Though he has not appeared on screen in either season of “retirement”, Ben Stiller still has a reputation as one of the “stars” of the show. He holds a big hand behind the camera as the director and producer of the series, and his own status as a well-known actor strengthened his reputation beyond what people in production roles normally receive. Nevertheless, Stiller refrained from making on-screen cameo appearances in the popular Apple TV+ series, but this option was easily on the table.
In a recent interview with VarietyStiller and series star Adam Scott discussed various aspects of the show’s production, including “Retirement” season 3, currently under development. During the discussion, Stiller reveals that there is an idea that he might appear on camera as a doctor character in season 1, but those plans were eventually discarded. “We talked about it. There was a storyline we were thinking about, but it just didn’t feel right,” Stiller told the outlet. “It’s great that I’m not there. I’m so happy that I don’t have my face on the sign.”
He revealed that the hypothetical character in question has nothing to do with the very realistic doctor character that appears near the end of “Severance” season 2 as part of Lumon Industries’ mystical “Cold Harbor” project. However, it’s easy to see how Stiller’s cancelled role played into a similar storyline.
Ben Stiller has a retirement cameo, but with his voice alone
Stiller appears happy to stay behind the camera in “retirement,” but he has leaned his talent into the project in a small way. Stiller cameo as Keyeyegan’s voice near the end of Season 1 in a sequence in which Helly R. (Britt Lower) finally completes her first macro-data refinement file. For her efforts, she is blessed with a strange animated video in which the founder of Lumon personally appreciates her hard work.
“I knew you could do that, Helly R.” Keer says, with voice Stiller fans will surely recognize if they listen well. “Even in your darkest moments, I could see you arrive here.” The video immediately moves into full-on cult mode when Digital Kia tells Helly “I love you, but now I have to leave.”
Stiller is not the only actor who contributed a part of Keer’s character throughout the show. The long-dead strange old man (as far as we know) looms over a series like some dark gods, affecting his company’s rigorous experiments from across the tomb. Except for the dead and the whole cult, that is different from the role of an executive producer. So you’d think that this persuading Stiller to lend his skills to the on-screen behavior of “retirement” would be a good fit to lend him his skills for a while.
