Adam Paul Scott
(born April 3, 1973) is an American actor, comedian, producer, and podcaster. He is known for his role as
Ben Wyatt in the NBC sitcom ''
Parks and Recreation
''Parks and Recreation'' (also known as ''Parks and Rec'') is an American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 125 ...
'' for which he was twice nominated for the
. He has also appeared as Derek Huff in the film ''
Step Brothers'', Johnny Meyer in ''
The Aviator'', Henry Pollard in the
Starz
Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...
sitcom ''
Party Down
''Party Down'' is an American sitcom created and primarily written by John Enbom, Rob Thomas (writer), Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd that aired on the Starz network in the United States in 2009 and 2010. The series follows a group of c ...
'', Ed Mackenzie in the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
series ''
Big Little Lies'', and Trevor in the NBC series ''
The Good Place
''The Good Place'' is an American fantasy comedy television series created by Michael Schur. It premiered on NBC on September 19, 2016, and concluded on January 30, 2020, after four seasons and 53 episodes.
Although the plot evolves significa ...
''. In 2022, he began starring in the
Apple TV+
Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is a small network appliance hardware that plays received media data such as video and audio to a television set or external display. Since its secon ...
psychological drama series ''
Severance
Severance may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Severance'' (film), a 2006 British horror film
* ''Severance'' (novel), a 2018 novel by Ling Ma
*''Severance'', a 2006 short-story collection by Robert Olen Butler
* ''Severance'' (TV series), a ...
'', for which he was nominated for the
.
Early life
Scott was born in
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz (Spanish for "Holy Cross") is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 62,956. Situated on the northern edge of Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz is a pop ...
,
to Anne ( Quartararo)
and Simon Dougald Scott, both of whom are retired teachers.
He is of one quarter
Sicilian descent, on his mother's side. He has two older siblings, Shannon and David.
He graduated from
Harbor High School and the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private performing arts conservatory with two locations, one in Manhattan and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related art ...
in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
Career
Film
![AdamScottTIFFSept2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/AdamScottTIFFSept2011.jpg)
Scott has appeared in several feature films, including ''
Hellraiser: Bloodline'' (1996), ''
Star Trek: First Contact'' (1996), ''
The Lesser Evil'' (1998), ''
High Crimes
''High Crimes'' is a 2002 American legal thriller film directed by Carl Franklin and starring Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman, reunited from the 1997 film '' Kiss the Girls''. The screenplay by Yuri Zeltser and Grace Cary Bickley is based on Jose ...
'' (2002), ''
The Aviator'' (2004), ''
Torque
In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). It represents the capability of a force to produce change in the rotational motion of th ...
'' (2004), ''
Monster-in-Law
''Monster-in-Law'' is a 2005 romantic comedy film directed by Robert Luketic, written by Anya Kochoff and starring Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, Michael Vartan and Wanda Sykes. It marked a return to cinema for Fonda, being her first film in 15 year ...
'' (2005), ''
Who Loves the Sun
''Who Loves the Sun'' is a 2006 Canadian film directed and written by Matt Bissonnette and starring Lukas Haas, Molly Parker, Adam Scott, R.H. Thomson, and Wendy Crewson.Alison Gillmor, "Characters confront the past in cottage country". ''Winn ...
'' (2006), ''
Knocked Up
''Knocked Up'' is a 2007 American romantic comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Judd Apatow, and starring Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, and Leslie Mann. It follows the repercussions of a drunken one-night stand between a sl ...
'' (2007), ''
Step Brothers'' (2008), ''
August
August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named ''Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month in ...
'' (2008), ''
Piranha 3D
''Piranha 3D'' is a 2010 American 3D horror comedy film that serves as a loose remake of the comedy horror film ''Piranha'' (1978) and an entry in the ''Piranha'' film series. Directed by Alexandre Aja and written by Pete Goldfinger and Josh S ...
'' (2010), and ''
Leap Year
A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or bissextile year) is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year or s ...
'' (2010).
Scott's name appears next to
Jon Hamm
Jonathan Daniel Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama television series ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Televisi ...
's name in the film ''
Anchorman
A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet ...
'' in one of the broadcast's credits. In an appearance on G4's ''
Attack of the Show!
''Attack of the Show!'' (''AOTS'') is an American live television program and that aired on G4. AOTS features segments on pop culture, video games, and movies. After an initial run from 2005 to 2013 (which originally aired from 2005 until 2013 ...
'' program on April 21, 2011, he confirmed that this was due to his and Hamm's friendship with producer
Shauna Robertson
Shauna Robertson (born December 18, 1975) is a Canadian film producer. From 1999 to 2008, she worked frequently with Judd Apatow, and produced a number of films for Apatow Productions, including '' Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy'' (2004), ...
, who put their names in the credits as an Easter egg. He played Ted Hendricks, Walter Mitty's detestable corporate boss, in the 2013 remake of ''
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" (1939) is a short story by James Thurber. The most famous of Thurber's stories, it first appeared in ''The New Yorker'' on March 18, 1939, and was first collected in his book '' My World and Welcome to It'' ( Ha ...
''.
