Scott Hylands Douglas (27 February 1943 – 29 July 2026) was a Canadian actor who appeared in film, television, and on stage. Due to his longevity and versatility, critics have called him "one of Canada's greatest actors."
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Early years
Scott Hylands Douglas was born in 1943 in Lethbridge, Alberta. His mother, Ruth (née White) Douglas (1913–2005), was a public health nurse, later a mathematics teacher, and his father, Walter Norman Douglas, was killed in action in 1945, during World War II. He was raised and educated in southwest British Columbia, where he attended Shawnigan Lake Boys School on Vancouver Island. He then attended the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and graduated in 1964. Hylands initially studied zoology, but when the university began a theater arts major, he transferred into that program.
Upon graduation, he left Canada to pursue an acting career in New York City, where his first role was as the lead in an off-Broadway production of the comedy Billy Liar.
Career in the United States
After appearing on Billy Liar in 1965, he spent several years in San Francisco, acting with the American Conservatory Theater. Then, in 1968, he was asked by Canadian-American Hollywood film director Mark Robson to audition for a movie role. His first film appearance was in the 1969 suspense film Daddy's Gone A-Hunting. His performance received positive reviews, but his film debut was overshadowed by another film released at the same time, Midnight Cowboy.
In August 1975, Hylands appeared onstage as Mercutio in the Los Angeles Free Shakespeare Society production of Romeo and Juliet at the John Anson Ford Theater, known at the time as The Pilgrimage Theatre, in the Cahuenga Pass. He received critical praise, both for his acting skill and for his good looks.
While he did not become a household name, he worked regularly, appearing in a number of movies, as well as in some American television shows. Among the television shows in which he acted were Cannon, The Waltons, Kung Fu, Baretta, and Ironside.
On American television, he became well known for playing tough guy characters and villains: as he noted in an interview, if an actor was not the leading man, he generally plays a "heavy."
Career in Canada
In 1980, Hylands, while still living in California, was cast in Canada's Norfolk television production of Jack London's Tales of the Klondike in the one hour episode In A Far Country playing the lead opposite Robert Carradine and filmed in Canada (produced in Toronto; it aired in 1981 on CBC, Channel 4 [UK], and German, French and Italian television). This was the beginning of his Canadian career and he played leading roles at the Stratford Festival afterwards in 1981-1982 season and this occasioned his return to work and live in Canada. He was subsequently cast as Detective Kevin "O.B." O'Brien on the television series Night Heat, a police drama, produced in Toronto; it aired in both Canada on CTV and America on CBS from 1985 to 1989. This was his first recurring television starring role.
After Night Heat was canceled, Hylands continued to live in Canada, settling in Salt Spring Island, where he lived for 25 years with his wife, Veronica, a nurse, and their two children. They later relocated to Victoria. He worked in both American and Canadian productions. He appeared as Father Travis in the ABC series V.
Hylands appeared on numerous other programs, including the 1992 television film To Catch a Killer, a 1995 episode of the police drama NYPD Blue, and on four episodes of the revival of The Outer Limits from 1996 to 2001. He also returned to the Canadian stage, playing leading roles in such productions as Waiting for Godot (2015), and The Tempest (1994), among others. He produced and directed a 2008 version of Waiting for Godot and performed in a solo version of A Christmas Carol. In addition, Hylands directed and performed in a 2006 production of Under Milk Wood that was staged in Victoria BC.
In 2021, at age 78, Hylands expressed no interest in retiring and continued to be involved with theater until sidelined by health issues.
Health and death
In 2021, shortly after his daughter's wedding, Hylands was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. A GoFundMe account was posted by his wife to help pay for the well-regarded but expensive medication, Venclexta, needed for Hylands' chemotherapy treatment.
Hylands died from complications of acute myeloid leukemia after five years of remission, on 29 July 2026, at the age of 83. His death was publicly announced by his son.