Why Helly From Severance Looks So Familiar

Some people might hope for a future where one can truly separate work from the rest of life, but then a TV series like "Severance" comes around and it becomes immediately apparent that maybe that isn't the best of choices. Apple TV+'s "Severance" is a haunting look at the above concept, and it follows several individuals who have gone through a procedural that fractures a person's mind into a work life and a home life, which are referred to as an "innie" and an "outie." Side effects often include extreme paranoia, a fugue state present in both personalities, blackouts, and unstable emotions.

One of the main characters of "Severance" is known as Helly, and the series picks up with her waking up inside Lumon Industries and being told her name and position within the company. This new reality does not sit well with Helly, and she tries everything in her power to escape the waking nightmare — but is often stopped or her plans go awry.

Fans of "Severance" may have recognized the actress who plays Helly, but where from?

Perhaps the first time most people would have seen Britt Lower was during her role in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" as Jess Hardwick in the episode "Strange Beauty," which is Episode 22 of Season 13 (via IMDb). "Law & Order: SVU" usually deals with some rather intense moments, eccentric motivations, and colorful criminals, and "Strange Beauty" is no different. Lower's character Hardwick is one such example, and her early life is marred by a terrible sickness that sees her leg amputated.

Unfortunately, this tragedy causes Hardwick to have a rather unique world view which results in her offering to modify peoples' ears. Her most common modification involves elongating and pointing ears so that they resemble those of elves. She is eventually implicated in a death, but is later given absolution when a connection is made between her and Hal Brightman (David Eigenberg).

The next place people might remember Britt Lower from is Hulu's comedy-drama series "Casual." Starring Michaela Watkins, Tommy Dewey, Tara Lynne Barr, and Frances Conroy, "Casual" sees two siblings who end up living together, and the brother and sister combination are at two very different points in life (via IMDb). Alex Cole (Dewey) is an unfettered bachelor, while Valerie Meyers (Watkins) is recently divorced. Valerie has a daughter named Laura Meyers (Barr), and both brother and sister are looking for the next part step in their respective lives and relationships.

Lower plays the role of Sarah Finn, an ex-girlfriend of Alex's, and her character appears in seven episodes (via IMDb). However, her character isn't simply some ex-lover, and her presence on the show is not only romantic but also one of a professional endeavor. Alex co-founds a dating site called Snooger, and his business partner is Jordan Anderson (Vincent Kartheiser), who also happens to be Sarah's current fiance. This causes several awkward situations in Season 2, with Alex at one point attempting to make Sarah jealous.

If stoner-based comedies about life are your forte, then you may have recognized Britt Lower from HBO's "High Maintenance." Starring Ben Sinclair as a figure mostly referred to as The Guy, "High Maintenance" is a rapid-fire series that sees The Guy deliver marijuana across New York City. In the process, he comes across diverse groups of people with varying motivations and perspectives, which tends to grant The Guy a rather unorthodox look at life and the different opinions of his clientele.

Lower is the character known as Lee in the series and appears in four episodes of Season 3, which are 2019's "Dongle," "Payday," "Breathwork," and "M.A.S.H." (via IMDb). Lower's character is one that The Guy is interested in romantically, and the two share several scenes together. The last episode in which Lower lends her talents is in the episode "Dongle," which sees both her and The Guy spend some time at a party on a boat, which also happens to be hosting some of their ex-romantic partners.

Before appearing in the psychological hellscape of "Severance," Britt Lower had an entirely different role on a show that has an entirely different tone. Turning up in a single episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," Lower's character is known as Lisa, and she stars alongside Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Roby McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito in "The Gang Gets Romantic," which is the premiere episode of Season 14 (via IMDb).

As "It's Always Sunny" is wont to do, this particular episode sees the group of friends hatch hair-brained schemes in order to lure in potential romantic partners. Lisa and her husband Greg (Timm Sharp) rent a room from Mac (McElhenney) and Dennis (Howerton), which results in Dennis trying his very best to seduce Lisa, going so far as to recruit Mac to seduce Greg. However, Lisa and Greg are going through an interesting spot in their relationship, and Lisa rebuffs Dennis' advances with tears in her eyes before revealing the shocking truth.

We have seen Lower in a myriad of shows with drastically varied stories, which highlight her impressive acting skills. Hopefully, we get to continue seeing her pop up all over the place.