The Emmy nominee looks back on that big fight, and Mark’s decision to not leave with Gemma.

Severance star Adam Scott on being ‘deathly afraid’ of that Innie vs. Outie finale scene — and getting a concussion

The Emmy nominee looks back on that big fight, and Mark's decision to not leave with Gemma.

By Staff Author

Published on July 24, 2025 01:00PM EDT

Adam Scott’s entire career has led to Severance — now he’s just trying to not ‘screw it up’

*Interview by Gerrad Hall**Illustration by Collin McCormack*

Season 2 of *Severance*, says star Adam Scott, was "a whole new game."

After introducing audiences to the world of Lumon Industries in the first installment, and specifically the "severed floor" and its employees — Mark (Scott), Irving (John Turturro), Dylan (Zach Cherry), and newbie Helly (Britt Lower), all of whom have chosen to get a procedure that wipes their memories of the outside world while at work, and vice versa — the show expanded the world of Lumon and its characters in its sophomore season, after the severed Innies figure out a way to work around their mental restrictions and learn about the lives of their Outies.

But what to do with that knowledge became the driving force of season 2, as the two faces of these characters struggled to take control of the life of the other, or try to replicate it with heartbreaking effect (we see you, Dylan).

The show — created by Dan Erickson and executive produced by Ben Stiller, who also directed many episodes — scored 27 Emmy nominations this month, the most of any series at the 2025 Emmys. Ahead, Scott unpacks the jam-packed season finale, from Mark's tense Innie vs. Outie conversation to that fight with Drummond that gave Scott a concussion, and Mark's decision to not leave with his wife Gemma as he helped her escape.

Adam Scott for EW's 'The Awardist' digital magazine.

Collin McCormack

**THE AWARDIST: Twenty-seven Emmy nominations for *Severance*, the most of any this year. You had 14 for season 1, so almost doubled that, which is quite impressive. Was there a big celebration via text group? How did you guys cheer each other on?**

**ADAM SCOTT:** Yeah, shocking is the wrong word because I think shocking has a negative connotation, but it certainly took us all aback. I was certainly surprised and just... It's only a wonderful feeling. And I think it's particularly wonderful and flattering because it's your peers that are voting on these things. So it was just great. But also seeing my fellow castmates and our artists and designers of the show and crew getting honored as well was just really something. It was just a wonderful morning.

**This is a show that it really respects the audience, and it asks the audience to pay attention, put down your phone, watch the show. Because there are things that are happening that you don't necessarily know in the moment what is going on, but you do know it's going to be important at some point, somehow. But all of that said, as you're getting the scripts, have there ever been moments where you wondered, "Wait, what the hell is going on here? How is this going to work with that?"? Were you curious about what the payoff was going to be? Did you have those big questions yourself?**

The show really works in a lot of ways like a puzzle, and we're lucky enough to have the time to really work that puzzle out. It takes a while to make the show. The show really looks special and feels special and is unusual in a lot of ways, and part of the reason for that is that we're able to take some time to do that.

As far as the twists and turns of the story, yeah, as the season is developing and the puzzle pieces are being shaped so they can fall into place, I'm lucky enough to be a producer so I can be around for those puzzle pieces being shaped, and it's a constant discussion because we know that we have this audience that is so smart and is looking at every single detail that we can't make a wrong step. And there can't be anything just up on the screen by accident; we have to make sure that every inch of what's on screen is considered and fits into the puzzle in one way or the other.

**Sometimes puzzles take a long time to put together, jigsaw puzzles.**

And sometimes there's that piece that fits and you're like, "That fits, but something about it feels off. Why does this not totally work?" And then an hour later, you're like, "That's because that piece doesn't belong there."

Britt Lower and Adam Scott on 'Severance'.

**In season 2, how much running would you estimate you did through those winding hallways of Lumon?**

I know. [*Laughs*] I don't know. That's such a good question. And I wish I had the sense to keep a phone in my pocket or something to measure, because it has to be just miles upon miles. Just the opening sequence alone took us seven months to shoot. We were shooting other stuff, but we were going back to it over and over again to piece together that whole sequence that Ben [Stiller] and Jessica Lee Gagné, our cinematographer, had pieced together and designed. So we had our own little wrap party for that opening run once we finished. I had bananas and Gatorade on set because my legs would start cramping up. There's just so much running. It was so fun. There's absolutely nothing to complain about when you get to run, not only just running down those hallways, but working with all these cool equipment and the effects and stuff to make it as perfect as we can get it.

