the New York Times website or NYT Games app. However, you'll need an NYT Games subscription to access previous puzzles in the archives. To help you avoid getting stuck and having to reveal missing letters, here are the NYT Mini Crossword hints, clues and answers for Wednesday, April 2: Spoilers lie ahead, so remember to scroll slowly: 1 Across: Where donated blood is stored 5 Across: Le Creuset makes excellent Dutch variants of these 7 Across: A type of fairy or sprite 8 Across: Clean up dry dirt that has accumulated on furniture 9 Across: Instruction to be quiet in a library 1 Down: _____ It, an audio game that instructs the player to pull handles, press buttons etc on a toy 2 Down: Adjective for a passionate fan. Also, a widely used editing system for film and television 3 Down: A program for expedited transit for trusted persons between Canada and the U.S. 4 Down: Filled Jewish snack that's closely linked with New York City cuisine 6 Down: Like Meyers and MacFarlane 1 Across: Source of Monopoly money – BANK 5 Across: Pizzeria fixtures – OVENS 7 Across: With 8-Across, magical substance that enables flight in Peter Pan – PIXIE 8 Across: See 7-Across – DUST 9 Across: "Keep it down!" – SHH 1 Down: Whack on the head – BOP 2 Down: Fervent – AVID 3 Down: Connection point – NEXUS 4 Down: Potato-filled pastry – KNISH 6 Down: Mr. Milchick's first name on Severance – SETH Completed NYT Mini crossword for Wednesday, April 2. It took me 0:35 to complete today's NYT Mini. Not a bad time at all! The only answer I missed among the Across clues at first was OVENS. However, I messed up with AVID. I thought the answer was 'acid' for some reason. By the time I got to SETH (I love Severance, so that one was easy), my mistake became more evident as the pizzeria fixtures had to be OVENS. I enjoyed seeing NEXUS on the grid. I love that word. And, you know, I don't believe I've ever had a KNISH. I ought to fix that! See you tomorrow for more NYT Mini fun! Make sure to follow my blog for more coverage of the NYT Mini and other word games, as well as video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot! Want to chat about the Mini, Connections and other NYT games? Join my Discord community!
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Severance's Tramell Tillman Breaks Down Milchick's Finale Dance Moves, Hints That ‘Everything's in Danger' in Season 3
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Friday's Season 2 finale. Mr. Milchick once again showed us he can cut a rug in Severance's season finale — but it looks like some of his Innies are choosing to cut and run. More from TVLine Severance Star, USC Marching Band Make Quite an Entrance at PaleyFest - Watch Severance's Dichen Lachman Dissects Finale's 'Heartbreaking' Twist, Season 3 'Possibilities' for Gemma - Watch Severance's Bloody, Brilliant Finale Gives Us Some Long-Awaited Answers - and Another Huge Cliffhanger In Friday's finale, Milchick rewarded Mark for completing the Cold Harbor file with 'Choreography & Merriment,' bringing a full marching band into the office — and leading them with some spry dance moves. But Mark had other ideas, sprinting off to save Gemma while Helly and Dylan used a vending machine to block Milchick inside the bathroom. Eventually, he forced his way out, but Helly convinced the marching band to join their rebellion, and Mark managed to free Gemma… although his Innie opted to stay inside with Helly rather than leave with Gemma. (Read our full finale recap here.) TVLine reached out to Tramell Tillman, who has been excellent all season long as Mr. Milchick, to help us make sense of the finale, how Milchick feels being betrayed by his Innies yet again, how they pulled off that incredible marching band performance… and what might be next for Milchick and company in the just-announced Season 3. TVLINE | We saw some new layers to Milchick this season, and some humanity started to peek through a bit. But he played the villain again in the finale, with Helly and Dylan trapping him in the bathroom so that Mark could escape. What is Milchick's reaction to facing yet another rebellion from the MDR team? Can he believe the lack of gratitude from these people?I mean, those Innies are just so… they're just ingrates. [Laughs] We've watched this man basically give the Innies anything and everything they asked for. They asked for the funeral for Irving. That's not allowed, we learned that from Ms. Huang, but he did it anyway. The Innies insisted on exploring the outside world. He created this ORTBO for them to give them this experience. And not just throw them out in the middle of the forest, but the man built tents that had four-ply washroom tissue! You know what I mean? It's an attention to detail… TVLINE | Above and and beyond! And it is taken for granted. So there is a loss, a confusion, a frustration I believe that Milchick is sitting with when it comes to the Innies. But it's also coming from the board. It's coming from Drummond. You know, we see these paintings [Milchick received from the board earlier in Season 2], where this is the first instance where we