10 Best Adam Scott Movies & TV Shows

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By

August Barham

Published May 4, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT

​​August is a freelance film writer. She studied journalism and cinema at American University. She is a member of the journalism honor society, Kappa Tau Alpha. August has written for various networks and publications, including PBS, Gargoyle Magazine, TheThings, and Identity Theory Magazine. Before returning to entertainment writing, August worked in the Automotive section of U.S. News & World Report. In her free time, August enjoys watching movies in theaters, watching movies at home, listening to podcasts about movies, reading books about movies, watching video essays on movies, talking about movies, thinking about movies, and knitting.

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Adam Scott** **has had a classic yet intriguing career trajectory, rising through the ranks to become an anchoring force of complex series and films. However, the actor never experienced a personal “I’ve made it” moment (via Business Insider_). Rather, he has slowly built steam from TV side-characters to the front of movie posters.

Chasing a persistent childhood dream to become an actor, Scott attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Following his 1993 graduation, the young actor snagged minor TV roles, including one as a bully in the 1990s teen drama, Boy Meets World.

Scott broke into film in the early 2000s, beginning with the requisite side roles and indie flicks. Though he did not have a comedy background, Scott broke into the mainstream as the antagonist in a Will Ferrell blockbuster, establishing an unexpectedly comedy-centered career.

Following other great but short-lived projects, the actor shot to notoriety as a central character in NBC's hit sitcom, Parks and Recreation. Following the show's successful run, Scott deviated from sitcoms and landed perhaps his meatiest role yet. He became the lead of a highly acclaimed new psychological thriller series, Severance.

Following Severance, Scott's leading man potential has been recognized, with the actor now playing main character in an intriguing new horror film from NEON Studios.

Sleeping with Other People (2015)

_ Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis dance outside at a kid's birthday party in Sleeping With Other People.

Directly following his run as a lovable geek on Parks and Rec_, Scott plays the cold-hearted antagonist in Sleeping with Other People. The R-rated rom-com is a surprisingly touching story about two flawed characters (Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie) who struggle with habitual philandering. The two become a platonic couple and teach each other how to love.

Scott plays the pompous man whom Brie’s character has been enamored with for years and with whom she cheated on her long-term partner (Adam Brody). Scott’s slimy character is an effective foil for Sudekis's redeemable womanizer.

Directed by Leslye Headland (Russian Doll), Sleeping with Other People is a unique romantic comedy, teeming with humor and heart. The film also features strong cinematography and a well-crafted soundtrack.

Krampus (2015)

Scott plays a well-intentioned father in the 2015 horror-comedy, Krampus. The entertaining holiday horror comes from the mind of Michael Dougherty, director of the cult-classic horror comedy Trick 'r Treat.

Krampus is a quick PG-13 romp with an appropriate balance of humor, heart, and horror. The film's scarier elements are balanced by a comedic cast that includes Scott, David Koechner (The Office), Allison Tolman (St. Denis Medical), Conchata Ferrell (Edward Scissorhands), and the versatile Toni Collette.

The intimate cast plays well off each other and effectively melds the family comedy of a Christmas movie with the suspense of a horror flick. The film features a few good jump scares and comes to a happy yet eerie conclusion. Bringing the folkloric legend to life, _Krampus _is a holiday favorite for horror fans.

Loot (2022 - 2025)

_ Adam Scott wears a leather jacket, a designer belt, and acid-wash skinny jeans, and sprawls out on a red couch in Loot (2022).Apple TV

Loot_ is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered on Apple TV. The series ran for four years and garnered generally positive reviews, including an 82% average critical score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The criminally under-seen comedy follows Molly Wells (Maya Rudolph) as she divorces her cheating tech-billionaire husband and uses her alimony to launch a life of charity. Scott plays Molly’s egotistical ex-husband, whose infidelity catalyzes the show's narrative. Scott remains an ongoing presence representing the disingenuous, materialistic world Molly is attempting to distance herself from.

The actor employs his signature cantankerous caricature from _Step Brothers _to create an unlikable yet entertaining character. Scott gives a layered performance, portraying the character as smarmy in the public eye and unabashedly narcissistic in private.

The Greatest Event in Television History (2012)

_ Paul Rudd Adam Scott lean against a piano and talk to the person playing it The Greatest Event In Television History

The Greatest Event in Television History_ is the mother of all hidden gems. Inspired by the goofy introductions of 1980s TV shows, creators Adam and Naomi Scott gather friends to launch a hilarious collection of shot-for-shot referential parodies.

The Greatest Event in Television History is a series of mockumentaries that follow Scott as he remakes the opening sequences of four classic shows, in a televised spectacle. The cast of comedy legends play both their 1980s characters and fictitious versions of themselves, to great effect.

Ultimately, _The Greatest Event in Television History _is simply a group of friends and comedic all-stars playing around together. This incredibly fun series is the product of comedians who gain enough resources to make a project for the pure joy of it.

