Canadian with Stage 4 cancer meets Severance cast after sliding into Ben Stiller’s DMs
Emily Powell-Heaton, a resident of Markham, Ontario, recently had a once-in-a-lifetime experience after reaching out to Ben Stiller on social media. Powell-Heaton, who is battling metastatic breast cancer, is a big fan of the TV show Severance, which Stiller directs and produces. Her message to Stiller was simple: she wanted to meet him and the cast and crew of Severance to fulfill a bucket list item.
To her surprise, just five days after sending the message, Powell-Heaton found herself mingling with some of the show’s cast and crew at a special screening in Toronto. The excitement didn’t stop there – she was also invited to a screening of the season 2 finale in Los Angeles later this month.
Powell-Heaton describes Severance as a show that is “different and original.” The psychological thriller, created by Dan Erickson and airing on Apple TV, follows a group of colleagues who undergo a brain procedure that erases their personal memories when they’re at work. Powell-Heaton, who has always been drawn to mysteries and sci-fi themes, found the show to be right up her alley.
Her message to Ben Stiller on X (formerly Twitter) garnered thousands of likes and shares, leading to a direct response from Stiller himself. The interaction led to Powell-Heaton meeting actors Zach Cherry and Tramell Tillman, as well as director Jessica Lee Gagné at the Toronto screening.
Not only did Powell-Heaton get to meet the cast and crew of Severance, but she also connected with Gagné over their shared background in film production. Gagné, who hails from Quebec City, directed episodes of Severance that were filmed in Newfoundland, adding a Canadian touch to the show.
Despite her ongoing battle with cancer, Powell-Heaton remains positive and determined. She sees this experience as an opportunity to raise awareness about metastatic breast cancer, a stage of the disease that often receives less attention than early-stage breast cancer. She is grateful for the chance to speak out and share her story.
As she prepares for a new round of chemotherapy and upcoming spinal surgery, Powell-Heaton is looking forward to her trip to Los Angeles for the Severance season 2 finale. Her oncologist has given her the green light to travel, and she is thrilled to meet more members of the cast and crew.
Overall, Powell-Heaton’s journey from reaching out to Ben Stiller on social media to meeting the Severance cast and crew is a heartwarming story of resilience and unexpected opportunities in the face of adversity.