are witnessing race being addressed in the world of Kier, and specifically at Lumon, and how we see the board handle this issue of race when it comes to Milchick and Natalie. And what I appreciate is how that story is left unanswered. We don't get a conclusion to that moment. But it's never lost, because I think all of what Milchick goes through, starting from Season 1, builds up to the finale of Season 2, when this man is knocking down this vending machine and going ham on this thing. It is totally earned. He's been through it. TVLINE | Yeah, that battle you had with the vending machine was pretty fierce. How many times did you crash into that thing? Did you get any bumps or bruises?You know, I actually jammed my shoulder and bruised a rib. Not because of anybody else, but it was just because I landed improperly. But I do want to say: The knocking down of that vending machine? There was no help. That is 100% Milchick. TVLINE | The finale also gave us another dance number for Mr. Milchick, with him leading a full marching band and drumline in the office. What kind of rehearsals and choreography went into pulling off that scene?Well, we had extensive rehearsals. We had a gentleman by the name of Teddy who has this group of various actors and musicians who filled in for the band, and I was adamant about working with them to really figure out their flavor. How do they walk? How do they march? What are their formations? Because it was important for me that Milchick was a part of this story and not on the outside. So he had to embody a lot of the traits that Choreography & Merriment would have exemplified. Because, again, I really think this was his idea, 100%. So there were a lot of conversations with Teddy, with Ty and Tyrone. Those were the three guys that were handling all the choreography. They sculpted some moves for me, but allowed me to develop my own taste and my own flavor in it as well, so that it felt organic in the moment. I believe we worked on that scene for a couple weeks, and that includes the preparation for it as well. There was a big group of people in the band who had never seen the show before, when they signed on to the project. And as we were working on this particular scene, I started to notice that some of the band members were acting differently towards me, and I got wind from one of the members of the drumline. Basically, these people started watching the show and realized that, 'Oh, Milchick's kind of an a–hole, and we don't like you.' [Laughs] But it was a lot of fun and very energetic. TVLINE | I know you can't say much about Season 3, but where does Milchick go from here? Cold Harbor is finished, and his entire macrodata refinement team has turned on him. Is his job in danger?I think everything's in danger at this point. We lose Drummond. He's murdered, essentially, and the Innies have run amok. Gemma is now outside of the floor. So there's a lot that's going on that leaves so much to imagination and so much to question, right? We also don't know what Milchick's mental state is at this point. We do see that Helly has basically corralled all of Choreography & Merriment to rally against him, and so he now has to figure out a way to get out of this. So it's very immediate, and it really does leave the question: What now? What do we do now? Give us your thoughts on Milchick's dance moves, the Season 2 finale and all things in a comment below. Best of TVLine Yellowjackets' Tawny Cypress Talks Episode 4's Tai/Van Reunion: 'We're All Worried About Taissa' Vampire Diaries Turns 10: How Real-Life Plot Twists Shaped Everything From the Love Triangle to the Final Death Vampire Diaries' Biggest Twists Revisited (and Explained)
CBC
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Severance stars Tramell Tillman and Zach Cherry reflect on the masks we all put on at work
Like many of us, Severance stars Tramell Tillman and Zach Cherry can relate to the idea of feeling like someone different at work. That's partly just the nature of acting — taking on a character while you're on set and hopefully leaving them behind when you get home. "We talk a lot about what carries over and what bleeds through," Cherry says in a joint interview with Q 's Tom Power alongside Tillman. "For me as an actor, that is kind of a question when you're creating a character. You got to bring something of yourself to most of your characters, but not everything." Severance, which aired its Season 2 finale yesterday, is a sci-fi thriller that explores a nightmarish experiment to enforce work-life balance by splitting a person's consciousness into two. There's the you that goes into work (your "innie") and the you that lives outside of work (your "outie"). WATCH | Tramell Tillman and Zach Cherry's full interview with Tom Power: Before becoming full-time actors, both Tillman and Cherry worked as office managers in the non-profit world, so they know what it's like to have a nine-to-five desk job. They were able to draw on those experiences to develop their characters, the mysterious Mr. Milchick and the severed employee Dylan G. "There's so many of