13 years later, the gang of pink bowtie-wearing caterers is finally returning for another round of parties in a new six-episodes long, third season of the cult comedy. The long-awaited Party Down Season 3 is here, and actor Adam Scott (who plays Henry Pollard in the show) sat down for a quick chat with us to reveal why it took a decade to get the original gang back, and what has changed over the years that has made the audience finally warm up to the show that, he admits, wasn’t an instant success. Also, if a little ‘Severance’ trip that might have got into his Henry Pollard along the way!
What was your first reaction when you heard about the revival?
I think, you know… we had this reunion for New York magazine for like three or four years ago and its sort of given up on getting back together to do more Party Down years before but it all got together and we had such a good time that John Enbom, Dan Etheridge, Rob Thomas and Paul Rudd (the co-creators of the show) and I just started sort of chatting about like what if we actually did do this! And could we get everyone back together is that even possible? Because everyone is so busy now… and it took a while and it took a feat in scheduling but we actually did it. (smiles) Everyone was just more than game… and just anxious to do it. But it took a lot of work to find that six-week period where everyone was available. (smiles)
I also wanted to know what was going on in your mind because you are returning to Henry Pollard after so long and what was the experience like? Were there any moments where you were feeling like ‘Okay, did I leave the character here, so maybe I am starting from this point’?
Yeah. I think John Enbom wrote Henry and all the characters 10-13 years later in a really interesting way. The same people yes, but they have aged and they are a bit more settled and a bit more comfortable in their own skin than they were back in the original series. So yeah, there is all kind of what we personally brought to it but John also wrote in a very interesting, skillful way. I think Henry is someone who is just a bit more comfortable in his own skin, and a bit more accepting of his circumstances than he was in the original two seasons.
All of you must have had a blast while shooting Party Down Season 3. If you had to choose one craziest memory during the shoot, what would that be?
Oh boy! (thinks in silence) I mean, you know its a really funny set obviously. Its a group of incredibly funny people. Ken Marino (who plays Ron Donald) in particular, is a really difficult person to do a scene with because he’s so funny! I think he might be the funniest person alive. So what I do when I am doing a scene with him is I try and look either between his eyes (points it out with his own finger) or just the right or left to his eyes. (smiles) So on camera it looks as if I am looking at him but I am not! Because if I do, if I lock eyes with him I will just start laughing!
It’s interesting what you said in a recent interview that Party Down’s audience has grown over time. That it was not such an instant success when it released it had 13,000 viewers in its last episode. So what do you think has changed over the years now, that the show has become a cult classic?
I don’t know I think that part of what was special about this show in the first place was that we didn’t know or think that anyone would be watching this show. We had no clue! We just sort of made the show just for each other and ourselves because it was so fun and we loved hanging out so much. That’s part of what was special about it as well. Maybe it resonates with people, it kind of feels like a group of people having the greatest time together! So I feel like that might be part of what people kind of felt from the show as they discovered it over the years.
One last question, and I have to talk a little bit about Severance, and congratulate you on your fantastic performance in it. But my real question is what would you say if Mark had to put on a chip and also put on a pink bow tie, and learn some bartending skills? What would he do?
You mean like severe a bartending job! (smiles) So he doesn’t have to experience it for himself? (laughs) Maybe that is exactly what Party Down is, it is one of Mark S’s severed identities in Henry, the bartender with Party Down! (smiles)
Party Down: Season 3 will be releasing exclusively on Lionsgate Play on April 7.