Stephen Dougray Scott (born 25 November 1965) is a Scottish actor. He has appeared in the films Twin Town (1997), Ever After (1998), Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), Enigma (2001), Ripley's Game (2002), Hitman (2007), and My Week with Marilyn (2011). He is a recipient of the International Emmy Award for Best Actor and a BAFTA Scotland Award for his performance in the Scottish crime drama series Crime (2021).
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Early life and education
Scott was born in Glenrothes, Fife, on 25 November 1965. He was born the youngest of four children to Elma, a nurse, and Allan Scott, a travelling salesman and former actor.
He attended Auchmuty High School and later Kirkcaldy College, where he studied drama. He went on to study at the Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales, where he received an award for most promising drama student. Scott took his stage name from his grandmother's surname, Dougray, when he joined Equity, because there was already a Stephen Scott registered.
Career
Scott began his acting career in national theatre, television, and puppet shows. His breakout role came on stage in a play called Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love. His early television credits include Taggart, Lovejoy, Tell Tale Hearts, Stay Lucky, Soldier Soldier, The Crow Road. His first major film role was in 1997’s dark comedy Twin Town, set in Swansea, Wales. His international breakthrough came the following year when he played Prince Henry to Drew Barrymore’s Cinderella in Ever After. Scott played the villain in Mission: Impossible 2 (and was selected to do so by Tom Cruise). He was cast to play Wolverine in the feature film version of X-Men, but Mission: Impossible 2 went over schedule, and he was injured in a motorbike accident while shooting the chase scene. He was forced to drop out of the project and was replaced by Hugh Jackman in X-Men. Scott turned down the chance to play Aragorn in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, as he didn’t fancy spending two years filming three movies back to back in New Zealand.
In 2001, he played the hero in the film adaptation of the Robert Harris novel Enigma, for which he met leading mathematicians to understand the mechanics of code-breaking. In 2002, he appeared in the film adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith novel Ripley's Game with John Malkovich. After the 2002 release of Die Another Day, Scott was a candidate to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. Despite the numerous reports that Eon Productions was leaning towards naming Scott as the new Bond in the 007 adventure Casino Royale, the role eventually went to Daniel Craig. In January 2006, he appeared in the miniseries The Ten Commandments as Moses. He also appeared in the NBC series Heist, which aired in March 2006 for five episodes. From 2006 until 2007, he starred in the third season of Desperate Housewives as Teri Hatcher's character's new love interest. In 2007, he played the primary antagonist in the film Hitman, based on the Hitman video games. He appeared in the title role(s) of a modern re-telling of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. In May 2009, it was announced that he was to play ex-con Michael O' Connor in the new RTÉ-ITV drama Father & Son.
Scott starred in The Day of the Triffids. The drama was broadcast in December 2009 as part of the BBC One Christmas schedule. In 2011, Scott featured in the film Love's Kitchen alongside his wife Claire Forlani. In April 2011, Scott portrayed football manager Matt Busby in the BBC TV drama United, which was centred on the Munich air disaster of 1958, in which Busby was badly injured but survived. Also in 2011, he portrayed Arthur Miller in biographical drama My Week with Marilyn. In 2013, he guest starred as para-psychological researcher/ghost hunter Alec Palmer in the Doctor Who episode "Hide". In 2014, Scott portrayed the main villain in Taken 3.
In March 2016, Scott became the voice of Orby in adverts for the oil and gas company BP. In April 2016, Scott appeared in the second season of Fear the Walking Dead as Thomas Abigail, Victor Strand's business partner and lover. In 2019, Scott joined the CW series Batwoman as Jacob Kane, the title character's father, set in the Arrowverse. He left the series during its second season. He appeared on the show Crime, for which he won a BAFTA Scotland Award and an International Emmy Award. In 2025, Scott played in the Netflix movie Exterritorial his first German-speaking role alongside Jeanne Goursaud.
Personal life
Scott is the father of twins with former wife Sarah Trevis. On 8 June 2007, he married actress Claire Forlani in Italy. They have a son.
Scott is a fan of Hibernian Football Club, stemming from a grand-uncle being a scout for the team. Three maternal great-uncles were football referees, Tom Dougray being the most prominent.
Politics
Scott is in favour of Scottish independence, a socialist, and a republican.