**So yes, a lot of running in that premiere, a lot of running in the finale as well, but a couple of things I want to break down with that finale, which was just holy cow. Because there was a lot going on. I want to start with, of course, the conversation that Mark's Innie and Outie have with each other. Did you film one side of all of that conversation so that the other person could watch it, or were you looking at your phone with the green screen on it?**

Leading up to shooting it, I recorded versions of each, the Innie and the Outie, just in my apartment, just to... Ben needed it so he could time out the sequence, but I also needed it just to try it out because it was this scene that I knew was coming all season. The season starts out and Mark's Innie and Outie have similar interests, and they're on the same page, but pretty soon after that, their collision course begins. And so it had to end with that sequence. So I knew it was coming all season, and I was deathly afraid of it and just dreading it because, honestly, I really didn't want to screw it up — any kind of big challenge like that or something that requires that much focus. And it's a big scene, but it was like I was going to be working with myself, which is really weird. And so for any long scene like that to work, it has to be interesting. One side or the other, one actor or the other can't drop the ball. And we had to make sure that it felt like a conversation and not just someone saying lines back and forth to themselves.

So yeah, I recorded them in my apartment, but the scene was constantly changing, the script was constantly changing right up until we started shooting it. And I believe that for the first part — and I think it was maybe the Innie first — we shot me looking at those videos I shot in my apartment. And then I did another version of those to reflect all the script changes. I think we did that, and then the Outie using the footage I actually recorded on the camcorder as we were shooting the scene and vice versa. And then we went out on the deck and shot all that stuff. So I think as we kept going, we were able to use footage that I was shooting with the camcorder on set.

**That's great that you had that resource and you weren't just talking to nothing or someone off set. And I think that reflects so much in the scene too. You can feel an added layer to that.**

Yeah, I think that part of what I was thinking about, at least at the beginning of the scene when they first start talking to each other and looking at each other on these screens, was just how weird that would be, and just to take some time at the top to marvel at how f---ing weird this is. Ben felt the same way, so it was nice to have a beat of that in there because sometimes in science fiction, you are going with the reality of the story, the reality of the world, and you forget to take a moment for people to react, like a person like, "Holy s---, can you believe this is happening?"

Adam Scott on 'Severance'.

**This isn't a question specific to this scene and this moment, because this goes all the way back into season 1, but was there a lot of trial and error on your part involved in finding the nuances of speech and demeanor for Innie versus Outie?**

When I first read the script, my first reaction was like, "This is never going to happen. I'm not getting this job." Like, there's no way. And then when I actually did get it, I was like, "Okay, then this means I have been earning this for the last 30 years. It's all led up to this. This is what I've been working towards because this is exactly the kind of show I would watch, first of all, but also the character that I've always wanted to play. There's so much here." And so I knew that I would have to use everything I've learned over those 30 years. In order to pull it off, I would need to use everything. So that's what I did; that's what I tried to do, is just use everything I'd learned to try and bring authenticity to both of these sides of this character. And yeah, it was a lot of trial and error and trying to figure out why one behaves this way or holds himself in a particular way and why the other doesn't. It was really nice to have the time to figure that out. It wasn't a ton of time, I guess. There was also a lot of time leading up to it because of the pandemic. We were delayed for six months. So I could consider all that stuff too over that time. But it's really once you're shooting that things fall into place. At least for me, that's really when things start to solidify and you really start to focus in on what is working and what is not. It's something about that camera turning on. Even a rehearsal, before they roll camera, even that, there's something about it that's a little dry. And then the camera actually starts rolling and that's when the energy kicks in and that's where you can really feel if something's working or not.

**Also in that finale, that fight with Drummond. Apologies, because I do have to say my lack of memory, I can't necessarily recall from any of your past projects any big action scenes that you've been in. Was this a first on this kind of scale, this in-depth of a one-on-one fight?**

I've had fight scenes here and there over the years, but certainly never anything this brutal and this involved. I have an incredible stunt double, his name's Justice, and he was in there doing incredible work as well. So it's not just me in there, but I did do some of it and I did get a concussion from that moment when I get thrown into the wall and luckily it looks awesome on camera. When it happened.

**Oh, the take is used?**

Yeah, it's in there. You can see my head get slammed against the wall and it's great. And that was the first thing when it happened, everyone was like, "Oh my God." And crowded around. Once it was determined I was okay, and they called a doctor and stuff, but Ben came up to me and he's like, "Hey man, it looks great."

