1. Overview
Thomas Everett Scott, born on September 7, 1970, is an American actor widely recognized for his extensive work across film, television, and theatre. His career spans decades, marked by a diverse range of roles that have established him as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry. Scott gained significant recognition for his starring role as the drummer Guy Patterson in the 1996 film That Thing You Do!, which served as a major breakthrough in his early career.
Beyond his notable film appearances, Scott has maintained a strong presence in television, taking on main, recurring, and guest roles in various series. His television work includes Detective Russell Clarke in Southland, Charles Garnett in Z Nation, and recurring characters like Eric Wyczenski in ER and Kevin Duval in Scream. He has also contributed his voice to animated productions and video games, further diversifying his acting portfolio.
2. Early life
Thomas Everett Scott's early life was rooted in Massachusetts, where he developed the foundations for his future acting career.
2.1. Birth and upbringing
Scott was born on September 7, 1970, in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts. His mother, Cynthia "Cindy" (née Pierce), worked as an insurance sales representative, while his father, William Joseph "Bill" Scott, was a civil engineer who passed away in 2007.
2.2. Education
Scott pursued his higher education at Syracuse University, from which he graduated in 1992. Initially, he enrolled as a communications major, but his academic path eventually shifted, leading him to major in drama. It was during his time at Syracuse University that he began to seriously pursue his aspirations in acting.
3. Career
Thomas Everett Scott's career has evolved through various stages, encompassing significant roles across film, television, and theatre, as well as contributions to voice acting and video games.
3.1. Early career
Scott began his professional acting career with early appearances in television and commercials. In 1993, he appeared in an episode of Law & Order and a commercial for Crest toothpaste. His first notable television role was as Matthew in the situation comedy Grace Under Fire, where he played the title character's illegitimate son, whom she had placed for adoption. He held this role for several seasons from 1995 to 1997.
A pivotal moment in his early career came in 1996 when he secured the role of Guy Patterson in the film That Thing You Do!. Initially, the film's director and actor, Tom Hanks, was hesitant to cast Scott due to his resemblance to Hanks himself. However, Hanks's wife, Rita Wilson, persuaded him to cast Scott in the lead role, which ultimately became a breakthrough for Scott.
3.2. Film career
Scott has starred in and contributed to a wide array of films throughout his career, showcasing his versatility across genres. Following his breakthrough in That Thing You Do!, he took on lead roles in films such as An American Werewolf in Paris (1997), where he played the protagonist Andy McDermott, and Dead Man on Campus (1998), in which he portrayed Josh Miller. He co-starred with Kate Capshaw and Tom Selleck in The Love Letter (1999) as Johnny Howell.
His filmography also includes a role in the cult film Boiler Room (2000) as Michael Brantley, and an uncredited cameo in Van Wilder (2002). In 1999, he played Bert Cates in the film Inherit the Wind, appearing alongside veteran actors George C. Scott and Jack Lemmon. He also appeared as Jason Grant, one of Mandy Moore's character's boyfriends, in the 2007 comedy Because I Said So.
Later in his career, Scott took on supporting roles in films such as Race to Witch Mountain (2009), Tanner Hall (2009), Parental Guidance (2012), and Enemies Closer (2013). In Danger One (2018), he portrayed Dean, an affable but amoral paramedic. He also appeared in the critically acclaimed film La La Land (2016) as David. More recently, he starred as Frank Heffley in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (2017) and Rob Sobiech in Clouds (2020).
