‘That feeling of having a first crush': How Zach Cherry and Merritt Wever made their ‘Severance' marriage feel real
While Wever is a two-time Emmy winner with almost 30 years of film and TV experience, Cherry just broke through with his fan-favorite Severance performance as loudmouth MDR employee Dylan. Watching Season 1, Wever was definitely impressed by his work, and loved hearing that the show was planning to explore Dylan's domestic life in Season 2.
More from GoldDerby
Brandon Scott Jones on CBS' 'Ghosts': 'I enjoy playing characters that are desperate'
Critics hail Celine Song's 'Materialists' as an 'exquisitely made' modern love story - not a 'glossy romantic comedy'
Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro reunite, tease 'Meet the Parents 4'
READ:
'I had binged the first season, and I remember thinking really highly of Zach as an actor,' Wever says. 'I hadn't seen him before, and so it's one of those really lovely discoveries when you find someone's work for the first time. And I remember when I found out what they were planning for his character, I thought that it was something that, as a viewer, I'd be interested in. But then as an actor, I was like, 'Oh, that's a wonderful thing to give him as a character to do.' And then I met him and he was lovely and wonderful to work with.'
Over the course of Season 2, Wever's character Gretchen interacts with both the 'outie' and 'innie' versions of Dylan. She's used to the former, since she's been married to him for years with multiple children, but Lumon's new 'family visitation' perk allows her to interact with her husband's work persona for the first time. Wever commends Cherry for making the two Dylans actually feel like different characters.
Over the course of the season, Gretchen discovers that while the Dylan she knows is burdened by all the baggage of middle age and parenthood, Innie Dylan is seeing her with fresh eyes — and is falling in love with her for the first time all over again. Wever even developed an emotional relationship to Cherry's two performances similar to Gretchen's.
'I enjoyed the scenes with Innie Dylan so much that I kind of missed them. I preferred them to the Outie Dylan scenes,' Wever says. 'The character is getting to experience these feelings she hasn't felt for so long, and she's getting to feel what it's like for her husband to look at her a certain way and maybe even love her again in the way that he used to. What I'm experiencing as both a character and as an actor is a lot lighter and more pleasant, almost like that feeling of having a first crush. So then when we went to shoot the outie scenes, it's so much dimmer and bleaker.'
Wever continues, 'Because we always shot the innie scenes first, episode to episode, I had a visceral [as opposed to just an intellectual] understanding of what it was that I had just gotten from Innie Dylan that I wasn't getting from Outie Dylan.'
Season 2 found the MDR employees reckoning with the differences between their innie and outie selves. But while Mark Scout (Adam Scott) and Mark S. couldn't reconcile their differing desires, leading to that cliffhanger ending, the Dylan's developed a better understanding. Gretchen made all the difference. Even when the two Dylans get a little competitive over her affection, it's because they both love the same person.
'He's very vulnerable when he suggests that maybe they get married,' Cherry says of outie Dylan. 'That's kind of a big shock to him, but I also think that feeling allows him to understand his outie in the sense that, 'Oh, this is how much I care about this person who I've only spent 95 minutes with.' So then when he gets the letter from his outie and realizes there are things about him that his outie is maybe even jealous of, that allows him to appreciate his role in his outie's life and that they're in this together.'
Dylan ends Season 2 on a good note, but that cliffhanger ending makes it hard to predict what the future will hold for him. No one yet knows what might happen in Season 3 of Severance, but Cherry likes it that way.
'When Season 1 ended, this storyline was not on my radar at all,' Cherry says. 'We had not discussed this storyline, and then when we came back in for Season 2, they were like, 'OK, here's what we think we're going to do.' So I'm just excited to see whatever thing I can't even imagine now that they will tell me about once we start Season 3. I'm just looking forward to that.'
