Interview: Britt Lower on Running, Acting on Impulse and Going to Helly and Back in ‘Severance’ Season 2
Severance has had an insane ride for its second season. What started was a follow-up season three years in the making, a glass box in grand central station, and a hungry audience – what’s happened now is the most Emmy nominated show of the year.
The second season of the Apple+ original found its characters fighting their inner turmoil as they continue to do their jobs but are now in a steady search for the truth. Mark S. brings everyone in on his plan to look for Ms. Casey, who he now knows is his Outie’s wife. Helly R. finds herself in a new predicament, in love with Mark as he looks for the woman his Outie loves. The season also introduces the notion that Helena Eagen could be lurking amongst the Innes, unbeknownst to them that there’s an Outie amongst them. Helly R. is trying to understand what’s happening within the walls of Lumon, only to find at every turn that her alter ego, Helena, is behind so much of the misery that’s experienced there. She’s a cold woman that isn’t shy about using whatever means necessary for her own gain, but how different is Helly? In the final moments of the season, she runs back with Mark into the halls of Lumon, away from Gemma, who has just been released from her severed prison.
I jumped on Zoom to talk to Britt Lower about Helly and Helena, what it takes to walk like Helly R, the challenges of portraying someone that’s always in the same place, and her love of the circus.
Tyler Doster: How did the second season challenge you differently than the first?
Britt Lower: Well, our show is challenging in so many ways, but I have to also say it’s a real joy to make the show. At the same time, there’s a joy in the challenge of it. Season two, I had the wonderful challenge as an actor to… Season one, I spent my time as Helly R. wandering around Lumon and asking, “What the hell’s going on here? Why is everyone behaving like this?” And having a really clear sense of injustice. What’s happening here is incorrect, is not okay.
And then I have this great challenge as an actor to then step into the perspective of the total opposite point of view, which is from the CEO of the company, Helena, having grown up in that same culture that Kelly is questioning. And so inside of Brit, I had these dueling perspectives, and one of them was also pretending to be the other one for a certain period of time and trying to mask what she did know about the company, what she didn’t. And then I also had this challenge of all of the impulses that I had come to know and love about Helly. I’m in her costume, but I can’t behave like her because I’m actually being Helena. So just little things like Helly doesn’t hesitate, Helly barrels through the hallway and she says what’s on her mind. And I had to tamp down all of those impulses because Helena was up to something else.
TD: What’s the difference in preparation to get to Helly R. and get to Helena, and then on top of that, like you just mentioned, Helena pretending to be Helly?
BL: A lot of it is internal work, just knowing their internal rhythms and the way that it feels to be in their perspectives. I actually did watch, when I was developing Helly initially, I watched videos of animals who were trying to escape or who were trapped. And the way that there’s just this primal way that Helly moves through the world, that’s a very internal kind of rhythm. How did I prepare? I mean, it’s a lot of just making sure I’m really clear on who knows what and who is privy to certain information. And then a lot of it is like my wonderful cast and crew. You get so much inspiration when you’re on set for Severance, the way that the other actors are, what they’re bringing to the table is so inspiring, so informative. And the way that you’re costumed and the way that the set makes you feel the lower ceilings, there’s so much information to play off of, so it really is a true collaboration. I do my internal work, which involves drawing and music, and then I try to forget all of that when I get to set and just really be present to the incredible team that is there.
TD: How does the difference in costume assist you when you’re getting ready for Helly R?
BL: Well, I guess it was tricky because Helena was wearing Helly’s outfit, and sometimes they’re in the same outfit.
TD: Do your acting impulses clash?
BL: Well, it is more just thinking of the given circumstances like Helena put that outfit on in the morning, whereas Helly didn’t. There’s some details you’ll notice in the outie scenes where Helena, unlike a lot of the other females in the Lumon is wearing pants. There’s more of a, I don’t know, I guess she’s trying to step into this… What Sarah Edwards, the costume and I conceived of is that she’s longing to be the son her father never had. I thought about this lonely prince who’s trapped within Lumon in a different way than Helly is. She’s also trapped and starved for connection and longing for meaning. And so they have some parallels to Helly and Helena. Of course, they diverge quite a bit as well.
TD: Moving over to physicality a bit, how did you nail down Helly’s walk? It’s very distinctive how you get through the hallways, how her shoulders move.
BL: (laughs) I get asked this question a lot, and I don’t have a clear answer. It’s just like, that’s how Helly walks. I didn’t think about it much. That’s just how she moves. And part of it is the heels that she’s wearing. And part of it is that she’s just on this really clear mission, especially season one, but all the time. She’s just so direct, and she’s going after what she wants, and she’s completely unafraid of the consequences most of the time, aside from when it comes to Mark. I think that’s the one place, her connection with him where she feels vulnerable, and she doesn’t know what to do. I think it’s like falling in love is the scariest place for her to go. And I think that’s what’s happening in season two. All of these characters are going through adolescence and there’s a first love there, and that’s a big risk.
TD: It is. And since she’s so young, she doesn’t know how it’s going to turn out. She’s going through impulse.
BL: Yeah, totally.
TD: How do you find new ways to challenge yourself with a character that usually stays within the confines of one place?
BL: (laughs) I don’t think I have to add any challenge. I think there’s a level of rigor and precision to our show, and that the world and the tone is something we’re all building together as we go. So there’s just always a wonderful challenge, and it never gets boring, even though we’re in these low ceilings and golf course, green carpet, that definitely has an aspect of sometimes you just need to stretch your body out because you feel like you’re lacking vitamin D. But you gather a lot of inspiration from other cast members and the crew, and we have a lot of fun in between takes. Keep it light.
TD: What do you think Helly’s final thoughts of the season are as she’s running away with Mark?
BL: I guess I’d love to leave that to the viewer to decide. There’s so much running through both of their heads at the end, but I can just point to the scene where Helly’s standing on the desk and really trying to connect with these marching band members. And she’s seeing her brother Dylan, who’s come to help her trap Milchick in the bathroom, and standing on that desk is remembering Irving. And the fact that he’s gone is really a death in their eyes. And so I guess she’s just coming to see her friend for the last time, and the fact that he turns around, it means he’s not dead. He’s not gone. So that’s what I’ll say. I think there’s a lot to be left to interpretation, and I feel that’s the wonderful gift of getting to do television is we can come back to it. And in the time in between our imaginations can all run wild.
TD: I wanted to harken back to one of your other passions, and I just wanted to ask how long it will be again before we get to see you in the circus?
BL: I hope not too long. I am always thinking about it. I would’ve been at the circus this summer if I hadn’t been filming up in Canada. It’s a true joy to be in the circus.
TD: I know last time we talked, you were out there. We were talking about how hot it was.
BL: Yes. Was I in St. Louis?
TD: Yes.
BL: Wow. And so after season two, I joined a different circus in Washington State called Shoestring Circus. I guess my routine now is I finish filming a season of Severance, and then I run away to the circus.
TD: You immediately jump to the circus. It’s like once you finish filming Severance, if anyone’s wondering, we know where we can find you out.
BL: That’s right. That’s where I’m looking towards.
Britt Lower is Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the episode “Atilla” of Severance.
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