**Silver lining, I guess.**

It is cool that that's like a real hit. But yeah, this was certainly... And we also have an incredible stunt coordinator, Dean, who choreographed it along with Darri and I, Darri played Mr. Drummond. And Gwendoline Christie, of course,e is part of it as well and she knows what she's doing and is just the-

**I was going to say, what was it like to watch her do her thing? Because holy cow, she-****

It's great because by that point I'm laying on the ground and so I get to just watch Brienne of Tarth kick the shit out of Drummond. It was so cool. Gwendolyn and Darri are both the sweetest, gentlest people. We shot it over like three days and it was really... We were exhausted by the time we finished, but it was fun. Super hard, it was difficult, but that's how you get something that feels a certain way is it has to be a challenge of some sort.

Dichen Lachman and Adam Scott on 'Severance'.

**The end of the episode, once she is on the other side of that exit door and Gemma asks, "What are you doing?" I wondered the same, Adam. I was like, "What is he doing?" And then, of course, we see what's going on. But my question here is, okay, sure, Mark goes off with Helly, but kind of what future can they actually have because it's not like they can live in Lumon. **

I think that it's helpful to remember that these people are... Mark is for all intents and purposes two and a half or three years old. And season one was about childhood in a way, and a loss of innocence, at least for Mark It was, I think for all of them, for Irv and for Dylan as well, because Heli comes in and really pushes us to this place. And season two is adolescence. These two are going through this rebellious stage and they're in love with each other. And so I don't think they're necessarily thinking that far ahead. I think that Mark is just looking on the other side of the door and he sees someone that to him is Ms. Casey, and he knows that's his Outie's wife. He knows what he's supposed to do, but if he walks out that door, there's a chance that he'll cease to exist, he doesn't know for sure one way or the other, and on the other side of the hallway is the person he's in love with. So I don't think he's really thinking anything really long-term, he just knows in that moment the choice that he feels he has to make.

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**Do you know end game of the series?**

**Okay. So that has been determined and everything working toward that, filling in the blanks between here and there?**

**Is there a hope for a certain number of seasons to accomplish that?**

Everything is always being determined and thought about and discussed.

**What are you excited about for season 3 specifically?**

Honestly, it's just getting to get back together with these people. We finished shooting season 2 like two 14 months ago, I guess, and we've been hanging out because we've been promoting the show a lot, but working on the show is so fun and we all love each other and I miss everybody and can't wait to get back. So honestly, that's the thing that really gets me excited is just getting to dive back into the show.

Adam Scott and Britt Lower on 'Severance'.

**With Britt Lower, what have you loved about getting to explore specifically with that Innie relationship with her?**

Britt is incredible, obviously. So excited for her and excited at what she got to do in season 2 and getting to really explore Helena, who is a fascinating character. And I really loved, too, the Outie Mark/Helena scene at the restaurant. That's really interesting and was so fun to shoot. Working with Britt is always just a joy. And I felt like we fell into it immediately when we started season 1. And this dynamic between the two of us just clicked right away. It clicked at the audition, honestly. We knew that Britt was the one. It's a cliche, but within like 12 seconds, you know that you have your person. And Britt and I had briefly worked together a few years before and it was great. So when she walked through the door, I was like, "Oh my God. Of course, Britt Lower, yes. Helly, yes." And so it just made sense. And yeah, I love working with Britt.

*This interview has been edited for clarity and length.*

*Listen to the full interview with Scott — where he also looks back on his guest appearance on *ER* where Noah Wyle was his doctor!, reveals which *Parks and Recreation* character he'd love to see get a spinoff series, and more — on *The Awardist* podcast, below.*

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With 2025 nominations set, now comes the campaigning — all the stars listed below will be booked and busy until final-round voting ends on Aug. 28.

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Kathy Bates on 'Matlock'.

Sonja Flemming/CBS

**OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES****Kathy Bates, *Matlock***Sharon Horgan, *Bad Sisters*** Britt Lower, *Severance***Bella Ramsey, *The Last of Us***Keri Russell, *The Diplomat*

**Who will/should win: Kathy Bates**

**OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES****Sterling K. Brown, *Paradise***Gary Oldman, *Slow Horses***Pedro Pascal, *The Last of Us***Adam Scott, *Severance***Noah Wyle, *The Pitt*

**Who will/should win: Noah Wyle**

**OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES****Uzo Aduba, *The Residence***Kristen Bell, *Nobody Wants This***Quinta Brunson, *Abbott Elementary***Ayo Edebiri, *The Bear***Jean Smart, *Hacks***

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Colin Farrell in 'The Penguin'.

