Adam Scott

1973–present

Actor Adam Scott is known for playing Ben Wyatt in the popular sitcom Parks and Recreation and his Emmy-nominated role as Mark Scout in the sci-fi series Severance. Formally trained at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Scott had a variety of minor movie and TV appearances before achieving widespread recognition with the 2008 comedy film Step Brothers, starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. In addition to his more humorous projects, he has starred in TV dramas such as Tell Me You Love Me and Big Little Lies.

FULL NAME: Adam Paul Scott
BORN: April 3, 1973
BIRTHPLACE: Santa Cruz, California
SPOUSE: Naomi Scott (2005–present)
CHILDREN: Graham and Frankie
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries

Adam Paul Scott was born on April 3, 1973, in Santa Cruz, California. His father, Dougald, is a former biology professor at a junior college, while his late mother, Anne, was a special education teacher. Scott has two older siblings, Shannon and David.

When Scott was 5 years old, his parents divorced. According to Vanity Fair, Adam lived primarily with his mother following the split, though Anne and Dougald remained on amicable terms. “There were no fireworks. It was all sort of behind the scenes, if you will. None of us kids ever saw any argument,” Scott told the New York Post.

Unathletic and nicknamed Spanky, a reference to the character from Our Gang and The Little Rascals, young Adam gravitated toward pop culture and performing arts. Staying up late, he watched David Letterman’s NBC talk show Late Night with David Letterman on a black-and-white TV in his bedroom. He counts Steve Martin and Albert Brooks among his most influential performers. “They were my favorite guys, and they still are. I think those guys are just the funniest,” he told the San Diego Reader in 2013.

Scott told Nylon in February 2015 he started to dream of becoming an actor after falling in love with movies such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) as well as the Indiana Jones and Star Wars series, both starring Harrison Ford. He attended Harbor High School in Santa Cruz, where he took drama classes.

After graduating high school, he enrolled at The American Academy for the Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. The program boasts Paul Rudd, Jessica Chastain, Danny DeVito, and Scott among its notable alumni. Scott graduated in 1993 and embarked on a prolonged path to stardom.

Scott picked up his first credited roles in 1994 on TV. His guest part as high schooler Griff on Boy Meets World reoccurred for three additional episodes the following year.

Over the next decade-plus, Scott divided his time between the big and small screen. He had minor roles in movies across a variety of genres, including the 1996 horror sequel Hellraiser: Bloodline, the 2002 thriller High Crimes starring Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman, the 2004 biopic The Aviator about Howard Hughes, and the comedies Monster-in-Law (2005) and Knocked Up (2007).

Scott’s TV credits included one-time appearances on popular shows such as ER (1995), NYPD Blue (1996), CSI: Miami (2004), Veronica Mars (2005), and Law & Order (2006). He also had recurring parts in the drama series Party of Five and the short-lived Wasteland.

In 2007, Scott picked up the first of his two breakthrough roles, appearing as Palek on the HBO drama Tell Me You Love Me. The show sparked controversy for its graphic sex scenes and was canceled after only one season, but Scott’s performance drew praise. Robert Abele of LA Weekly called his character “a quiet marvel of suppressed selfishness.”

Then, in a polar opposite role, Scott played obnoxious younger sibling Derek Huff in the 2008 comedy movie Step Brothers, starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. The movie grossed more than $128 million worldwide and proved the actor could excel in comedy as well as drama. A couple years later, he would deliver more laughs on one of the most popular sitcoms of all time.

Ben Wyatt on Parks and Recreation

Adam Scott joined the ensemble cast of Parks and Recreation during the show’s second season.

Scott leaned into his comedic instincts for ensuing roles, starring in the Starz series Party Down and movies such as Piranha 3D (2010), Our Idiot Brother (2011), The Guilt Trip (2012), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013), and Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015).

However, none of these provided Scott as much visibility as his portrayal of calzone-loving state auditor Ben Wyatt on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. The government mockumentary—about a parks department in the fictional city of Pawnee, Indiana—debuted in 2009 and starred Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, and Chris Pratt among its ensemble cast. Wyatt was introduced as a supporting character during the second season in 2010 and became a primary protagonist for the rest of the show’s run through 2015.

