"That was really instructive" - Adam Scott revealed the Severance season 1 exercise that was "really handy" for season 2

In Severance, Adam Scott's character Mark Scout joins Lumon Industries following his wife's presumable death in a car crash and undergoes its severance program to split his consciousness into his work (Innie) and non-work (Outie) selves. As Mark reports for work everyday, his Outie switches to his Innie, and vice versa (at the end of the day) in the elevator.

Severance season 1 focused primarily on the Innie Mark and his time inside Lumon. However, season 2 expanded his story to include more about his Outie's life, and more importantly, his search for Gemma.

On January 31, 2025, Scott told The Wrap that shooting the elevator switch scenes helped him demarcate his character's Innie and Outie. This exercise proved useful in tapping into the different personas for Severance season 2.

"In Season 1, when we were figuring out the elevator scenes where you switch back and forth between Innie and Outie, that was really instructive."

He continued:

"It was really handy, just as an exercise, to go back and forth super quick and to really sharpen the edges of what each one was... when we’re going into Season 2 and shooting these scenes, it really helped that we were able to define each one of them in such a hurry in Season 1."

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How did Adam Scott play the Innie and Outie Mark in Severance?

In Severance season 2, Adam Scott had to tap into his Innie and Outie much more frequently than in season 1. He ensured that both versions felt like "two different halves of the same person" and were essentially the "same guy."

In the same interview, Scott mentioned how he was able to create two distinct identities while playing the same character.

"In Season 2, it becomes more and more about (Inner and Outie Mark) being different parts of the same person.... sort of in this way that you behave differently when you are at home with your family — people who have known you your whole life — versus if you are at a cocktail party with strangers. It’s an extreme version of that," he said.

Furthermore, Adam Scott also said that the two versions of Mark are different in terms of age and life experiences. Mark's Outie is in his 40s, and hence, he has experienced a fuller life with all "the joy, sorrow" that come with it, as opposed to his Innie who has existed for only two and a half years. He further added that:

"It was a matter of adding and subtracting what that life experience was and what that life experience would do to a person and how they behave in the world.”

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Adam Scott was last seen in The Monkey in 2025

Adam Scott starred in the black-comedy horror film The Monkey, written and directed by Osgood Perkins. The film is inspired by Stephen King's short story of the same name published in 1980. James Wan, Dave Caplan, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, and Chris Ferguson serve as the film's producers. Furthermore, The Monkey was released in theaters on February 21, 2025, in the United States.

In the film, Scott plays Petey Shelburn Sr., the father of Theo James' twin characters Hal and Bill. The twin brothers are stuck with a murderous toy monkey that randomly kills someone everytime its keys are wound up. The film also stars Elijah Wood, Tatiana Maslany, Sarah Levy, Rohan Campbell, Christian Convery, Danica Dreyer, Colin O'Brien, and Janet Kidder, among others.

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Viewers can watch all episodes of Severance seasons 1 and 2 on Apple TV+.