Actor and director Ben Stiller on creating alternative realities in his work

Actor Ben Stiller is known for comedic roles in films such as “There’s Something About Mary,” “Meet the Parents,” and “Zoolander,” but in recent years, his attention has turned more to directing. His latest project as director is the Apple TV+ series “Severance,” which tells the story of a man who has a chip implanted in his brain to keep his work and personal lives completely separate. Stiller tells The Treatment about how the show’s surreal and seemingly endless hallway scene came about. He talks about how casting actors with whom the audience has strong associations can be a double-edged sword. And he talks about what it was like to grow up with parents whose identities as comedic actors were quite different from who they were at home.