us who spend a lot of time in the workplace and understand what it's like to be at a job that may not be as fulfilling," Tillman tells Power. "There's an identity there, too. I mean, the first line of the show is, 'Who are you?' And I think especially with Milchick, there's an identity that he is struggling with." Cherry adds that in his own life he'd try to separate his personal and professional identities by putting on a "work mask" in the office. "That idea of being someone slightly different at work, I can certainly relate to," he says. "When I was at my office job, I was also doing sketch comedy and improv comedy at night, but at work, no one really would have known that. I kind of didn't want to get into it. I didn't really want to bring that part of me into that place." WATCH | Official trailer for Severance Season 2: What's interesting about Cherry's character Dylan is that his innie and outie have distinct personalities as a result of living under completely different circumstances. Dylan's innie is confident and self-assured, whereas his outie is a husband and father who lacks purpose and direction in life. "The innie is maybe the version of the outie who never had all that baggage build up, and the outie is a version of the innie that has had these life experiences that have maybe pushed him one way or the other," Cherry explains. I think especially with Milchick, there's an identity that he is struggling with. To craft Milchick, who doesn't have an outie life, Tillman says it's not clear who the character is, only that he's committed to the organization and has shown himself willing to do whatever it takes to meet its goals. The actor says he modelled Milchick after a panther. "I feel like he's like this big cat," Tillman says. "He can pounce at any moment, but then there's this quality about him that he kind of bats people around, especially the innies. And he's always watching. He never strikes when it's not the right time. There's a plotting, there's a brooding that's there as well. And he's got that big smile, that big grin that can be very intoxicating and very mysterious as well. You don't know what that man's thinking." As for which animal Cherry would be, he says probably a panda. "Or like one of those deep sea fish," he jokes. "They don't even have a name."
Boston Globe
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Marching bands, goats, and more: Mr. Milchick actor Tramell Tillman breaks down the ‘Severance' season 2 finale
Advertisement But first, he has to get away from Tillman's Milchick, who supervises the so-called 'severed' employees. Milchick has had a tough season. Though he rose to a new supervisory role following Cobel's departure, he's faced burgeoning rebellion from the severed innies, as well as constant critiques from Lumon management about his use of multisyllabic words. Once Mark finishes the Cold Harbor file, Milchick performs an eerie, vaudevillian-style show alongside a mannequin of Lumon founder Kier as a celebration, before getting trapped in a bathroom by Mark's fellow innies. Tillman reveals that, while the voice of the Kier mannequin is Marc Geller (who has played the founder in previous episodes), 'Severance' executive producer and director Ben Stiller was the person physically operating the statue on set. Tramell Tillman in "Severance." Apple TV+ 'This was my first opportunity to act with Ben Stiller,' Tillman told the Globe in a recent Zoom interview. 'There are many moments where Ben and I were kind of figuring out how to make this as vaudeville as possible.' 'I just really appreciate how big this moment was, not only for Milchick, because this is a legacy that he will be tied to now because of what Mark achieved, but the fact that he creates this massive reward for Mark, this celebratory moment,' he added. 'And of course it blows up in his face because he ends up locked away in a bathroom.' Advertisement That last part is where we find Milchick for the majority of the episode, but not before he gets a meme-worthy musical moment. The celebration for Mark includes an appearance by Lumon's Choreography and Merriment department, as Milchick leads a marching band in a show-stopping number reminiscent of the dance performance he gave in a memorable 'I was living out my fantasy of being in a marching band, specifically the Sonic Boom of the South,' Tillman said. 'I graduated from Jackson State University, and the Sonic Boom of the South is the premier marching band, [in] all of the world, and I'm probably biased, but that's OK.' Tillman praised the band members who performed on set, some of whom had never seen the show. Apparently one drum line member got curious and decided to check out the show, which ended up shattering his image of Tillman. 'The fifth day of working with each other, he came up to me, he said, 'You know, when you first introduced yourself to us, I liked you, but I went and I saw the show. I don't like you anymore. You a bad man,'' Tillman recalled with a laugh. 