Best of GoldDerby
Brandon Scott Jones on CBS' 'Ghosts': 'I enjoy playing characters that are desperate'
'She's got tunnel vision': Wendi McLendon-Covey reveals what she loves most about her character Joyce on 'St. Denis Medical'
Marlon Wayans on laughing through tragedy in 'Good Grief' and why social media has made comedy 'toxic'
Click here to read the full article.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Eileen Davidson leads Daytime Emmy predictions for Best Drama Actress, but watch out for Nancy Lee Grahn
The Daytime Emmys race for Best Drama Actress is shaping up to be a battle between Eileen Davidson (The Young and the Restless) and Nancy Lee Grahn (General Hospital). According to Gold Derby's predictions, the former is currently out front with a 54 percent chance of winning, while the latter is in the runner-up position with 21 percent. Davidson has played Ashley Abbott, a successful chemist and businesswoman who consistently navigates family drama, on and off since since her The Young and the Restless debut in 1982. During the eligible 2024 season, Ashley experienced Dissociative Identity Disorder and splintered into several different personalities, including Ash, Mrs. Abbott, and Belle. To date, Davidson has won two Daytime Emmys for Best Drama Actress, in 2014 for Days of Our Lives and in 2018 for The Young and the Restless. More from Gold Derby 2025 Emmys: These are the episodes every Best Comedy Actor nominee submitted Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor in 'The History of Sound' trailer: Everything to know about Oliver Hermanus' queer romance Grahn's Alexis Davis has been a constant presence since 1996, and the actress is one of General Hospital's longest-running cast members. Alexis is the daughter of a Greco-Russian prince and a Swedish opera singer, and she continues to connect with audiences by being a successful lawyer and mother. Last year, Alexis experienced a tragic loss when her daughter, Sam (Kelly Monaco), was killed off the show due to complications from a liver transplant. Grahn was previously recognized with two awards for Best Drama Supporting Actress, in 1989 for Santa Barbara and in 2012 for General Hospital. Fun fact: this marks the third time that Davidson and Grahn have faced off in Best Drama Actress at the Daytime Emmys. They both lost to Susan Flannery (The Bold and the Beautiful) in 2003, while Davidson prevailed in 2018. Who will win this year? Let's look at the Gold Derby data: Best Drama Actress Contender Odds 1. Eileen Davidson The Young and the Restless 54.1% 2. Nancy Lee Grahn General Hospital 20.8% 3. Sharon Case The Young and the Restless 10.8% 4. Michelle Stafford The Young and the Restless 6.5% 5. Laura Wright General Hospital 4.8% 6. Melissa Claire Egan The Young and the Restless 3.0% In third place is Sharon Case (Sharon Newman on The Young and the Restless) with an 11 percent chance of winning. This would be her first lead victory after taking home a supporting trophy in 1999. Then there's Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers on The Young and the Restless) at 7 percent. She's already a three-time champion for this role, for supporting in 1997 and for lead in 2004 and 2024. Coming in fourth place with a 5 percent chance is Laura Wright (Carly Corinthos on General Hospital). She previously won the statuette in this category in 2011. Finally, there's Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea Lawson on The Young and the Restless) at 3 percent. She's the only Best Drama Actress nominee this year who hasn't yet won a prize of her own. The 2025 Daytime Emmys take place on Oct. 17. In the meantime, here's what our users are saying in the forums: 'I'm never predicting Grahn or Bergman again! I understand why Grahn lost in 2017 (long reel that felt disjointed) but she should have won in 2018, 2021 & 2022 (supporting) based on submitted reels and still lost. They clearly love her because she gets nominated almost everytime she submits. But they obviously feel she's been rewarded enough and feel no need to reward her again no matter how good her reel is. Same for Bergman. He gets nominated all the time but hasn't won in more than 20 years. Every few years, pundits say his reel is the best in the category and this is the year he's finally gonna win again and he still loses.' OLTLfan in the topic: 2025 Daytime Emmy nominationsJuly 11, 2025 at 11:26 am In Daytime TV 2025 Daytime Emmy nominations 126 replies July 4 In Daytime TV 2025 Daytime Emmy Award predictions 6 replies July 15 In Daytime TV Eileen Fulton (ex-Lisa, As the World Turns) has passed way at 91 ): 2 replies July 20 Best of Gold Derby 'Five new life forms from distant planets': Everything to know about 'Alien: Earth' as new trailer drops Everything to know about 'The Pitt' Season 2, including the departure of Tracy Ifeachor's Dr. Collins Everything to know about 'Too Much,' Lena Dunham's Netflix TV show starring Megan Stalter that's kinda, sorta 'based on a true story' Click here to read the full article. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Anne Burrell's Cause of Death Ruled a Suicide 5 Weeks After Food Network Star Died at 55