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | That Thing You Do! | Guy Patterson | |
| 1997 | An American Werewolf in Paris | Andy McDermott | |
| 1998 | One True Thing | Brian Gulden | |
| Dead Man on Campus | Josh Miller | ||
| River Red | Dave Holden | Also producer | |
| 1999 | The Love Letter | Johnny Howell | |
| Top of the Food Chain | Guy Fawkes | ||
| 2000 | Attraction | Garrett | |
| Boiler Room | Michael Brantley | ||
| 2002 | Van Wilder | Elliot Grebb | |
| 2005 | Sexual Life | Todd | |
| 2006 | Air Buddies | Buddy | Voice |
| 2007 | Because I Said So | Jason Grant | |
| 2008 | Snow Buddies | Buddy | Voice |
| 2009 | Race to Witch Mountain | Mr. Matheson | |
| Tanner Hall | Gio | ||
| 2011 | Mars Needs Moms | Milo's Dad | Voice |
| 2012 | Parental Guidance | Phil Simmons | |
| Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups | Santa Paws | Voice | |
| 2013 | Enemies Closer | Henry Taylor | |
| 2015 | Bravetown | Jim | |
| Forever | Fred | ||
| 2016 | Pup Star | Charlie | Voice |
| La La Land | David | ||
| Vanished - Left Behind: Next Generation | Damon | ||
| 2017 | The Last Word | Ronald Odom | |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul | Frank Heffley | ||
| Pup Star: Better 2Gether | Charlie | Voice | |
| 2018 | Collusions | Martin | |
| Danger One | Dean | ||
| Back Roads | Brad Mercer | ||
| 2019 | I Hate Kids | Nick Pearson | |
| 2020 | Clouds | Rob Sobiech | |
| 2020 | Sister of the Groom | Ethan | |
| 2021 | Finding You | Montgomery Rush | |
| 2023 | One True Loves | Michael |
3.3. Television career
Scott has had a prolific career in television, appearing in numerous series and television films, often in significant roles. He had recurring roles on the medical drama ER in 2002 and 2003 as Eric Wyczenski. He also co-starred in the series Philly from 2001 to 2002, playing Will Froman, a lawyer partnering with Kim Delaney. Although the show received critical acclaim, it suffered from poor ratings and was cancelled after one season. He also starred as Wyatt Cole in Saved, a medical drama series on TNT in 2006.
From 2009 to 2013, Scott played Detective Russell Clarke in the series Southland. Initially a main role, he became a recurring character in the second season and continued to appear in selected episodes of the third and fifth seasons after the show was dropped by NBC and subsequently picked up by TNT. Other notable television roles include Charles Garnett in Z Nation (2014), Sam Landon in Beauty & the Beast (2014), Kevin Duval in Scream (2015-2016), William Cecil in Reign (2015-2016), and Mr. Down in 13 Reasons Why (2017-2019). He also co-starred as Mike Harris in the truTV sitcom I'm Sorry for two seasons from 2017 to 2019, alongside Andrea Savage. In 2008, he starred as Jack Cutting on the ABC's brief comedy-drama series Cashmere Mafia. He also appeared in four episodes of Law & Order from 2008 to 2009, playing the fictional Governor of New York, Don Shalvoy. More recently, he has been a series regular as Adam Fisher in The Summer I Turned Pretty since 2022.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Law & Order | Charles Wilson | Episode: "Pride and Joy" |
| 1994 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Matt Hansen | Episode: "Love in the Dark Ages" |
| 1995-1997 | Grace Under Fire | Matthew | 5 episodes |
| 1999 | Inherit the Wind | Bertram Cates | Television film |
| 2000-2001 | The $treet | Jack T. Kenderson | 12 episodes |
| 2001-2002 | Philly | Will Froman | Main role, 22 episodes |
| 2002-2003 | Do Over | Adult Joel Larsen | Voice, 13 episodes; uncredited |
| ER | Eric Wyczenski | 8 episodes | |
| 2003 | Will & Grace | Alex | Episode: "Strangers with Candice" |
| 2004 | Justice League Unlimited | Booster Gold | Voice, episode: "The Greatest Story Never Told" |
| Karroll's Christmas | Allen Karroll | Television film | |
| 2005 | Stacked | Gavin P. Miller | Episode: "Unaired Pilot" |
| 2006 | Saved | Wyatt Cole | Main role, 13 episodes |
| 2008 | Cashmere Mafia | Jack Cutting | 3 episodes |
