Severance actor reveals one character from his sitcom days that deserves a spin-off

Severance changed a lot for Adam Scott. Suddenly, he wasn’t just part of the conversation, he was at the center of it. Playing Mark Scout on the Apple series got him an Emmy nod, sure, but it also brought back this wave of interest in the stuff he did before. Not everyone remembers Party Down right away. Or even Parks and Rec. But those shows, those roles, they were always there. Quiet hits. Things fans loved, even if not everyone noticed at the time. Now it feels like people are finally catching up.

As he takes part in interviews tied to his current recognition, some questions naturally reach into his past. One conversation with Entertainment Weekly shifted from the sleek, corporate tension of Severance back to the more chaotic and quirky world of Parks and Recreation. The tone was different, but the relevance remained. Especially when the topic turned to which character, from that ensemble cast, might deserve their own spin-off.

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Adam Scott's unexpected pick

When asked which Parks and Recreation character could carry a spin-off, Adam Scott didn’t go with the obvious choices. He pointed to Garry Gergich, also known throughout the series as Jerry, Larry, or Terry, depending on which season and which running joke was in play. Played by Jim O’Heir, the character was frequently mocked in the office setting but remained remarkably consistent in temperament and presence.

Scott explained the logic behind his choice with clarity and curiosity.

"Probably Jerry. I think because when we left the show, he was mayor, still, of Pawnee. I’d like to see how that worked out, if there were any scandals or if he was able to keep his powder dry and run the town in the way we know it should be run."

His comment opened a window to a storyline that had quietly lingered since the show's final episode.

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A quiet trajectory worth revisiting

Garry was built to be the butt of jokes. He fumbled, got names wrong, spilled things, and somehow remained relentlessly optimistic. But as the seasons progressed, the show revealed small, steady details about his life that added surprising depth. He had a beautiful and devoted family. He was married to Gayle, played by Christie Brinkley. He seemed content, even when overlooked.

By the end of the series, he had been appointed mayor and stayed in that role well into old age. The character’s continued success, presented with comedic timing, also hinted at something more. That unshakable patience and decency might be worth examining again, through a new lens, something quieter, more restrained, maybe even closer in spirit to the emotional undercurrents explored in Severance.

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The contrast with Severance that makes sense

Scott's interest in Garry comes at a time when he is best known for playing Mark Scout, a deeply restrained and fractured character in Severance. The contrast is notable. One character navigates corporate suppression with emotional disconnection. The other endures office ridicule with emotional openness. Yet both exist in structured environments. Both are underestimated. Both contain more than what first impressions suggest.

Choosing Garry as a candidate for a spin-off reflects something that runs through Severance too, a quiet kind of depth, buried beneath routine. It shows a pattern in Scott’s work: characters who seem simple at first, but reveal something else entirely once the surface cracks

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Revisiting Pawnee, even in theory

Parks and Recreation originally began as a spiritual spin-off of The Office before establishing its own rhythm. That origin reflects a world already familiar with adaptation. While there are no confirmed plans for a return, the structure and legacy of the show make it a natural candidate for future exploration.

A Garry-centered story would not follow traditional patterns. It would begin from a quieter place, where the emotional stakes are subtle and the storytelling could shift focus. That difference could be the appeal, something slower, more introspective, maybe even with echoes of the emotional restraint seen in Severance.

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What comes next

There’s no spin-off in the works. Not yet, anyway. What Scott said came up in a casual chat, nothing official, nothing being developed. But these things have a way of lingering. Some ideas start like that, tossed out in passing, and later turn into something real. Maybe this one will. Maybe not. Hard to tell.

Meanwhile, Parks and Recreation still sticks with people. It wrapped up a lot of arcs pretty neatly, but not all of them. Garry’s time as mayor, for example, it just kept going. Quiet. Steady. Never really explained. And maybe that’s the part that leaves room for more, the kind of understated mystery that wouldn’t feel out of place in something like Severance.

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Leaving space for more

Not every series needs to continue. But some characters, intentionally or not, leave behind narrative openings. Garry Gergich may not have had the spotlight during most of the series, but his ending left room for questions. It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t flashy. And maybe that’s exactly what makes it worth revisiting.

For now, Severance remains Scott’s most visible platform. But his passing comment about a character once seen as background comic relief has sparked interest. Sometimes the quietest characters turn out to be the ones with the most left to say.