Barack Obama Almost Landed Role on 'Severance' Season 2 — As Former President Attempts to Move On With His Life Amid Rumors He's Done With Wife Michelle
The former president was close to kicking off his acting career.
March 5 2025, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
Fans of Apple TV+ series Severance almost got a chance to see former president Barack Obama pop up on season 2 – but things didn't go as expected.
According to Ben Stiller – the executive producer behind the popular series – he did all he could to see Barack take on a role, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Barack almost found himself on the popular series 'Severance.'
Earlier this week, Stiller appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and revealed he attempted to get the politician to lend his booming voice for the voice of the Lumon building in the video shown to the group.
The Meet the Parents actor said: "I didn't ask him in person, I knew someone who knew his lawyer and his lawyer said I can relay the request if you write an email.
"So I wrote an email to him saying like, 'Hey we have this show,' whatever. And like two days later, I get an email back from President Barack Obama."
Executive producer Ben Stiller sent the former president an email asking him to be on the Apple TV+ show.
Stiller surprisingly got a response back, but it's not what he had hoped for as he learned Barack simply didn't have time in his schedule. While a letdown, the role did end up going to John Wick star Keanu Reeves.
"He's just like the most warm, inviting voice," Stiller said of Reeves taking on the role instead.
The Hollywood director added: "I don't know if when you see the building and you hear his voice, you necessarily think immediately that it's Keanu, but then I think you have this just innate feeling."
Severance stars Adam Scott and focuses on office workers who have had their memories surgically divided between their job and personal life.
However, Barack may just land on the small screen after all, just not how anyone imagined as television bosses are said to be scrambling to offer him and his wife, Michelle, a chance to have separate tell-all interviews amid rumors of a "secret" divorce.
A TV insider told RadarOnline.com: "There is going to be a real rush to bag their signatures for interviews and the figures are going to be at least $10million and that's each.
"Obama recently picked up $1.2million for three speeches on Wall Street so $10million to talk about his marriage and how that was conducted within the pressure cooker of the White House doesn't seem such bad value. And Michelle will also be offered a similar amount."
'Severance' stars Adam Scott as an office worker who has his memories surgically divided.
"Oprah Winfrey will be front of the queue if Michelle agrees to blab about the break-up," the source added.
All this comes as rumors of the couple's apparent crumbling marriage continue to float, with the pair already said to be discussing how to divide their wealth and assets.
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Barack and his wife, Michelle, are said to be going through a 'secret' divorce, but neither party has confirmed.
"They want to have everything ironed out in advance," an insider close to the situation said. "The last thing they want is an ugly fight with lots of nasty legal filings."
Rumors of a divorce sparked even more after Obama attended late president Jimmy Carter's funeral and Trump's inauguration by himself, as Michelle was no where in sight.
