Great Scott!

The versatile Adam Scott once fit neatly into the category of “oh, that guy!” actors: guys you’d seen in a bunch of films and tv shows, none of which you could name.

Scott became a lot more recognizable after a starring role on NBC’S Parks and Recreation. In HBO’s dark and sexy Big Little Lies, he gives a nuanced performance as Reese Witherspoon’s second husband, a mild-mannered, sensitive type who, as Scott asserts,“shouldn’t be underestimated.”

Created by David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal, Boston Legal), and based on the novel by Liane Moriarty, Big Little Lies is a limited series that focuses on the complicated lives of three mothers — Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley — whose children attend the same kindergarten in Monterey, California.

“David wrote this addicting and soulful series of scripts,” Scott says. “I didn’t care what role I played — I just wanted to be a part of it.” Scott, who’s at home in comedy (Stepbrothers, Knocked Up), horror (Hellraiser: Bloodline) and prestige drama (The Aviator), plays Ed Mackenzie, a computer geek.

He’s the polar opposite of his wife’s ruggedly handsome, remarried ex-husband, Nathan (James Tupper) — with whom she still seems to be preoccupied. ”By the time Ed says something about it, it’s been boiling under the surface for a while,” Scott says.

“He’s there to support his wife and be a rock for her, but at the same time, he needs to put a line in the sand.”

Scott’s destiny was sealed when he fell in love with Raiders of the Lost Ark as a 10-year-old in Santa Cruz, California. After graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1993, he worked steadily, appearing in dozens of features and TV shows.

Some were less than memorable (Tell Me You Love Me?) and others widely beloved (Boy Meets World). “To keep going in show biz, you need to always delude yourself into thinking that you’re doing incredibly well,” he says. “Otherwise, I would’ve quit long before I achieved any real success.”

His breakthrough role was Ben Wyatt, the lovable state auditor who romanced Amy Poehler on Parks and Recreation. But the role almost didn’t happen; Scott auditioned for the pilot but didn’t get it. Instead, he was cast in a short-lived Starz comedy, Party Down, which generated his first real buzz.

It drew the attention of Parks and Rec creator–executive producer Michael Schur, who brought Scott in for season two. “Things have a way of shaking out in a way that it all makes sense,” the actor says.

He made another indelible mark in the 2015 film The Overnight, a provocative sex comedy (and Sundance hit) that memorably found Scott and costar Jason Schwartzman dancing poolside wearing nothing but prosthetic penises. (“I was just happy the movie worked,” Scott says, laughing).

The Overnight also marked the debut film from Gettin’ Rad Productions, the production company Scott formed with his wife, Naomi. Through its deal at Universal Television, the company has set up Deep S.I.X., a comedy about Homeland Security, at HBO, and is prepping two shows for NBC (Donuthead and Buds).

Scott is also costarring with The Office alum Craig Robinson in Ghosted, a Fox pilot that’s touted as a comedic X-Files set in L.A. Scott will coexecutive-produce as well. Other projects in the works include a comedy for Freeform titled It’s Not You.

All of which keeps Scott as busy behind the camera as he is in front of it. “I love being able to work on projects starting from the ground up,” he says. “It’s really satisfying to watch something grow from nothing.”

 This article originally appeared in emmy magazine, Issue No. 2, 2017