Scott Adsit Shares His Favorite 30 Rock Memories - Exclusive
Actor and comedian Scott Adsit has an impressive list of film and TV credits under his belt, including roles on "Veep" and "The Walking Dead: World Beyond." He has also been the voice of the giant, inflatable robotic nurse Baymax since "Big Hero 6" made its feature-film debut in 2014 — and now that lovable character has his own series, simply called "Baymax!," streaming exclusively on Disney+.
But Adsit is probably best known as Pete Hornberger from the hit NBC series "30 Rock," which ran for seven seasons before ending in 2013. On the award-winning show that also starred Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, and Alec Baldwin, Adsit portrayed a quick-witted TV producer who often revealed embarrassing stories about his family life.
It's the role that put Adsit on the map and surely left him with plenty of indelible behind-the-scenes memories, a few of which he shared during an exclusive interview with Looper.
Adsit fondly recalled racing his co-stars on rolling stools
When asked if he had a favorite memory from filming "30 Rock," Scott Adsit recalled a scene from Season 1 that really stood out to him.
"I remember watching Jane Krakowski [as Jenna Maroney] improvising dancing ... with Pee-wee Herman, Paul Reubens, playing Prince and yelling different dance moves at her," said Adsit. "She was improvising, and Paul was improvising by throwing out dances that exist, and some that don't, and she would dance. I always thought that was a great bit of TV."
But other, more intimate moments with the cast and crew are what made the job so special for Adsit. "I also remember sitting around these long nights together and making each other laugh and getting to know the crew," he said. "It was a very tight-knit crew and cast, and we all felt very close. There were some night shoots where we'd spend the whole night together, and those were the best nights."
Then, there are the frivolous details that stand out that can be filed under plain, old-fashioned fun. "There were also these stools that we had that were made with perfect ball bearings, and they glided across the studio floor," explained Adsit. "It's a seat on wheels, and it's one of the most pleasant experiences I've ever had, gliding across the studio floor. We'd have races and stuff like that. I don't know why that sticks with me, but that's one of my favorite things."
As for whether there's a chance to make even more memories with his former "30 Rock" co-stars in the future, Adsit won't hold his breath — even though the cast reunited in 2020 for a special one-off episode. "I don't have a lot of hope for it coming back as a reunion series again, or a reboot, because it was of its time and told its stories," he says. "I wouldn't say no to it happening again, but we signed that painting already."
You can now watch all six episodes of Adsit's latest series, "Baymax!," exclusively on Disney+.