Macall Polay/Max

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Below the line, early contenders in technical categories include the *28 Years Later* makeup department, the sound team responsible for the buzzy documentary *Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore*, and, of course, the visual effects artists working on titles like *Jurassic World Rebirth*, *Thunderbolts**, and more big-budget blockbusters that typically fill up that category.

Also to consider ahead of the next ceremony? The Academy will implement a new category, Best Casting, for the upcoming competitive year, meaning that those who put together starry, ensemble casts for commercial-leaning projects like *Sinners*, *Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery*, and *Wicked: For Good *could* *earn their respective works another nod in the long run.

Ahead of the 98th Academy Awards, read on for **'s list of early contenders for Best Picture, Actor, and Actress *—Joey Nolfi***

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in 'Wicked: For Good' ; Oscars statuette; Jennifer Lopez in 'Kiss of the Spider Woman'.

Universal Pictures/YouTube; Kurt Krieger/Corbis via Getty; RoadsideFlix/YouTube

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Colin Farrell, *The Ballad of a Small Player*** Daniel Day-Lewis, *Anemone*** Denzel Washington, *Highest 2 Lowest*** Dwayne Johnson, *The Smashing Machine*** Ethan Hawke, *Blue Moon*** George Clooney, Jay Kelly** Hugh Jackman, *Song Sung Blue*** Jeremy Allen White,* Deliver Me From Nowhere*** Jesse Plemons, *Bugonia*** Joel Edgerton, *Train Dreams*** Leonardo DiCaprio, *One Battle After Another*** Michael B. Jordan, *Sinners***Oscar Isaac, *Frankenstein*** Paul Mescal, *Hamnet*** Timothée Chalamet, *Marty Supreme*** Tom Hiddleston, *The Life of Chuck*** Wagner Moura, *The Secret Agent*

**EARLY BEST ACTRESS CONTENDERS**

Amy Adams, *At the Sea***Cate Blanchett, *Father Mother Sister Brother***Cynthia Erivo, *Wicked: For Good***Emma Stone, *Bugonia***Jennifer Lawrence, *Die, My Love***Jessie Buckley, *Hamnet***Julia Roberts, *After the Hunt***Renate Reinsve, *Sentimental Value*

*Read Joey Nolfi's full list here, which also includes Best Director and the supporting acting categories.***

2025-2026 Awards Season Calendar

AUG. 18-27 — Final Emmy voting**SEPT. 6, 7 — Creative Arts Emmys**SEPT. 14 — 77th Primetime Emmys**OCT. 3-15 — Grammy nomination voting**NOV. 7 — Grammy nominations**NOV. 16 — Governors Awards**DEC. 4 — Critics Choice TV nominations**DEC. 5 — Critics Choice film nominations**DEC. 8 — Golden Globe nominations**DEC. 12-JAN. 5 — Grammys final voting**DEC. 15-JAN. 4 — SAG nominations voting**JAN. 4 — Critics Choice Awards**JAN. 7 — SAG Nominations**JAN. 11 — Golden Globes**JAN. 12-16 — Oscar nomination voting**JAN. 14-27 — SAG final voting**JAN. 22 — Oscar Nominations**FEB. 1 — Grammys**FEB. 7 — DGA Awards**FEB. 15 — Film Independent Spirit Awards**FEB. 26-MARCH 5 — Oscar final voting**FEB. 28 — PGA Awards**MARCH 1 — SAG Awards**MARCH 15 — Oscars

Emmys Flashback

Stephen Colbert hosting the 69th Annual Primetime Emmys, on Sept. 17, 2017.

Lester Cohen/WireImage

We all know the Emmys mean a lot to Donald Trump, because he was nominated multiple times for *Celebrity Apprentice*, but he never won. Why didn’t you give him an Emmy? I'll tell you this: If he had won an Emmy, I bet he wouldn’t have run for president. So in a way, this is all your fault. I thought you people loved morally compromised antiheroes. You liked Walter White — he’s just Walter Much-Whiter. And he never forgave you, and he never will."******—STEPHEN COLBERT | HOST, 2017 EMMYS********

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