Thank you, Ben Stiller, for pushing for television’s best actor on ‘Severance’
As a loud and proud fan of Adam Scott, I have been beyond happy for his turn in the spotlight because of Severance. The actor has gotten acclaim, award nominations, and more for his work but Ben Stiller revealed he had to fight for him.
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Stiller spoke about the evolution of Severance and how it changed from a workplace comedy into the sci-fi drama we know it to be. But with that set up, it was an easy push for him when he thought of Adam Scott as Mark S. in the series.
“So much of the show [‘Severance’] is based in The Office and Parks and Rec and Office Space, and that genre,” Stiller said. “The humor in the script that [creator] Dan [Erickson] wrote was in that world but had this other layer to it. Casting was about figuring out who could handle that.” Scott famously played Ben Wyatt in the NBC series Parks and Recreation and had auditioned to be a part of The Office before it. He was also in the show Party Down, a show about a catering company.
But Adam Scott also didn’t take Apple TV+’s hesitation to heart. “I couldn’t really blame [Apple] at the time,” Scott said. “I was thought of as more of a comedic person, and it’s a big swing.” Frankly though, it isn’t that big of a swing if you look at Scott’s body of work and how he plays characters, something that Stiller clearly saw in him.
Adam Scott can do it all
One thing that I have always said about Adam Scott is that he has an ability to bring a humanity and a sadness to a character, no matter the setting. Shows like Parks and Recreation use Ben’s past to color his motives and it takes a skilled actor to bring that energy to the role and still make it funny when the character needs to be.
It is why Mark S. works as well as he does. He has lighter moments with his sister but even when he is in his more depressive state, the character’s innie still tries to be the best at his job. Even if he is only looking for answers at this point.
I understand Apple TV+’s concern. But as someone who has watched most of Scott’s filmography, something like this feels right up his alley. Luckily, Stiller won the battle and got his pick for Mark. The two did work together in the past in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and so Stiller knew what Scott could do. But imagining a world where Scott wasn’t playing Mark S. is just unfathomable to me. He is that character and I love watching the series because of the work Scott is putting into the role.
Now though, I want to know what actors Apple TV+ thought were a better choice to lead the series. Because as far as I am concerned, Mark S. is Adam Scott and I love it.
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