Party Down (2009 - 2023)

_ Adam Scott wears a catering uniform and stands behind a bar, and Jennifer Garner stands in front of the bar in Party Down season 3.

The Starz comedy Party Down_ follows wannabe actors who have begrudgingly taken a position with a Hollywood catering company to support their waning dream. Inspired by The Office, the series depicts characters killing time at a job they never intended to be a career.

Scott plays the central straight man, balancing the show's zanier cast—including Jane Lynch, Megan Mullally, and Jennifer Coolidge. _Party Down _garnered critical praise upon its release, but mainstream viewership lagged. The show was canceled after its second season, despite had a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes (via The Ringer).

While Scott was starring in Parks and Rec, his canceled show was amassing a cult following. With renewed popularity, Party Down was successfully rebooted as a limited series in 2023, earning a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Hopes for a Party Down season 4 renewal have neither been dashed nor confirmed.

Big Little Lies (2017 - 2019)

_ Adam Scott as Ed Mackenzie leans against a classroom wall with his arms crossed and looks skeptically toward the front of the room in Big Little Lies

Based on Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same name, Big Little Lies_ explores murder and mystery within the secretive lives of upper-class mothers. The cast is populated by acting legends Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoë Kravitz.

Scott plays the doting second husband of Witherspoon’s character, and the caring father and stepfather to their two kids. Scott brings an effective level of humor, reliability, and grit to the tangible character.

The 2017 HBO Max series is acclaimed for its gripping plot and performances, with an 8/10 from Screen Rant and 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. Following the suspenseful second season in 2019, audiences have spent the past seven years awaiting the arrival of a potential third installment. In 2025, creator David E. Kelley confirmed that hopes for a third season are not dead.

Step Brothers (2008)

_ Adam Scott drives and sings with Kathryn Hahn in the passenger seat, and their son and daughter sit in the back seat in Step Brothers (2008).

In perhaps his funniest role of all time, Scott plays the antagonizing brother to Will Ferrell’s character in Step Brothers_ (2008). Scott got the part of Derek Huff during a hasty re-casting process, after the original actor had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.

Though Scott had little comedic experience, he learned on the job and delivered an unforgettable parody of a smarmy character. Speaking on the podcast Big Bro with Kid Cudi, Scott likened the experience of learning to improvise while working on Step Brothers to learning to do the high jump at the Olympics.

His hilarious performance earned Scott a major comedy acting credit and paved the way for future endeavors. Step Brothers is widely considered one of the best late-night comedies of all time, with a 10/10 from Screen Rant.

Hokum (2026)

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Neon’s highly anticipated folk horror, Hokum_, opened on May 1, 2026, to positive reviews. The film boasts a 9/10 from Screen Rant and an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, with particular acclaim aimed at Scott's central performance. Scott plays a prickly writer who visits an Irish inn to spread his parents' ashes, and is mentally tortured by a fabled witch.

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The actor has also received attention for ditching his “good-guy” archetype in Hokum_. However, Scott has a history of parodying unsavory characters. Rather, the triumph of his performance in Hokum is its nuance, which strays away from the caricature he is well-versed in.

Anchoring the heady horror, Scott imbues a less savory character with enough humanity to keep audiences invested in the film and the character’s precarious fate.

Parks and Recreation (2009 - 2015)

_ Leslie and Ben link rms and walk down the hall in Parks and Recreation season 7 series finale

Parks and Recreation_ initially struggled to find its voice outside of co-creator Greg Daniels' previous series, The Office. However, the NBC sitcom hit its stride during season two and became a cultural phenomenon, earning a 9/10 on_ Screen Rant_ and 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Scott was introduced as the city planner Ben Wyatt in the second-to-last episode of season two, "The Master Plan." Introduced as a somewhat abrasive character, Wyatt softened into a lovable nerd and the perfect match for Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler). Season three of Parks and Rec, Scott's first full season, boasts a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes—tied with season four for the highest rated installment.

This is the series that launched Scott into mainstream notoriety and cemented him as the "nice guy," despite a history of playing comically unlikable characters.

Severance (2022 - 2025)

_ Adam Scott Holds Blue Balloons withFaces on Them and Walks Down a Hallway in Severance

A meaty thriller with a comedic edge, Severance_ is the type of project Adam Scott** has spent his career working towards (via Big Bro with Kid Cudi). Directed by Ben Stiller, the series follows white-collar workers who undergo a procedure to sever their memory into a work and a non-work persona.

Scott has the challenge of playing two distinct characters with separate memories, but the same intrinsic personality. Boasting an impressive 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the show is considered a dystopian masterpiece, praised for its intricate world-building.

Three years after the lauded first season aired on Apple TV, season two arrived to equal acclaim. The third installment was confirmed the day of the season two finale, with a promise that the gap between seasons would be significantly reduced.