SXSW signage during the SXSW conference and festival on March 7, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Credit: Amy E. Price 

By Allison Teegardin  

Taking center stage at the Austin Convention Center on March 9 were “Severance” Director & Executive Producer Ben Stiller and Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue. What felt like watching a casual conversation between two friends highlighted for the audience some insider details about the making of the most-watched series in the history of Apple TV+.  

Cue, who has been with Apple for 36 years, credited some of the success of the show to how deeply Stiller cares about the characters. “Any good storytelling comes down to the emotional connection with the characters in the story” Stiller said. Cue also noted that Apple+ puts a lot of focus on doing a few things very well versus trying everything at once which is why they make few shows – and they do them very well.  

In response to Cue’s question about what it is about that show that has caused a cultural zeitgeist, Stiller said, “It’s so interesting to contemplate the idea of cutting off one part of your life. The concept resonates with people who are having to spend their lives doing things to make a living and parts of your life you just don’t want to deal with.”  

Recognizing how it is increasingly more difficult to capture audience attention and hold it for a while, the two discussed how to deal with this in the creative process. “In order to innovate, you can’t be the same as everyone else,” Cue said. “We try to think around the corner and take chances.” Speaking of taking chances, the way the show was first promoted was anything but conventional.  

 “It felt like this show deserved something different,” Cue said. “We came up with this crazy idea to have a glass box inside Grand Central in New York City and we had the character working there.” Stiller added about the unconventional promo which what was akin to a performance art piece “We didn’t want to do any announcements about it; let it be organic. Watching it happen was so exciting watching the actors go in there and fall into their characters.”  

As the session wrapped up, Cue and Stiller briefly discussed The Studio staring Seth Rogan which is another Apple+ show that premiered at SXSW. The event ended with a Q&A from the audience.