The chef and Food Network star died on the morning of Tuesday, June 17 at her home in Brooklyn, New York Anne Burrell cause of death has been revealed five weeks after the celebrity chef died at 55. Burrell died by suicide, PEOPLE can confirm. Her cause of death is specified as "acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine," and was determined by the New York City medical examiner's office. Diphenhydramine and cetirizine are antihistamines, ethanol is a compound found in alcohol and amphetamine is commonly used to treat ADHD. Her family declined PEOPLE's request to comment. Reps for the star announced Burrell's death in a release obtained by PEOPLE on Tuesday, June 17. "Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered," her family said in a statement. The statement continued, "Anne's light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world. Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal." The Food Network star was 'discovered in the shower unconscious and unresponsive surrounded by approximately (100) assorted pills,' The New York Times reported Friday, June 20, citing an internal New York Police Department document viewed by the outlet. A spokesperson for the NYPD told PEOPLE on June 18, the day after Burrell's death, that the Worst Cooks in America host was found 'unconscious and unresponsive' at the scene. EMS "responded and pronounced her deceased on scene," police said. According to a 911 call report provided to PEOPLE by the New York City Fire Department, a person called in at 7:50 a.m. local time, concerned that she had suffered cardiac arrest. A fan-favorite on the Food Network, Burrell was best known as the longtime host of Worst Cooks in America, where her passion for food and mentorship turned disastrous kitchen hopefuls into capable cooks. Born on Sept. 21, 1969, in Cazenovia, New York, Burrell discovered her love for cooking early, inspired by her mother's home-cooked meals and television icon, Julia Child. She studied English and Communication at Canisius College in Buffalo before pursuing a culinary career at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, where she graduated in 1996. In the early 2000s, Burrell transitioned into teaching at the Institute of Culinary Education and eventually made her way to television. Food Network audiences first met Burrell as a sous chef on Iron Chef America. Her charisma and culinary chops led to her own Emmy-nominated show, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, which premiered in 2008 and ran for nine seasons. From there, Burrell became Food Network staple, also appearing on Chef Wanted, Chopped, Food Network Star, and most recently, the competition series House of Knives, which just premiered in March 2025. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Burrell authored two cookbooks: 2011's Cook Like a Rock Star, which made her a New York Times bestseller, and Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire and Empower in 2013. Burrell and husband Stuart Claxton met on Bumble in 2018 before getting married three years later on Oct. 16, 2021. The night before she died, on June 16, Burrell closed out her Second City 'Improv for Actors' course with a final performance in Brooklyn. 'She was having the best night,' actress Jane Margolis, a member of Burrell's improv troupe, told PEOPLE in the July 7 issue. 'She'd come up with these one-liners out of the blue that were just hysterical. She really was so into it.' She is survived by Claxton and his son, Javier, as well as her mother, Marlene, and sister, Jane, her children Isabella, Amelia and Nicolas, and her brother Ben. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 24/7. Read the original article on People


New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Kyle Chandler's actress daughter pulled from magazine cover over behavior on press tour: ‘It's disappointing'
Actress Sydney Chandler was quietly pulled from Variety's magazine cover after she raised eyebrows with her behavior on the press tour for FX's big-budget 'Alien: Earth' series. Chandler, the daughter of Emmy-winning 'Friday Night Lights' star Kyle Chandler, was cast in the lead role of the blockbuster sci-fi series. But in the lead-up to the anticipated drop on August 12, the 29-year-old reportedly ruffled the feathers of several Variety staffers when she refused to participate in a filmed Q&A segment alongside co-star Timothy Olyphant, 57, and showrunner Noah Hawley, 58. 4 Actress Sydney Chandler was quietly pulled from Variety's magazine cover after she raised eyebrows with her behavior on a recent press tour. Getty Images In an article released by the publication on Wednesday, Variety claimed that Chandler's reps had reached out the day before the scheduled shoot to say she was not 'willing to participate' in the video. Her team expressed that she had no interest in sitting down with 'two older men' for a game of 'How Well Do They Know Each Other?' Being receptive to her concerns, Variety said it. provided the actress with a list of questions that the segment contains ahead of time, and had asked Chandler to respond with a list of questions she felt comfortable with. The alternative proposals her team had later sent through were not accepted by Variety. The publication's Editor-in-Chief, Ramin Setoodeh, then decided to remove her from the cover shoot altogether. In emails and text messages exchanged between FX, Variety and Chandler's publicists, the team allegedly had also tried negotiating a way for Chandler to shoot the cover the following day. 4 Chandler, the daughter of Emmy-winning 'Friday Night Lights' star Kyle Chandler, was cast in the lead role of the blockbuster sci-fi series, 'Alien: Earth.' FX 4 The actress was pulled from the cover, leaving co-star Timothy Olyphant and showrunner Noah Hawley to grace it together. Evan Mulling for Variety But instead, the actress had pulled out once again after her publicist claimed that she was 'very sick.' Hawley, an Emmy winner best known for creating FX series 'Fargo' and 'Legion,' told Variety that he was 'disappointed' in the leading lady's behavior. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters 'The show is built around Sydney's character, and the work she did as a professional was tremendous,' he told the outlet. 'I'm disappointed that my female-centric show, based on a female-facing franchise, does not have my lead actress on the cover. It felt awkward to be there with Tim [Olyphant] without her.' 4 In a follow-up interview with the publication, Chandler insisted that she's 'just a private person' who is 'new to press.' Getty Images In a follow-up interview with the publication, Chandler insisted that she's 'just a private person' who is 'new to press.' 'It's a bit out of my comfort zone,' she told them. 'I was more than happy to talk about anything and everything about the show; that's what I'm here to promote.' The Post has reached out to FX, Variety and Chandler for comment.