ADAM SCOTT SHARES A FUNNY BEHIND-THE-SCENES STORY FROM HIS ‘LAW & ORDER’ DAYS
Before Parks and Recreation and Severance made him a household name, Adam Scott made a haunting appearance in a 2006 episode of Law & Order. Nearly two decades later, he’s looking back at that moment — and the unusual critique he got right after his debut aired.
Adam Scott’s role in Law & Order Season 16
Scott guest-starred in Law & Order Season 16, Episode 17 (“America, Inc.”). He played Robbie Hummel, the grief-stricken brother of a soldier killed due to the negligence of a private military contractor.
The episode wasted no time throwing viewers into high-stakes drama. After the shady contractor, Pope, was assassinated by a sniper, Detectives Fontana (Dennis Farina) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) followed a trail of clues that pointed to vigilante justice. Their search led them to Pablo Schreiber’s character, Kevin Boatman, and ultimately to Scott’s Robbie.
Despite his innocence, Robbie became entangled in the crime. When Boatman’s charges were dropped after government intervention, Robbie was left to take the fall. In the end, Scott’s character — the “only true innocent,” as Amy Poehler later described him — paid the heaviest price.
The critique that stuck with him
During an August 2025 episode of Poehler’s podcast Good Hang, Scott admitted some details of the role had blurred over time. But one memory remained sharp: the call from his agent.
“My character was working at a grocery store, arranging fruits or vegetables when the detectives came up to me,” Scott recalled. “And I remember my agent at the time calling me right after it aired and saying, ‘You don’t know how to handle those vegetables. You weren’t doing anything.’”
The note wasn’t about his performance in the courtroom drama — but about his produce-stacking skills.
Amy Poehler’s dream role in the franchise
As a lifelong Law & Order fan, Poehler lit up hearing about Scott’s experience. She praised the stars he worked with, including Farina, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Sam Waterston. Then she shared her own dream: playing a shocking villain.
“I wanted to be a pyro,” Poehler revealed. “Like a baby-faced pyromaniac. Someone who looks like she’s helping the police and then suddenly says, ‘They deserved it!’”
It’s a classic Law & Order twist waiting to happen — and if Dick Wolf is listening, Poehler sounds ready to step into the interrogation room.