Severance Star Tramell Tillman Made TV History At The 2025 Emmys

Tramell Tillman's performance review on "Severance" didn't go particularly well in season 2, but in real life, Tillman took home television's most prestigious award for his performance as Lumon manager Seth Milchick — and he made history in the process.

Tillman became the first Black man to win Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, as well as the first openly gay Black man to take home the statue. (Colman Domingo and Billy Porter became the first openly gay Black men to win Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for "Euphoria" and "Pose," respectively.) In 2015, Viola Davis won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama thanks to her soapy series "How to Get Away With Murder," and Sterling K. Brown then made history with his win in 2017 for Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Gail Fisher was the first Black supporting actress in a drama series to take home the gold in 1970 for "Mannix." As for comedy, when Quinta Brunson won her Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2023, she was the second Black actress to ever achieve this feat, after Isabel Sanford won for "The Jeffersons" 42 years prior. 

It should go without saying that this is an embarrassing track record for the Emmys, considering that the award category Tillman won has been around for over 70 years. At least Tillman was recognized this year, though; he didn't earn a nomination for the first season of the Apple TV+ series, and he should have. Without Tillman's Mr. Milchick, I don't think "Severance" would be quite as great as it is, and the show's second season perfectly addressed the complexities of Milchick's place at Lumon Industries.

Tramell Tillman's demeanor and line delivery has been a huge highlight of "Severance" from the start, but in season 2, we got a better look at Seth Milchick's inner turmoil when it comes to Lumon Industries. There's no question that Mr. Milchick is one of the show's "bad guys," but things aren't necessarily black and white — even though Mr. Milchick is one of the people keeping the employee's innies, or their work "selves," captive on the severed floor of Lumon. 

In "Severance" season 2, Mr. Milchick is in trouble with his bosses right from the start after letting macrodata refiners Mark S. (Adam Scott), Helly R. (Britt Lower, another first-time winner at this year's Emmys), Irving B. (John Turturro), and Dylan G. (Zach Cherry) breach containment and enter the "real" world. Things only get worse with superiors like Darri Ólafsson's Mr. Drummond when it's revealed that Helena Eagan, heiress to Lumon as a whole, was posing as her own innie (Helly R.) and is nearly drowned by Irving B.

During his performance review in the aftermath of the Helena-Helly R. debacle, Mr. Drummond chastises Mr. Milchick for using words he deems "too big" and erudite, which feels like a horrible twist on white people giving Black people the backhanded compliment of being "eloquent" or "articulate." Ultimately, Mr. Milchick tells Mr. Drummond to "devour feculence," clarifying that he means "eat sh**," but his discomfort with his role at Lumon also becomes obvious when he receives a portrait of Lumon founder Kier Eagan reimagined as a Black man. (Kier is, canonically, white.) Perturbed by this, Mr. Milchick tries to ask the Lumon board representative Natalie Kalen (Sydney Cole Alexander), a Black woman, if she also received a portrait of Kier as a Black man, but she avoids his question, leaving him more frustrated than before. 

It's far too soon to say whether or not Mr. Milchick will do the right thing and help the innies in his purview escape the horrors of the severed floor. But giving him this crisis in season 2 of "Severance" was a brilliant move for the writers, letting Mr. Milchick realize fully that his superiors at Lumon will "other" him no matter what.

When Tramell Tillman was announced as the winner of the Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama, the clearly overwhelmed actor got on stage and delivered a beautiful, heartfelt speech. "You remember what you want to remember," Tramell mused. "You make time for what you want to make time for. Do the work. Show up. And most importantly, for the love of God, don't embarrass me in public. My first acting coach was tough, y'all. But all great mothers are." After dedicating his award to his mother, who was tearfully watching from the audience, Tillman concluded, "I am full. I am humbled. And as my mama would say, 'Oh, look at God!"

Tillman's infectious and joyful energy helped make the rest of this Emmys ceremony largely memorable and delightful (despite the host's best efforts to spoil it). Tillman's colleague Britt Lower won for best actress in a drama series, and as she held a piece of paper that contained her speech, the back read "LET ME OUT" — a hilarious Easter egg for "Severance" fans. Cristin Milioti, Jeff Hiller, and Katherine LaNasa all became first-time winners for "The Penguin," "Somebody Somewhere," and "The Pitt," respectively, and all of their speeches brought the house down, whether it was Hiller reminiscing about how people largely encouraged him to quit acting (saying he was often told, "Maybe computers?" regarding a potential career), Milioti yelling that she loves acting, or LaNasa letting out a joyful scream. 

Tillman's win in his category is, unfortunately, historic, and I say "unfortunate" because this milestone should have happened decades ago. With that said, it brought audiences and "Severance" fans immense joy to watch such a talented performer of color make history at the Emmys.

"Severance" is streaming on Apple TV+ now.