Dougray Scott Biography

DOUGRAY SCOTT

Date of Birth: November 25, 1965

Dougray Scott was born Stephen Scott in Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland, where he attended Auchmuty High School. He then went on to train at the Welsh College of Music and Drama from 1986 to 1989, where he was won the "Most Promising Drama Student" award. Adept with accents, he mastered an Alabama accent for his first acting role on stage as Jem in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Early in his career, Scott changed his first name to Dougray when he joined British Equity (acting union) because there was already a Stephen Scott registered. His made his television debut in 1992, with guest roles on the popular British shows Taggart and Lovejoy. That same year, he landed a mini-series called Tell Tale Hearts.

Scott made his breakthrough in features with small roles in Black Beauty (1994) and Princess Carabou (1994). He then returned to television, accepting roles in series and movies such as Soldier Soldier, The Place of the Dead and The Crow Road. In 1997, Scott returned to the big screen with the comedy Twin Town, for which he adopted a lilting Welsh accent.

The industry had begun to take notice of this versatile young man with a talent for character roles and accents. He began to work non-stop, appearing in three more films in 1997 (Love in Paris, Magic Moments, Regeneration), followed by Deep Impact in 1998. That same year, he won a role unlike any other he had ever performed. It was the role of Prince Henry, the romantic lead in the box office hit Ever After, starring opposite Drew Barrymore. His performance earned him a Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination as Favorite Male Newcomer. Both film and television offers poured in, and Scott made his choices according to the quality of script, rather than exposure or money. Although he enjoyed playing a "good guy" in Ever After, he wanted to make sure he wouldn't get typecast.

His next appearance on American screens was on television in 2000, playing the mixed-up and potentially dangerous Sultan in the mini-series Arabian Nights. He went on to play an even bigger villain in Mission: Impossible II (2000) earning him a Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination as Favorite Villain. He was scheduled to play Wolverine in X-Men (2000) but was replaced at the last minute when filming for M:I2 ran over schedule. Instead, Enigma (2002) was his next feature, about a troubled genius with expertise in code breaking in wartime Britain, but coming on the heels of A Beautiful Mind, the film was largely overlooked.

Although Scott has worked steadily, his subsequent film appearances have been minor releases. He returns to mainstream filmmaking with a supporting role in Touchstone's Dark Water
(2005), starring Jennifer Connolly. Scott married British casting director Sarah Trevis in 2000. Though they are the parents of twins, named Eden and Gabriel, they divorced in 2005. He has since married British actress Claire Forlani.

Filmography:

Hitman (2007)
Perfect Creature (2006)
Dark Water (2005)
Things to Do Before You're 30 (2004)
One Last Chance (2004)
The Truth About Love (2004)
The Poet (2003)
To Kill a King (2003)
Ripley's Game (2002)
Enigma (2001)
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Faeries (1999)
Gregory's Two Girls (1999)
This Year's Love (1999)
Ever After (1998)
Deep Impact (1998)
Magic Moments (1997)
Regeneration (1997)
Love in Paris (1997)
Twin Town (1997)
Princess Caraboo (1994)
Black Beauty (1994)