Adam Paul Scott (born April 3, 1973) is an American actor, comedian, producer, and podcaster. He is known for his role as Ben Wyatt in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. He has also appeared as Derek in the film Step Brothers, Henry Pollard in the Starz sitcom Party Down, and Ed Mackenzie in the HBO series Big Little Lies.
Scott was born in Santa Cruz, California, to Anne (née Quartararo) and Dougald Scott, both of whom are retired teachers. He is of one quarter Sicilian descent, on his mother’s side. He has two older siblings, Shannon and David. He graduated from Harbor High School and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, California.
Scott has appeared in several feature films, including Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), The Lesser Evil (1998), High Crimes (2002), The Aviator (2004), Torque (2004), Monster-in-Law (2005), Who Loves the Sun (2006), Knocked Up (2007), Step Brothers (2008), August (2008), Piranha 3D (2010), and Leap Year (2010).