Emmy Quickie: Reid Scott Disses His ‘Veep’ Character as ‘Just a Dick’ (Video)

Reid Scott works hard to find empathy with his onscreen counterpart, Dan Egan, on HBO’s “Veep.”

“You have to make him grounded, you have to like something about the guy, or else you’re just playing at a caricature, really,” the actor told TheWrap. “No doubt about it, he’s just a dick. I think he approaches his job almost the way an athlete would approach their job. It doesn’t matter how dirty you play the game, it’s about who’s standing with the trophy at the end of it. So I don’t think he really cares who he has to step on.”

Scott’s Dan is one of a core group of staffers who orbit around Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ title character, though now that Selina Meyer is president of the United States, the “Veep” mantle may no longer fit.

As soulless as they are quick-witted, the characters on “Veep” provide a rather cynical, dark look at the people in power in D.C. Still, fans love it, especially those who work in politics.

“I’m still surprised by it, when people say, ‘Oh, [Dan] is my favorite character’ or ‘I love that guy,’” he said. “I’m like, wow your childhood must have been so, so broken if that’s the kind of guy you like. He’s just terrible. But I think within politics, we get hit with that a lot. ‘Veep’ has struck a decidedly authentic tone. People in D.C. sort of see themselves as these characters.”

“Veep” airs Sundays at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO.