Adam Scott always knew he wanted to become an actor. He grew up in the ’70s and ’80s, the era of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, fascinated by films like “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones” and “ET.” As a child, he was attracted to watching or reading films and television series. watch. “As I became an adult and got older, I developed other interests,” he told me in an interview.

A few decades later, Scott, 51, is doing the job he dreamed of as a child. As a sitcom fanatic myself, I know him best as Auditor Ben Wyatt in “Parks and Recreation” and the demon Trevor in “The Good Place”, but others may know him from his roles in Will Ferrell’s comedy “Step Brothers”, the cult phenomenon “Party Down” and the black comedy series “Big little lies“.

Most recently, Scott starred as Mark Scout in the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ drama series “Breakup“, a role for which Scott received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2022. Season 2 of Severance The return has been highly anticipated by fans and will premiere on January 17.

When he’s not filming scenes, Scott always has a full plate. He hosted several group-themed podcast series with fellow actor Scott Aukerman, campaigned for Kamala Harris during her 2024 presidential bid, which he shared on Instagram with his million followers, hosted Ryan Reynolds’ show physical game show “Don’t“, launched a production company called Gettin’ Rad Productions with his wife, Naomi, and this year became the face of Philips Norelco.

I chatted with Scott about feeling like he never had an “I made it” moment, working with his wife on their production company, advice for his younger self, and his hopes for the future of his children.

You have previously mentioned that you spent the first 15 years of your career “hanging on by a thread”. Was there an “I made it” moment in your career when you finally realized you were out of flossing?

I don’t have an “I made it” moment. I don’t know if anyone does it in show business. At the end of every job you have the constant fear of never working again, and I think that’s something that stays with you no matter what level you are at.

Get “Parks and Recreation” gave me a certain stability that I had never really experienced in my previous 15 years in the industry, but that stability still felt temporary and I was ready for it to be taken away at any time moment.

I’ve had too many experiences over the years where things didn’t work out, and I think any actor feels that way. The stakes are very high in entertainment, but the odds are also low. This is a difficult matter; If you can make a living in entertainment, then you’re lucky, but you’re always a little worried about what’s around the next corner.

You’re a true Renaissance man: you host your podcast, build brand partnerships, be politically involved, host a game show, and run your production company with your wife, Naomi. Did your decision to move beyond acting come from this search for stability or something else?

That’s interesting…maybe that’s part of it. I’ve never really thought of it that way before, but maybe you’re right.

I find the production satisfying because it relates directly to my interests and those of Naomi. We love watching movies and shows – we have different tastes and also share some tastes. Producing directly feeds into that because you can pilot projects from something that might just be an idea and watch it grow and then become something that actually exists in the world that people can hopefully enjoy. It’s really satisfying.

Plus, I find creating something and doing everything you can to try to make it better to be satisfying and incredibly empowering.

It strikes me how much your Character of severance pay Mark’s life is yours. Mark’s personal and professional lives are very separate, while yours are closely intertwined. Do you and Naomi have any rules you follow when it comes to mixing your personal and professional lives, or advice for other couples who work together?

My advice is to try it before diving in head first. Our first project together was a series of specials for Adult Swim. I made them with a friend of mine, Lance Bangs, and Naomi and I produced it together. We ended up working really well together.

But you never know. You can have a perfectly healthy and strong marriage without working particularly well together. We were ready for this, but it turned out that we work very well together and we enjoy working together and spending time together.

That would be my advice: try it first – give it a maiden voyage and be willing to jump ship for the sake of your relationship.

Can you share the best and worst business decisions you made during your time in Hollywood?

My partnership with Philips Norelco is something I am proud of. They are lovely people and believing in the product is also extremely important. I was already an enthusiastic customer when this opportunity presented itself, so it seemed like a natural fit.

When it comes to bad business decisions, I always try to avoid them. Sometimes you just take a flyer and invest in something you believe in, and it doesn’t always work. What people may view as bad business decisions are sometimes just the cost of doing business.

If you could go back in time to the Adam who was hanging in the middle of flossing, what advice would you give your younger self?

I would advise young Adam to go out and live his life a little and not worry too much about his career, what’s next or what’s happened. I would advise him to go out into the world and experience it.

In 10 or 20 years, is there anything you would really like to add to your list of accomplishments?

I watch my children grow up: they are now teenagers and my son is preparing to go to college. When I look to the future, I think about them more than anything: what they will do and the world they will live in.

This is one of the main reasons I am politically active when and where I do – thinking about what they will live with. As for the future, I would like to continue to make a living in entertainment, but I am most concerned about my children. and their future.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.