Patricia Arquette is a well known actress with many iconic roles. Now that the show " Severance " is set to release its second season many are looking back at Patricia’s career choices along with her journey that landed her in one of this popular television’s main roles. The second season offers a way to look more closely into all layers of her approach as an actor.
Patricia Arquette in "Severance"
Arquette returns in season 2 of "Severance" as Harmony Cobel the volatile supervisor. The plot of the show follows employees who choose to surgically divide their brains with implanted chips making them separate versions of their work life and their personal life. The series raises a lot of mystery for viewers such as what is Lumon Industries goals, and what is the deal with the goats?
Understanding Harmony Cobel
The character of Cobel is a major draw to the show which leaves a great need to know more. Patricia acknowledges how interesting the internal workings of her character is but has had some great success in keeping most hidden from those outside of the process. This gives even the show's most avid viewers to maintain some suspense while watching her perform.
Arquette’s Career Beginnings and Personal Life
Growing up in Chicago, Arquette was born into a very creative family that also includes actors like her siblings such as David Arquette, Rosanna and the late Alexis Arquette. This unconventional upbringing without a lot of structure has created her perspective in how she explores her characters for the screen.
Pushing The Limits
Early on in life she decided her biggest focus would be to be brave. It was important to embrace a desire for change with not wanting to conform or be what everyone expects of you. Her first roles include both film and TV such as a Nightmare on Elm street to a movie that showcased challenges in Teen Pregnancy. These unique projects have also shown how bold she is as a personality as she seeks unique acting roles.
Iconic Performances
Her roles in movies from “True Romance” “Ed Wood” and “Flirting With Disaster” created a foundation in the film world. This unique selection showcases how diverse her talents are throughout the acting world. Her dedication to these roles paved a way for many who watched the film at the time and the same viewers now decades later.
"Lost Highway"
Her performance in “Lost Highway” included portraying two different yet haunting roles which show how easily she has moved between varying layers of character perception. There are some noted moments within this film that make her acting abilities extremely clear and is noted to be one of the most challenging performances she had throughout her life. In that role as in many others she wanted to create a situation in which she could fail while still pushing herself to accomplish all the difficult tasks that were put before her.
Character Exploration in “Severance”
Arquette’s perspective and interpretation of Harmony is one who holds a large responsibility to an organization she's dedicated to which in turn affects her moral code. That she cannot deviate is one of the character’s core components.
Motives Behind Harmony Cobel's Dedication
Even though she goes against the rules, everything that Harmony does is ultimately in support of the corporation she loves. She becomes a character study in how someone tries to get noticed by someone whom she loves but struggles to come to terms with her own moral center with her employers and herself. She showcases that all who become blind to authority create an inner struggle which has a direct result on behaviors.
Patricia Arquette: A Relatable Character
Arquette has mentioned many times that “severance” is a concept seen everywhere around us. Her own unique perspective helps her portray the different personality aspects that make Harmony so much fun to observe.
Personal Insights
Patricia admits to trying to avoid fully taking her roles home but notes Severance does require more effort with keeping her characters separate. She also admits she herself also had a different path which also brought challenges, noting "I was spunky but shy" which helps show a way for others that having the courage to show up and act is a continuous journey. This journey made her discover a path in wanting to explore acting despite the inherent fears she has of her performances.
Key Takeaways
- Patricia Arquette returns to play the mysterious and complicated Harmony Cobel in "Severance" season two.
- She has an incredible background of a diverse acting portfolio through her past and her long term view is well rooted into a diverse selection.
- Arquette was raised without boundaries but explores the role of devotion, discipline and being trapped by rules, for “Severance.”
- Her role in "Lost Highway" is considered by some critics and her herself a brave, emotional moment in time showing she is fearless in all aspects of character building.
- She acknowledges that many people all over are "severed" in multiple ways which will continue to drive the popularity of the series due to all aspects being realistic and true to life issues .