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

Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series The Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series is one of the award categories presented annually by the Critics' Choice Television Awards (BTJA) (US) to recognize the work done by television actors. It was introduced in 201 ...

. 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 cons ...

sitcom '' Party Down'', Ed Mackenzie in the HBO series '' Big Little Lies'', and Trevor in the NBC series '' The Good Place''. In 2022, he began starring in the

Apple TV+ Apple TV+ is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced ...

psychological drama series '' Severance'', for which he was nominated for the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Beginning with the 18th Primetime Emmy Awards, leading actors in drama have competed alone. However, these dramatic performances incl ...

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 po ...

, 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 ...

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

Career

Film

Scott has appeared in several feature films, including '' Hellraiser: Bloodline'' (1996), '' Star Trek: First Contact'' (1996), '' The Lesser Evil'' (1998), '' High Crimes'' (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'' (2005), '' Who Loves the Sun'' (2006), '' Knocked Up'' (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 i ...

'' (2008), '' Piranha 3D'' (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 ...

'' (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 Televis ...

's name in the film '' Anchorman'' 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''. Scott appeared in the films '' Our Idiot Brother'' (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'' (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.'' 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 Mark ...

'', and also co-starred in the Christmas comedy slasher film ''

Krampus Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure in the Central and Eastern Alpine folklore of Europe who, during the Advent season, scares children who have misbehaved. Assisting Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, the pair visit children on the nigh ...

''.

Television

On television, he appeared as Griff Hawkins in the series '' Boy Meets World'' and Josh on '' Party of Five'', 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 Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...

-addicted, delirious baseball front office representative in the first and second seasons of the HBO series ''

Eastbound & Down ''Eastbound & Down'' is an American sports comedy television series that was broadcast on HBO, and created by Ben Best, Jody Hill, and Danny McBride. It stars McBride as Kenny Powers (character), Kenny Powers, a former professional baseball ...

''. From 2009 to 2010, he appeared on the

network show '' Party Down''. 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 ...

'' Ewwy nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy Series in 2009. In 2010, Scott joined the cast of NBC's acclaimed comedy series ''

'', 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, financi ...

who arrives in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana 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'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...

comedy '' Childrens Hospital''. 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'', which he also created and produced. Scott has also appeared in the Comedy Central television show '' Nick Swardson's Pretend Time'', 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'' 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, lasting just one season. In 2020, Scott hosted the ABC 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

show '' Severance''.

Podcasting

With Scott Aukerman, Scott is the co-host and co-creator of the Earwolf

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 choosin ...

''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., 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 band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...

; 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.Talki ...

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!'', '' How Did This Get Made?'', '' Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard'', 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. 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 ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, California, as part of ABC's ...

'', 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 ...

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 ori ...

in observance of

Star Wars Day ''Star Wars'' Day is an informal commemorative day observed annually on May4 to celebrate the '' Star Wars'' media franchise created by founder, former chairman and CEO of Lucasfilm, George Lucas. Observance of the day spread quickly throu ...

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