All’s well that ends well, but once upon a time Adam Scott lost out on a major role — Michael C. Hall‘s in HBO‘s multi-Emmy-winning Six Feet Under — and it nearly made him reconsider the craft of acting entirely.
As a recent guest on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, the two Parks and Recreation alums delved into their time collaborating together and Scott’s career trajectory. At one point, Poehler questioned if there was a role he had gotten “close on” but didn’t nab.
“It’s good that I didn’t get it because it wouldn’t be nearly as good if I had done it because he was perfect and incredible,” Scott said as Poehler expressed her shock. “He’s incredible, and I wasn’t ready.”
When Poehler asked how far along the audition process the Severance star got, Scott replied, “He and I tested for it,” at which point the Saturday Night Live alumna commiserated: “That hurts.”
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“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,’” Scott agreed, adding that it was “painful” given how ubiquitous and popular the show was. (In Poehler’s words, like “someone f—ing your girlfriend in front of you.”)
“One hundred percent,” Scott said, noting how the series “eclipsed all other shows” when it aired from 2001-05. “It was the show.”
However, the Big Little Lies actor was, indeed, able to log some time on the series after all, appearing as a guest star in Season 2 as the young Fisher brother’s (Hall) boyfriend. Scott noted that the experience was “fun” and Hall was “lovely,” concluding, “But yeah, that was a blow. That was hard. But it’s also important that you have those experiences.”
From Oscar-winning creator Alan Ball, the dark comedy centers on the Fisher family, who operates a funeral home in Los Angeles. Dripping with irony, the show explores themes of mortality through Nate’s (Peter Krause) story, as he unwillingly steps in to run the business following his father’s death. In his role, Hall was nominated for a lead acting Emmy in the drama category in 2002.
Watch the full interview below: