Before he was the stony-faced FBI agent taking down deep-state conspiracies in The Night Agent, Gabriel Basso was just a kid in a pool hole.
Well, technically, he was Adam Jamison.
If you weren't watching Showtime back in 2010, you might have missed one of the most raw, uncomfortable, and eventually heartbreaking portrayals of teenage grief ever put on cable. Gabriel Basso in The Big C wasn't just a side character. He was the anchor that kept the show’s dark comedy from floating away into total absurdity.
He was fourteen. He had this shaggy hair and a constant look of "I'd rather be anywhere else." Honestly, he was the perfect foil for Laura Linney’s frantic, terminal energy.
The Role of Adam Jamison: More Than Just a Moody Teen
Most TV kids are written by adults who haven't spoken to a teenager since the 90s. They’re either hyper-articulate geniuses or total caricatures. Adam Jamison felt different. In The Big C, Cathy Jamison (Linney) decides to keep her Stage IV melanoma a secret from her family.
Think about that.
Your mom starts acting like a total lunatic—buying luxury cars, kicking your dad out, digging a massive hole in the backyard for a pool she can't afford—and she won't tell you why. Basso had to play the "aloof" card while simultaneously showing the audience that Adam was drowning.
He was mean. He was a brat.
But you couldn't really blame him.
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One of the most striking things about his performance was the physical distance he kept from Linney. While she was desperate to "fix" him before she died, he was constantly pulling away, unaware that the clock was actually ticking. It’s a painful dynamic to watch in hindsight.
Why the Chemistry With Laura Linney Worked
You don't just walk onto a set with Laura Linney and Oliver Platt and hold your own. You have to be on.
Basso has mentioned in interviews that he didn't even really want to be an actor back then. He wanted to play football. He was sort of indifferent to the craft, which, weirdly enough, made him better. There was zero "theater kid" energy in his performance.
It felt documentary-real.
The scenes between Cathy and Adam were often the show's highlight because they weren't soppy. They were jagged. When Adam eventually finds out about the cancer—accidentally, of course, because this is a dark comedy—the shift in Basso’s performance is subtle but devastating. He doesn't suddenly become a saint. He just becomes a kid who’s terrified of being an orphan.
The Big C as a Career Launchpad
While the show ran for four seasons (2010–2013), it served as a masterclass for Basso. He wasn't just learning lines; he was watching some of the best in the business navigate a tone that shifted from "I'm having an affair with Idris Elba" to "I am literally dying in a hospice bed" in the span of twenty minutes.
It's a tough line to walk.
During his time on the show, Basso started branching out:
- He landed a lead in J.J. Abrams’ Super 8.
- He starred in the indie darling The Kings of Summer.
- He basically became the go-to guy for "thoughtful, slightly troubled youth."
But then, he just... stopped.
The Seven-Year Disappearance
This is the part of the story most people get wrong. People think he "fell off" or couldn't find work.
In reality, Gabriel Basso kinda hated the Hollywood machine. He felt like he was living a "pseudo-experience." He told People magazine that he'd be in a football movie scoring the winning goal, but it wasn't real.
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So he left.
He moved to South Carolina. He got a stonemason’s license. He spent years building actual walls with his actual hands. He boxed. He did Taekwondo. He lived a life that didn't involve a call sheet or a trailer.
When you look at his work in The Big C now, you can see that groundedness starting to form. Even as a kid, he wasn't interested in the "smoldering" or the "celebrity" of it all. He just wanted things to feel genuine.
What Most People Miss About the Finale
The final season, The Big C: Hereafter, was a four-episode limited event that basically functioned as a long goodbye.
There’s a specific moment with Adam that hits like a freight train. He reveals to Cathy that he’s been taking a whole year’s worth of school online so he could graduate early and spend more time with her.
No big speeches. No swelling violins.
Just a kid showing his mom a diploma.
It was the ultimate "payoff" for three seasons of him being a difficult teenager. It showed that he was paying attention the whole time. Basso played that moment with a level of restraint that most adult actors can’t manage. He didn't cry for the camera; he just stood there, looking at his mom, knowing she was leaving him.
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Re-watching Gabriel Basso in The Big C Today
If you’re coming to this from The Night Agent or Hillbilly Elegy, it’s worth going back to the beginning.
The show is currently streaming on platforms like Netflix and Hulu (depending on your region), and it hasn't aged a day. Cancer is still a nightmare, teenagers are still difficult, and Laura Linney is still a powerhouse.
But seeing a young Gabriel Basso navigate those waters is a trip. You can see the DNA of Peter Sutherland in Adam Jamison—the same guardedness, the same refusal to perform for others, the same underlying loyalty.
Key Takeaways for Fans
- Adam isn't a villain. If you find him annoying in Season 1, keep going. His arc is the most realistic "coming of age" story on the show.
- Watch the background. Basso does a lot of "active listening." Even when he isn't the focus of the scene, his reactions to his parents' chaos are gold.
- Appreciate the hiatus. Knowing he walked away from fame makes his return in The Night Agent even better. He’s not there because he needs the attention; he’s there because he’s actually good at the job.
If you’re looking for a show that will make you laugh and then immediately make you want to call your mom, this is the one. Just be prepared—Gabriel Basso's performance might just be the thing that sticks with you the longest.
Next Steps for the Basso Completionist: Start with Season 1 of The Big C to see the raw beginnings. Once you finish the series, jump straight to The Kings of Summer (2013) to see him bridge the gap between "TV kid" and "Indie lead." Finally, watch The Night Agent to see the man he became after a decade of real life.