American actor and improviser Scott Adsit was born on November 26, 1965 in Northbrook, Illinois. He got his start in 1994, when he joined the mainstage cast of the Chicago-based comedy troupe The Second City, where he performed in several Jeff Award-winning revues. He started appearing on television in 1996, when he made guest appearances in the television series Early Edition. Two years later, he made his film debut, playing a minor role in the comedy Temporary Girl.
Adsit’s career mostly revolves around television appearances. His early credits include guest roles in Tenacious D, Two Guys and a Girl, Felicity, Dharma and Greg, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Friends, Ally McBeal, Still Standing, Kingpin, Alias and The Drew Carey Show. He was also a guest performer in Mr. Show with Bob and David and Mad TV. He also continued appearing in films, mostly in bit roles; these include Run Ronnie Run, The Italian Job, The Terminal and Kicking and Screaming. His later roles include guest appearances in Monk, Stacked, The Office and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He has also appeared in a sketch for The Colbert Report.
Aside from work as a stand-up comedian and improv teacher, Adsit tends to two major television projects. In 2005, he provided his voice to the Adult Swim animated series Moral Orel, which parodied 1950s-style sitcoms. Despite its strong sexual content and dark humor, the comedy, which he also co-wrote, co-produced and co-directed, attracted significant audiences and ran for three seasons. In 2006, Adsit took on a role in the sitcom 30 Rock. His role as the show-within-a-show’s frequently terrified executive producer Pete Hornberger is often considered the straight man to the other characters, even to his closest colleague and confidant Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), who can flip out when things go horribly wrong.