Scott appeared in the films ''
Our Idiot Brother
''Our Idiot Brother'' is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Jesse Peretz and starring Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer. The script was written by Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall based on Jesse and Evge ...
'' (2011) as Jeremy and ''
Bachelorette
''Bachelorette'' (/ˌbætʃələˈrɛt/) is a term used in American English for a single, unmarried woman. The term is derived from the word ''bachelor'', and is often used by journalists, editors of popular magazines, and some individuals. ...
''. He also starred as Jason Fryman in ''
Friends with Kids
''Friends with Kids'' is a 2011 American romantic comedy film written, produced, and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt, who also stars in the film. Adam Scott, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O'Dowd, Megan Fox, and Edward Burns also star ...
'' (2012). He starred as Caleb Sinclaire in the 2010 film ''
The Vicious Kind
''The Vicious Kind'' is a 2009 drama film directed and written by Lee Toland Krieger. The screenplay was originally set in a small town in Rhode Island, but the film was shot in Norfolk, Connecticut, which also became the characters' hometown. T ...
'', a more dramatic role than his previous comedic endeavors, for which Scott was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Actor. The film itself received positive reviews, and he won two individual awards at two separate film festivals. He starred in the film ''Passenger Side'', released on DVD on October 26, 2010.
Scott's film ''
A.C.O.D.
''A.C.O.D.'' is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Stu Zicherman, based on a script by Zicherman and Ben Karlin, and starring Adam Scott (actor), Adam Scott, Amy Poehler, Jessica Alba and Jane Lynch. The title of the film is an abbreviation ...
'' premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. In 2015, he worked as executive producer on, and portrayed Alex in, the comedy film ''
The Overnight
''The Overnight'' is a 2015 American sex comedy film written and directed by Patrick Brice, and starring Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, and Judith Godrèche. The film was produced by Naomi Scott and executive produced by Mar ...
'', and also co-starred in the Christmas comedy slasher film ''
Krampus
Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure in the Central and Eastern Alpine folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral tra ...
''.
Television
On television, he appeared as Griff Hawkins in the series ''
Boy Meets World
''Boy Meets World'' is an American coming-of-age sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that aired on ABC for seven seasons between September1993 and May2000. The series centers on Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his friends and famil ...
'' and Josh on ''
Party of Five
''Party of Five'' is an American television teen and family drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox for six seasons from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000. The series featured an ensemble cast led by Sc ...
'', as well as
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
's love interest, Ben Cooper, on ''
Six Feet Under''. He played Palek on the HBO drama ''
Tell Me You Love Me'' (2007). Scott played a
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...
-addicted, delirious baseball front office representative in the first and second seasons of the
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
series ''
Eastbound & Down''. From 2009 to 2010, he appeared on the
Starz
Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...
network show ''
Party Down
''Party Down'' is an American sitcom created and primarily written by John Enbom, Rob Thomas (writer), Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd that aired on the Starz network in the United States in 2009 and 2010. The series follows a group of c ...
''. His role in ''Party Down'' earned him an ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
''
Ewwy
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy Series in 2009.
In 2010, Scott joined the cast of
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
's acclaimed comedy series ''
Parks and Recreation
''Parks and Recreation'' (also known as ''Parks and Rec'') is an American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 125 ...
'', in which he played
Ben Wyatt, a
state auditor
State auditors (also known as state comptrollers, state controllers, state examiners, or inspectors general) are fiscal officers lodged in the executive or legislative branches of U.S. state governments who serve as external auditors, financial ...
who arrives in the fictional town of
Pawnee, Indiana
Pawnee, Indiana ( ) is the fictional city in which the NBC comedy series ''Parks and Recreation'' is set. Since the show's start in 2009, the city's colorful history and inhabitants have been the joke or focal point for many episodes.
Overview
...
to evaluate the town's funds. He appeared as a guest star along with
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor, filmmaker, and podcast host. He made his acting debut at the age of 15 with ABC's short-lived sitcom ''A New Kind of Family'' (1979–1980). Following numerous television roles in ...
in the
second season before becoming a main character for the remainder of the series. The show's
seventh and final season concluded in February 2015.
Scott has appeared in the
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
comedy ''
Childrens Hospital
''Childrens Hospital'' (originally titled ''Children's Hospital'' as webisodes) is an American black comedy television show, television series and web series that parodies the medical drama genre, created by and starring actor/comedian Rob Cord ...
''. He was also on the show ''
NTSF:SD:SUV::'', in the episode "The Risky Business of Being Alone in Your Home", and the annual Adult Swim special ''
The Greatest Event in Television History
''The Greatest Event in Television History'' is a mockumentary TV special series created by Adam Scott and Naomi Scott. The series premiered on Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim on October 12, 2012 and ended on January 23 ...
'', which he also created and produced. Scott has also appeared in the
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
television show ''
Nick Swardson's Pretend Time
''Nick Swardson's Pretend Time'' is a TV sketch comedy show created by and starring actor and comedian Nick Swardson. The show premiered on Tuesday, October 12, 2010, at 10 p.m. EST on Comedy Central and ran for two seasons, with the final first ...
