Tramell Tillman ( ; born June 17, 1985) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Seth Milchick in the Apple TV+ series Severance (2022–present), for which he became the first Black person and the first openly gay person to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He also portrayed Bill Metzger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026).
Early life and education Tillman was born in Washington, D.C., on June 17, 1985. His mother worked for the U.S. federal government, while his father worked for Amtrak. Tillman is the youngest with five older siblings, and was raised Baptist in Largo, Maryland.
Tillman attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland and graduated in 2003. He was then enrolled at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans as a pre-med student with plans to become an orthopedic surgeon, but did not enjoy it. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Tillman's parents convinced him to transfer to Jackson State University, where he switched his major to mass communications. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in 2008. In 2014, Tillman became the first African-American man to obtain a Master of Fine Arts in acting from the University of Tennessee.
Career Tillman has said that he has always admired acting as an art form, and has credited his motherwho inadvertently gave him his first acting role at the age of 10, when she volunteered to appear in their church's Christmas play and needed someone to play her character's sonwith inspiring him to go into acting to overcome his shyness.
Tillman worked in the nonprofit sector for over a decade before pursuing acting professionally, and drew on his own experiences in corporate America for his breakthrough role as Seth Milchick in the sci-fi thriller series Severance (2022–present). He referred to Milchick as "an amalgamation of colleagues, of former bosses, [and] of caricatures of people" who he worked with during that time. Tillman's performance, especially during the second season, received widespread critical acclaim. In September 2025, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, becoming the first Black person and the first openly gay person to win the award. He was the first openly gay Black person to be nominated for it.
In August 2025, Tillman joined the cast of the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Personal life Tillman has lived in New York City since 2014. He is openly gay.
Acting credits
Film Year Title Role Notes 2024 Barron's Cove Felix Sweethearts Coach Reese 2025 Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning Capt. Jack Bledsoe 2026 Spider-Man: Brand New Day William "Bill" MetzgerYour Mother Your Mother Your Mother Talib The Ghost of Christmas Present Post-production Post-production2027 Marvin Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes2015Difficult PeopleGood SamaritanEpisode: "Devil's Three-Way"2018DietlandSteven10 episodes 2019ElementaryDetective OcasioEpisode: "Miss Understood"Godfather of HarlemBobby Robinson6 episodes2020HuntersDetective Sommers2 episodes2022–presentSeveranceSeth Milchick19 episodes2024Hit-MonkeyDouble-TapVoice; 7 episodes
Theater YearTitleRoleVenueNotes2015 'Tis Pity She's A Whore Grimaldi Red Bull Theatre New York City Sweat Chris Oregon Shakespeare Festival Regional/Equity2016HamletLaertesOregon Shakespeare Festival 2017 All The Roads Home Michael / Phoenix / Trace Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park 2018 Carmen Jones Sergeant Brown Classic Stage Company Off-Broadway 2019 The Great Society Bob Moses / various characters Lincoln Center Theatre Broadway 2022 Good Night, Oscar Alvin Finney Goodman Theatre Chicago 2024 Shit. Meet. Fan. Logan MCC Theater Off-Broadway
Accolades Year Award Category Nominated work Result Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series Severance Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Series, Drama Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Astra TV Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Critics' Choice Super Awards Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie Dorian Awards Best Supporting TV Performance — Drama Pan African Film and Arts Festival Awards Rising Star Award Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Television Critics Association Awards Individual Achievement in Drama Actor AwardsOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama SeriesCritics' Choice AwardsBest Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesCritics' Choice Super AwardsBest Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy SeriesGolden GlobesBest Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television FilmSatellite AwardsBest Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
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