Success is not something new to Adam Scott, an actor who has been praised for his work with everything from “Parks and Recreation” to “Fest.” But the large volume of critical praise and fan preparation as “Severrance” have received is.
Not only did the second season of Apple TV+ thriller Scott earn a very deserving nomination for outstanding main actors in a drama series, but “Severance” in itself was the clear leader for Tuesday’s nominations. Overall, drama was nominated at 27 awards, most of the series.
“During the 30 years that I have been in the show industry, I have trained a bit to stay in a standard position to expect either disappointment or nothing happening,” Scott told Thewrap on Tuesday. “I think it’s the only way to keep your head about you in the show industry, so I try to keep aperture, focus on work and not think about too many things that can end up as driving you into a CUL-de-Sac of disappointment. So something similar is a pure joy. It just feels fantastic. It’s a huge, huge honor.”
During much of his career, Scott has lived in the belief to be underestimated.
“Usually (I am in) things that are appreciated as seven years after it disappears,” Joked Scott.
It is partly why it feels “bizarre” to be part of “departure” now. Based on its wild premise and bold swings, “severance” feels exactly like the type of show that is intended to become a cult hit, and yet it is anything but. Not only is drama leading the Emmys race, but it was the fifth most saw that streamed original in the first half of 2025 and clocked at about 9.28 billion minutes and looked, according to Nielsen. It was also the most watched Apple TV+ original during the first six months of the year.
“It’s a new feeling. I think we everything you know – even legs (Stiller), which has been in many hits over the years – this is a whole new sensation,” Scott said. “It feels really wonderful to have something that you really think is special, that you want to share with as many people as possible. To be in a position where you feel it is a big part of it.”
Scott’s journey to “severance pay” marks a kind of return to the actor who began his career and did more dramatic work. After his breakout role in “Step Brothers” who paved to the NBC hit “Parks and Recreation”, Scott wanted to move outside the comedy world, which led to him playing the lead role in “Big Little Lies.”
“It was hard to think in that way, to somehow turn it around and even be considered for everything (dramatically). Really, audition for and fight for a role in” Big little lies “helped a lot. I think it helped I even be considered for” Severance, “Scott said.
“It’s not just that comedy is really difficult, but the comedy community is really close and really wonderful,” Scott said.
When it comes to his own “severance pay” society, Scott is satisfied that so many of his Castmbers received nominations this year, even though he is disappointed that Duchen Lachman was stumbled.
“Just knowing how richly deserved it is for Britt (lower), tramel (Tillman), Patricia (Arquette), John (Turturro), Zach (Cherry) and everyone, how hard everyone works and how incredible they all are, which really just means so much,” said Scott. “Seeing almost everyone gets recognized has been a really, really pleasing part of a fantastic morning.”