'', as a newscaster in the episode "Relapse into Refreshment". He has appeared in a series of commercials for
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
's Sunday Night Baseball.
From 2016 to 2018, Scott appeared in four episodes of ''
The Good Place
''The Good Place'' is an American fantasy comedy television series created by Michael Schur. It premiered on NBC on September 19, 2016, and concluded on January 30, 2020, after four seasons and 53 episodes.
Although the plot evolves significa ...
'' as Trevor, a demon.
In 2017, Scott appeared in HBO's ''
Big Little Lies'' as Ed Mackenzie, the husband of main character Madeline Mackenzie, played by
Reese Witherspoon
Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, she ...
. Scott co-starred with
Craig Robinson in the sitcom ''
Ghosted'',
which premiered on October 1, 2017, on
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
, lasting just one season.
In 2020, Scott hosted the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
game show ''
Don't'', executive produced by
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian-American actor. He is one of the highest-grossing film actors of all time, with a worldwide box-office gross of over billion.
He began his career starring in the Canadian teen ...
.
In 2022, Scott starred in the
Apple TV+
Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is a small network appliance hardware that plays received media data such as video and audio to a television set or external display. Since its secon ...
show ''
Severance
Severance may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Severance'' (film), a 2006 British horror film
* ''Severance'' (novel), a 2018 novel by Ling Ma
*''Severance'', a 2006 short-story collection by Robert Olen Butler
* ''Severance'' (TV series), a ...
''.
Podcasting
With
Scott Aukerman
Scott David Aukerman (born July 2, 1970) is an American writer, actor, comedian, television personality, director, producer, and podcast host. Starting as a writer and performer in the later seasons of the sketch series ''Mr. Show'', Aukerman is ...
, Scott is the co-host and co-creator of the
Earwolf
Earwolf is an American comedy podcasting network founded by Scott Aukerman and Jeff Ullrich in August 2010. In 2011, they announced a partnership with Funny Or Die. It merged with podcast advertising network The Mid Roll in 2014, a separate compa ...
podcast
A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...
''U Talkin' U2 To Me'', launched in February 2014. The series is introduced at the outset of each episode as "the comprehensive and encyclopedic compendium of all things
U2," but it generally uses discussion of the band as a jumping off point for improv and absurdist humor. In February 2018 Scott and Scott launched another podcast in the same format, this time covering the career and work of the band
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
, titled ''R U Talkin' R.E.M. Re: Me?''. A third podcast, ''R U Talkin' RHCP Re: Me?'', debuted in July 2020, in which Scott and Scott discuss the
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...
; the podcast's format was almost immediately abandoned in favor of discussing
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[Talkin ...](_blank)
and, as of the second episode, was renamed ''U Talkin' Talking Heads 2 My Talking Head''.
Scott has also been a guest on numerous podcasts, including ''
Comedy Bang! Bang!
''Comedy Bang! Bang!'' (formerly ''Comedy Death-Ray Radio'') is a weekly comedy audio podcast, which originally began airing as a radio show on May 1, 2009.A Special Thing Forums:Comedy Death-Ray Radio starts today! Popularly known as ''Humani ...
'', ''
How Did This Get Made?
''How Did This Get Made?'' (''HDTGM'') is a podcast on the Earwolf network. It is hosted by Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas with occasional substitutes and/or guest hosts. Each episode features the deconstruction and mockery ...
'', ''
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
''Armchair Expert'' is a weekly podcast hosted by American actors Dax Shepard and Monica Padman. Each podcast features Shepard and Padman interviewing celebrities, journalists, and academics about "the messiness of being human". The podcast p ...
'', and ''
Kevin Pollak's Chat Show
Kevin Elliot Pollak (born October 30, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, impressionist and podcast host. He has appeared in over 80 films; his roles include Sam Weinberg in Rob Reiner's legal film ''A Few Good Men'', Jacob Goldman in '' Grump ...
''.
Personal life
Scott married Naomi Sablan, originally from the island of
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
, in 2005. They have two children.
Scott is a "die-hard" fan of the band
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
In 1992, he appeared as an extra in the music video to their song "
Drive
Drive or The Drive may refer to:
Motoring
* Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle
* Road trip, a journey on roads
Roadways
Roadways called "drives" may include:
* Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive"
...
".
During an appearance on ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
'', Scott revealed he invited actor
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards f ...
to one of his childhood birthday parties. Guest host
Kristen Bell
Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. Beginning her acting career by starring in stage productions while attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, she made her Broadway stage debut as Becky That ...
surprised Scott with the guest appearance of Hamill wielding a
lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional energy sword featured throughout the ''Star Wars'' franchise. A typical lightsaber is depicted as a luminescent plasma blade about in length emitted from a metal hilt around in length. First introduced in the or ...
in observance of
Star Wars Day.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Adam
1973 births
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
American male comedians
American male film actors
American male television actors
American people of Italian descent
American men podcasters
American podcasters
Television producers from California
Living people
Male actors from Santa Cruz, California
American television directors
Comedians from California
20th-century American comedians
21st-century American comedians