Adam Scott Hopes the Severance Procedure Never Exists: 'I'm Afraid People Would Be All Too Willing' (Exclusive)

Scott, who starred in a new 'Severance'-themed State Farm ad, tells PEOPLE why he doesn't want the show's severing procedure to be a real thing

Adam Scott as Mark in 'Severance'.
Adam Scott as Mark in Severance. Photo: Apple TV+.

Adam Scott loves diving into the world of Severance as an actor. Yet, he's happy to leave it — and its bold concept of employees electing to undergo a procedure, that severs their memories from their professional and personal lives — exactly where it belongs: on the small screen.

In a recent conversation with PEOPLE, Scott addresses the possibility of the severance procedure becoming a reality and whether he would ever opt to do it.

"I really hope it doesn't. And no, I would not," the Parks and Recreation alum, 51, firmly states. "I'm afraid that people would be all too willing to give up autonomy of their mind and their body, and I think we should stay far, far away from it."

"Not a good idea," he adds.

Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, John Turturro, and Britt Lower on 'Severance'
(L-R) Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, John Turturro and Britt Lower on Severance. Atsushi Nishijima/Apple TV+

However, something Scott does consider to be a "good idea" is Severance's all-new ad campaign with State Farm. Directed by Severance director and producer Ben Stiller, the commercial sees Jake from State Farm (a.k.a. Kevin Miles) hitting Lumon Industries' severed floor alongside Scott's character Mark S. to help a young adult navigate being severed from her parents' auto insurance. 

"It was really clever, the way they tied auto insurance and State Farm into the Severance world. It really felt like a natural fit," he concludes. "I think it'll be really fun for fans of the show to see it pop up and see a new angle on this world."

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Severance returned for its highly-anticipated second season on Jan. 17. It comes after nearly three years off the air.

For Scott, there were some differences in his experience working on both seasons, as he says, "I think the fact that now the show was a known thing, it had its fans and there was a weight of expectations this time around."

"The first time we made the entire thing in a bubble and no one knew what the hell we were doing, and no one cared what we were doing, so we just got to just kind of stay in our sandbox and do whatever we wanted," he continues. "This time around, everything we did had to be a big secret and we always had to think about the audience and the fans and not wanting to disappoint them. So it was fundamentally the same, but everything else was completely different."

Adam Scott attends Adam Scott In Conversation With Josh Horowitz at 92NY on January 20, 2025 in New York City
Adam Scott In Conversation With Josh Horowitz at 92NY on January 20, 2025 in New York City.

Marleen Moise/Getty

With expectations came even more pressure to keep plot details under lock and key, especially in regards to wanting season 2 spoilers.

"It's funny because people want to know, but they don't want to know. I feel like people ask these questions out of curiosity, but they don't actually want the answer," he explains. "So I always keep that in mind. It would kind of ruin all the fun if I actually just went, 'Oh, okay,' and delivered them an answer. So I think there's a happy medium there."

Scott adds, "I think one of the hallmarks of the show is the big moves it makes, and just when you think one thing is happening, the rug will be pulled out in one direction or the other, and that's really fun."

New episodes of Severance drop Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Apple TV+.

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