The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller & Adam Scott Gwendolyn Y from Branch 5X (with Alia Shawkat)
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Sep 11, 2025 Alia Shawkat, celebrated for her roles in Arrested Development and Severance, joins the hosts to dish on her fascinating career. She reveals why she doesn’t own a TV and the challenges of being typecast as an angry teenager. Alia shares her excitement about returning to the Severance set for its second season, reflecting on the collaborative joy with the cast. The conversation also dives into high school nostalgia, where they hilariously discuss how their characters fit into classic stereotypes.
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Watching Work With Family Ritual
- Alia doesn't own a TV and watches her work only when visiting family with a always-on big screen in Palm Springs.
- She treats viewing as a communal, narrated experience that makes it easier to watch herself act.
Child Actor Origins
- Alia's first acting job was a national Barbie commercial at nine, then she booked Three Kings later that year.
- David O. Russell involved her father as an on-set advisor, making the family part of the experience.
Learning Comedy By Doing
- Alia and Michael Cera learned comedic nuance on Arrested Development by doing and observing rather than fully understanding all jokes.
- The show's scripts demanded active listening and intelligence because the humor wasn't spelled out.