Adam Scott says losing role to Michael C Hall nearly drove him to quit acting

Every actor has a role that got away. For Adam Scott, it was one that almost pushed him out of Hollywood altogether.

The Severance star, 52, has spoken about missing out on HBO’s acclaimed drama Six Feet Under during the early stages of his career.

Appearing on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, Scott revealed he auditioned for the part of David Fisher, a role that ultimately went to Michael C. Hall.

Scott admitted that the rejection “was hard” to process at the time.

“It’s good that I didn’t get it because it wouldn’t be nearly as good if I had done it,” he explained.

“He’s incredible, and I wasn’t ready.”

The Severance star explained that the rejection stung all the more because of the cultural weight of the show.

He added, “It was the one where I was like, ‘I might stop doing this. I think that it’s time for me to read the tea leaves and walk away.’”

“That was a blow. That was hard. But it’s also important that you have those experiences.”

Although he didn’t secure the lead role, Scott later made a guest appearance in Six Feet Under’s second season as Hall’s short-lived onscreen boyfriend, Ben Cooper.

He described the experience as “fun” and praised Hall as “lovely” to work with.

Hall’s portrayal of David went on to earn him an Emmy nomination in 2002.

The series, created by Alan Ball, ran from 2001 to 2005 and followed the Fisher family’s funeral home business.

During its five seasons, it picked up 53 Emmy nominations and won nine, making it one of HBO’s defining early dramas.

Scott eventually found his breakthrough in 2010 when he joined Parks and Recreation as Ben Wyatt, the love interest of Poehler’s Leslie Knope.

More recently, he has led Apple TV+’s acclaimed sci-fi thriller Severance, a performance that has earned him two Emmy nods for Outstanding Lead Actor.