| Sons of Anarchy | Rosen | 3 episodes | |
| 2008-2009 | Law & Order | Governor Donald Shalvoy | 4 episodes |
| 2009-2011 | Batman: The Brave and the Bold | Booster Gold | Voice, 8 episodes |
| 2009-2013 | Southland | Detective Russell Clarke | Main role, 17 episodes |
| 2010 | The Devil's Teardrop | Parker Kincaid | Television film |
| 2011 | Bad Mom | Ted Lacey | Television film |
| 2012 | GCB | Andrew Remington | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Independence Daysaster | Sam Garsette | Television film |
| Bloodline | Dr. Christopher Benson | Television film | |
| 2014 | Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio | Joe Matthews / Micah Matthias | Television film |
| Beauty and the Beast | Sam Landon | 5 episodes | |
| Z Nation | Charles Garnett | 6 episodes | |
| 2015 | How to Get Away with Murder | Father Andrew Crawford | Episode: "The Night Lila Died" |
| Criminal Minds | Greg Sullivan | Episode: "Beyond Borders" | |
| 2015-2016 | Scream | Kevin Duval | 6 episodes |
| Reign | William Cecil | 6 episodes | |
| 2016 | Elementary | Henry Baskerville | Episode: "Hounded" |
| 2016 | Sister Cities | Chief Barton Brady | Television film |
| 2017-2019 | 13 Reasons Why | Mr. Down | 8 episodes |
| 2017 | Christmas Connection | Jonathan Murphy | Television film |
| 2017-2019 | I'm Sorry | Mike Harris | Main role, 20 episodes |
| 2019 | God Friended Me | Paul Levine | Episode: "Prophet and Loss" |
| 2020 | The Healing Powers of Dude | Marvin Ferris | Main role |
| 2020 | Council of Dads | Scott Perry | Guest role |
| 2021 | Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone | Ben Stone | Television film |
| 2021 | The Good Father: The Martin MacNeill Story | Martin MacNeill | Television film |
| 2022-present | The Summer I Turned Pretty | Adam Fisher | Series regular |
| 2022 | Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas | Sam Heskel | Television film |
3.4. Theatre career
Thomas Everett Scott has also made notable contributions to theatre. He starred in the Broadway theatre comedy The Little Dog Laughed, where he portrayed Mitchell Green, a closeted film star. The play was written by Douglas Carter Beane. In addition to his Broadway work, Scott has also performed in Off-Broadway productions.
3.5. Voice acting and video games
Scott has lent his voice to several animated films and television series, as well as video games. In film, he provided the voice for Buddy in Air Buddies (2006) and Snow Buddies (2008), Milo's Dad in Mars Needs Moms (2011), Santa Paws in Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups (2012), and Charlie in Pup Star (2016) and Pup Star: Better 2Gether (2017).
For television, he voiced the character of Booster Gold in an episode of Justice League Unlimited (2004) and in eight episodes of Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2009-2011). His voice work extends to video games, where he provided a voice in Call of Duty: Finest Hour (2004) and reprised his role as Booster Gold in Batman: The Brave and the Bold - The Videogame (2010).
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Call of Duty: Finest Hour | |
| 2010 | Batman: The Brave and the Bold - The Videogame | Booster Gold |
4. Personal life
Thomas Everett Scott's personal life includes his marriage and family.
4.1. Marriage and children
On December 13, 1997, Scott married Jenni Gallagher, whom he had met during their time at Syracuse University. The couple has two children.
5. Awards and nominations
Thomas Everett Scott has received several nominations for his acting work throughout his career.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Stinkers Bad Movie Awards | Worst On-Screen Couple | Dead Man on Campus | Nominated |
| 1999 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Hissy Fit | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Tribeca Festival Awards | Best Narrative Short | Glock | Nominated |
| 2017 | Gold Derby Awards | Ensemble Cast | La La Land | Nominated |