'It's like, well, sorry, thanks.' Advertisement Tramell Tillman in "Severance." Apple TV+ That performer is likely not the only person to hold that opinion of Tillman's character, who continues to serve the shady desires of Lumon. This season saw Milchick beginning to butt heads with his superiors at the organization, and his frustrations start to boil over. Even still, Milchick remains a company man, with Tillman noting that it's 'probably too soon to say that he's breaking away' from Lumon, despite his issues with the powers that be. 'This man has spent a lot of time, so much of his time, on this company,' Tillman said. 'And with anyone that has invested so much time into something that you believe in, you're not going to walk away just because you had a couple of bad days at work.' The finale would definitely fall under one of those 'bad days.' Once he's trapped in the bathroom, viewers see a massive change in Milchick's demeanor, as he goes from his usual smiling, mild-mannered self to showcasing the full force of his rage as he tries to break free. Milchick is taller and broader than the innies, and his muscular physique is never more apparent than when he suddenly needs to physically overpower them. Tillman notes that, with Milchick, 'physicality is everything,' but he didn't want to use his body in a way that diminished the character's intelligence. 'It was important for me to showcase a character who is intelligent, who is crafty, who can manipulate people in a non-traditional way that we see Black men,' Tillman said. 'Oftentimes we see them use their physical prowess to get what is desired. But for me, it was really about tapping into his wiles, his psychological manipulation. And when it's necessary to show his physical strength, then we see it.' Advertisement Tillman called the finale 'rewarding' because he got to unleash Milchick, particularly when he bursts out of the bathroom, knocking over a vending machine blockade and facing off with the band and innie employee Dylan (Zach Cherry). The actor said the intense scene didn't use any kind of camera trickery. 'I really did knock down that vending machine,' Tillman said. 'That was important to see, because we needed to know that this man cannot be trifled with.' While he enjoyed unleashing Milchick's physical side, Tillman is also a 'lover of words' and appreciates the ways in which his character uses his impressive vocabulary, even when his big words ruffle feathers. This season, multiple Lumon staffers criticized his locution, which Tillman said Milchick 'internalizes' and 'affects his humanity.' From left: Tramell Tillman and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson in "Severance." Apple TV+ 'There's an identity that he has, this connective tissue towards these words,' Tillman said. 'These words are his power, in a way.' Overall, Tillman would describe Milchick's emotional journey this season as an 'awakening' where he starts to see the cracks in Lumon's armor, especially in the wake of receiving a Kier painting for his good work. The painting unexpectedly depicts Kier, a white man, as a Black man, and Milchick is deeply troubled by it. He tries to speak to Natalie (Sydney Cole Alexander), one of the only other Black employees at the company, about it, since he knows she's also received a painting. But she rebuffs his efforts to connect about it, and Milchick is left feeling even more alone. Tillman finds it interesting that the scene dropped amid the ongoing backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, calling it 'so timely.' Advertisement 'The reactions from people who have watched that scene really speak to what is so necessary in our country when it comes to diversity and inclusion and corporate responsibility,' Tillman said, praising the moment with Natalie for sparking 'more conversations and dialogue amongst people of color and people not of color around what is existing in that moment.' As for what happens after Milchick breaks free from the bathroom, Tillman explains that while 'we're kind of unsure of where we are in the last moments of the final episode,' he believes that the severed floor manager is finally 'starting to learn more' about what the company is really about. From left: Gwendoline Christie, Britt Lower, and Adam Scott in "Severance." Apple TV+ 'There is a 'what now' moment that we see once he bursts out of the bathroom and does the superhero hop onto the vending machine,' said Tillman, who notes that, although season 3 hasn't been confirmed yet, he's excited 'to see what happens next.' And while the finale doesn't answer every burning fan question, at least we get to find out the truth about Lumon's mysterious goat department, which didn't surprise Tillman, but did break his heart when he learned that the goats' purpose is to be sacrificed to guide the dead to an afterlife with Kier. 'It did not surprise me, but seeing those cute goats, and the idea of them being sacrificed, it broke me,' Tillman said. 'They were so adorable and innocent, and knowing that they're sacrificing the goats, I'm like, 'OK, this is rough.'' 'Severance' season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+. Matt Juul can be reached at
