Sarah Bock: From College Freshman to ‘Severance’ Star
Sarah Bock arrived at Northwestern University last fall, an eager freshman ready to embrace college life. Little did she know her campus experience was about to change dramatically. Today, the 18-year-old is recognized for her role as Miss Huang in Season 2 of Apple TV+’s hit series, "Severance."
Bock, a theater and psychology major, finds herself balancing academic pursuits with the attention that comes with being part of a popular streaming show. "Severance," directed by Ben Stiller and starring Adam Scott, has become a sensation on Apple TV+. After a suspenseful first season in 2022, viewers eagerly awaited the return of the thriller. While the season finale is scheduled for March 21, Bock’s character, the enigmatic Miss Huang, made her exit in the penultimate episode.
In Season 2, Miss Eustace Huang takes over as deputy manager of the severed floor, replacing Seth Milchick (Tramell Tillman). Despite her young age, she enforces Lumon Industries’ rules with unwavering dedication.
"It was fun to have this sort of unexpected young person down there," Stiller said, highlighting the character’s inscrutable nature. "She’s just very inscrutable in the way that so many of the Lumon managerial people are."
Bock has enjoyed watching the season with friends, reminiscing about the experiences she had while filming. Her acting journey began at age 5 in a children’s theater production of "Winnie the Pooh" in her hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina. The sense of community and the power to convey important messages kept her returning to the stage. "As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been able to recognize the power of it more, which makes me love it even more," she said. "I’ve started to learn more about the art that I respond to and want to create."
Bock’s age is a frequent topic of conversation, both regarding her character and herself. In Miss Huang’s introduction, Mark Wilkins (Bob Balaban) questions her youth, asking, "Why are you a child?" Her response, delivered without emotion, "Because of when I was born," has become a memorable line.
Bock auditioned for "Severance" at 15, submitting a self-shot tape. A month later, she had a Zoom call with Stiller, followed by an in-person reading with Tillman in New York. Her character primarily interacts with Mr. Milchick throughout the season.
Before landing the role, Bock had not watched "Severance," though her parents were fans. "I hadn’t personally watched it, but I had walked into the back of the living room a couple times when they (parents) watched it and I was like, Oh, the guy from ‘The Good Place’ looks different. What is the show?" Bock said, referring to Adam Scott. "But the night I got the audition, I binged the entire first season in one sitting just because I got so invested and became a huge fan."
Production on Season 2 began when Bock was 16 and still in high school. Filming took place at sound stages in the Bronx, with a seven-month break due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. "It was a long, long time and obviously, there was a break in between, but I feel like even in the show you can kind of see I grew up a little bit," Bock said. "It’s kind of crazy to watch."
She initially attended a North Carolina public school while filming, but later transferred to a hybrid magnet school that allowed her to take online classes. Her days consisted of filming for an hour or so, followed by 30 minutes of schoolwork before returning to set. "I kind of felt like I was severed in a way because I had so many different things to focus on, but it was all really fun," Bock said.
In contrast to Miss Huang’s serious demeanor, Bock is cheerful and bubbly in person. "I would hope that I’m pretty different from her," Bock said. "I definitely wouldn’t be able to stare down John Turturro (Irving B.) or Tramell Tillman in the way Miss Huang does in the show."
To prepare for the role, Bock studied Tillman and Patricia Arquette’s performances as upper management characters. She also listened to a Spotify playlist of "intense, dark songs" featuring the Theremin, an instrument she plays in a few episodes.
Miss Huang’s sudden introduction and lack of backstory have fueled numerous fan theories. Some speculate she is a clone, while others believe she is the child of Mark and Gemma. The most common theory is that she is a robot. "I’ll get DMs from people just saying, ‘You are a robot.’ Nothing else," she said.
By the ninth episode, Miss Huang’s exit, viewers still know little about her. They discover she attended the Myrtle Eagen School for Girls, the same boarding school as Harmony Cobel. At the end of the episode, she receives a Jame Eagan bust, similar to the one given to Cobel years earlier, before being sent off to her next chapter with Lumon Industries.
Bock spent her first semester at Northwestern under the radar, before becoming recognizable.
Bock’s social media showcases her college life alongside "Severance" promotional material and clips from a recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel. "I kind of feel like Hannah Montana, the best of both worlds right now," Bock said. "I mean, today I had a final for one of my classes and then I came here and I’m doing some interviews."
