Actor Adam Scott has revealed the fears and uncertainty he had before taking on his breakthrough role in Apple TV+’s Severance. The series, which premiered in 2022, made him more than a respected character actor into the icon of a cultural sensation. But as Scott confessed, the path to that point was anything but straightforward.
Fear of Leading a Hit Show
Scott, in an interview with CBS News last week, confessed that being the starring actor of a top show made him nervous at first.
It was awful, like, really,” he said. “As an actor, it is something you dream your whole career for. But when it finally happened, I was scared right away… I think I was worried that it was just gonna end up being humiliating, and people were going to ridicule us, and ridicule me.
Contrary to the fears, Severance proved to be a critical and financial hit. The show, which is in its second season, has received 27 Emmy nominations, more than any other program this year, including one for Scott himself.
Playing Two Lives at Once
Scott’s assignment as Mark meant he had to cope with a singular challenge: playing a man whose life is bisected by a brain implant. In the office, Mark does not remember the outside world; outside the office, he does not recall anything from within.
Ben Stiller, who directed a lot of the series, said it was Scott’s seamless ability to switch between these two personas that was the key. “The effect works because of Adam’s change of expression,” Stiller said, noting that other names had been discussed for the lead role, but he was adamant Scott was the one.
From Santa Cruz to Hollywood Grind
Scott’s journey to success started in Santa Cruz, California, where he grew up impersonating talk show guests and making up imaginary projects. Following training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he spent decades on the rise in his career with small roles on television and screen.
He showed up in prestige movies such as The Aviator, stole scenes in comedies such as Step Brothers, and won over TV viewers with Party Down and Parks and Recreation. And yet, for all the visibility, he couldn’t shake being thought of as a comedy actor and was having trouble scoring leading man roles.
“I knew that I was just gonna stick around until something happened. I didn’t have any other options,” Scott remembered.
A Late but Defining Breakthrough
For Scott, Severance was a turning point a chance at last to bring depth and range to the forefront. Though he accepts the accolades, he is down-to-earth regarding the business. “You’re entitled to nothing in show business,” he told us. “But I also knew there was something I could bring that nobody else could. And I knew I’d have to give all of myself to it in order to pull it off.”
With season three already underway, Scott has solidified himself as a leading man, showing that patience, persistence, and faith in oneself can eventually pay off—even after years of working in the grind.
