By Joe McGovern

Venture into online “Severance” rabbit holes and you’ll find that fans adore Irving, the steadfast employee of the mysterious Lumon corporation played by John Turturro. They love the character for his quirks and poignant romance with officemate Burt (Christopher Walken) — and for his charm, sophistication and handsomeness.

“I’m a little embarrassed to hear that, to be honest,” Turturro said with a hearty laugh. The Brooklyn-based actor, acclaimed for four decades thanks to his roles in such films as “Do the Right Thing,” “Barton Fink,” “Quiz Show” and “The Big Lebowski,” has gained a new generation of fans from “Severance,” the Apple TV+ series about Lumon workers whose consciousnesses are cleaved between the “innie” office identity and the “outie” real-world personality. His Season 1 performance earned him his fourth Emmy nomination, for supporting actor in a drama, and he seems all but guaranteed to land a second one for Season 2. If he wins, it will be the first time since 2004, when he took home best guest comedy actor for “Monk.”