Scott later revealed to GQ that he auditioned for Parks and Rec’s pilot episode but was rejected after “overcooking” his tryout and being stiff and unfunny. However, executive producer and co-creator Michael Schur reconsidered after watching Scott on Party Down and invited him back to join the cast.

Also featuring cameos from real politicians like Senator John McCain and future President Joe Biden, Parks and Recreation was hugely successful and received 14 Emmy nominations during its run. Scott, meanwhile, received two Critics Choice Television Award nominations for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.

Big Little Lies and More

Although Scott has maintained a presence on the big screen—including Krampus (2015), My Blind Brother (2016), Little Evil (2017), and Madame Web (2024)—he has largely shifted to TV projects in recent years. In addition to one-time appearances on series such as Veep, the Jordan Peele–led reboot of The Twilight Zone, and the animated Duncanville and Big Mouth, Scott starred in a pair of shows starting in 2017.

The actor portrayed Ed Mackenzie, the onscreen husband of Reese Witherspoon’s Madeline Mackenzie, across two seasons of the HBO vehicle Big Little Lies. Featuring an ensemble cast including Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Alexander Skarsgård, and later Meryl Streep, the series won eight Emmys, including Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special.

Simultaneously, Scott co-starred in the Fox comedy Ghosted opposite Craig Robinson. Scott and his wife helped produce the show, which was considerably less successful than Big Little Lies. It was canceled after one season.

Emmy Nomination for Severance

Adam Scott stars in the Apple TV+ thriller Severance, which has a second season starting in January 2025.

The actor secured his most acclaimed role to date with top billing in the Apple TV+ thriller Severance. Scott plays Mark Scout, an office worker who has his consciousness split to separate his personal and professional lives.

For Scott, the series carried personal significance. Similar to his character who mourns the death of his wife, the actor filmed Severance shortly after his mother, Anne, died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in March 2020. “That October, when I went to New York to do the show, the second I walked into the apartment and put my bags down and I was by myself, I realized I hadn’t fully grieved and come to terms with my mom’s death,” he told NPR’s Fresh Air. “And that’s what I slowly but surely did over all that time by myself, either in this apartment or at work. And I feel like the show was certainly part of that process.”

Scott’s performance, combined with the show’s unique science-fiction lore, helped Severance earn widespread praise upon its 2022 release and a quick renewal for Season 2. Scott received his first Emmy nominations with nods for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Drama Series as a producer.

The Hollywood writers’ strike delayed production of Severance’s highly anticipated second installment. It began airing in January 2025 and once again riveted fans. The series nearly doubled its showing of Emmy nominations compared to its first season. Scott again earned nods for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Drama Series as a producer.

Naomi and Adam Scott have been married since 2005.

In 1998, Scott met Naomi Sablan through friends at a Los Angeles bar. The pair soon began dating and eventually married in 2005, after which Naomi changed her last name. The couple have two children together: a son named Graham and a daughter named Frankie.

According to People, Naomi is a producer who got her start on the first season of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2003. She has since worked on the movies Fun Mom Dinner and Other People, and she co-founded Gettin’ Rad Productions with Adam in 2012.

The pair largely keep their teenaged children out of the spotlight, and Adam has said there is no pressure for either to follow their parents into the entertainment industry. “I do know that they’re both really, really incredibly smart, hilarious, caring people, and that’s all that I care about,” he told Us Weekly in May 2022.

When he’s away from the camera, Scott enjoys talking about music. He and friend Scott Aukerman have hosted a series of podcasts about some of their favorite artists, including U2, R.E.M., Red Hot Chili Peppers, Talking Heads, and most recently Bruce Springsteen.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Scott’s total fortune is estimated around $8 million.

• I think either a good review or a bad review is not great for your head. I don’t think either does you any good.
• If you’re making something that feels good with your friends, you don’t need anything else.
• It’s important that a story doesn’t become a series of questions with no answers. Or that it gives answers that feel as if they were made up on the spot.
• You know, I just look at material. I just try to find something that I’ll be good in. I don’t want to be in bad stuff, so I try to pick things that will challenge me and that I can contribute something to.

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Tyler Piccotti

News and Culture Editor, Biography.com

Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.