How Party Down Fundamentally Changed Adam Scott's Career Trajectory
Adam Scott never wanted to be anything other than an actor. He has been devoted to his craft ever since his days of appearing in plays in high school. His first notable professional gig was playing a strung-out deliverer of exposition in the not-at-all-remembered 1994 MTV series "Dead at 21," one of the most 1990s things ever. A few years later, Scott appeared in the final theatrically released "Hellraiser" movie, "Hellraiser: Bloodline" in which he played a sweaty, immortal French aristocrat. That same year, he played the unnamed helmsman of the U.S.S. Defiant in "Star Trek: First Contact." Incidentally, his "Star Trek" character has recently shown up in the video game "Star Trek: Timelines" where he was named Helsman Wyatt, presumably after Ben Wyatt, Scott's character on "Parks and Recreation."
Scott has since had a varied, textured career that included both high-profile jobs (Martin Scorsese's "The Aviator," the modern masterpiece "Torque") and low-profile nothings (this author may be one of 50 people to have seen the 2004 surfing film "Off the Lip"). He appeared in moody TV shows like "Wasteland" and "Party of Five," and the sex-heavy HBO show "Tell Me You Love Me." Always capable and devoted, Scott stood out in supporting roles for years. It wasn't until 2009 when he produced and starred in the Starz series "Party Down" that Scott's career experienced a massive upswing. "Party Down" was a series about put-upon unhappy caterers, and Scott played an apathetic would-be actor whose life hit a wall. He was sad and funny in equal measure.
In a recent interview with Variety, Scott — now the "Severance" and "Big Little Lies" star that will soon appear in the Spider-Man-adjacent film "Madame Web" — discussed how "Party Down" boosted his profile in real-time.
Things that are good
After many years of supporting roles and refining his craft, Scott, 50, says that "Party Down" finally offered him the kind of validation he always sought as a performer. Additionally, he was able to work with peers who respected him; "Party Down" was co-created by Paul Rudd, a close friend of Scott's from acting school. He says that a warm, edifying work experience made him realize that, well, more could be had in show business. In his words:
"I think that when you have an experience like that, you're sort of chasing that for the rest of time. [...] I hadn't had an experience like that before. It's rare. But it also sets a new standard for yourself. Not only 'this is what I should be doing,' but that 'this is what I deserve. I can contribute to something that's really good.' It's so easy to sell yourself short after being kind of swatted down for 15-or-so years in showbiz."
Scott certainly paid his dues. He seems to have taken a lot of work merely because it was work, and not because it was something he liked or felt was worthwhile. Not all actors have that luxury. It seems, though, that certain jobs can offer a great deal of personal and professional edification. After working through movies like "Monster-in-Law" and making the requisite actor's stop on "Law & Order," "Party Down" gave that to him. Scott said:
"[You] sort of start believing that you don't deserve quality things, that you should take whatever you can get. For me, ['Party Down'] certainly showed me that I should be seeking out things that make me feel good."
Party Down: The Return
"Party Down" initially only lasted two seasons on Starz and was canceled in 2010. Scott would go on to appear in nearly 100 episodes of the hit sitcom "Park and Recreation" and begin cropping up in multiple high-end comedy shows like "Robot Chicken," "Drunk History," and "Comedy Bang! Bang!." He would replace Bradley Cooper in the Netflix revivals of "Wet Hot American Summer" (he also appeared in the original as Michael Ian Black's husband). Scott, perhaps to his own surprise, became firmly entrenched in the world of comedy.
Years later, "Party Down" became so beloved that it was revived on Starz in 2023. Scott's character, Henry, was still beaten down by life and apathetic but was finding new hope in a romantic relationship with a character played by Jennifer Garner (previously, Henry had a will-they-won't-they relationship with a character played by Lizzy Caplan who does not appear in the revival until the final episode). It seems that "Party Down" continued to prove edifying.
It also came at a time when Scott appeared in the most acclaimed TV series of his career, the AppleTV+ sci-fi freakout "Severance." That series, produced by Scott and made by Ben Stiller, netted the actor multiple high-profile acting award nominations, including an Emmy. He lost to Lee Jung-jae from "Squid Game." As of this writing, however, a second season of "Severance" is currently in production, and it has been well-beloved by many. It seems that Adam Scott may eventually find himself an awards darling yet.