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Background:
"Sexy is a girl who's comfortable with herself. Long legs are beautiful... and
also a nice neck." Scott Speedman British actor Scott Speedman first came to the
spotlight while portraying the lead role of Felicity's (Keri Russell) love
admiration Ben Covington in the WB's popular teen drama series Felicity
(1998-2002). He later stepped on the wide screen and received praise for acting
in the 2003 films My Life Without Me, and Underworld. One of Hollywood's new
breed of movie idols, Speedman also starred in such recent films as The 24th Day
(2004, opposite James Marsden), xXx: State of the Union (2005, alongside Ice
Cube and Samuel L. Jackson) and Underworld: Evolution (with Kate Beckinsale,
also in 2005). On a more personal note, 6' foot tall Scott is currently involved
with his Felicity costar, actress Keri Russell (born on March 23, 1976). The
couple was reported to have been dating for two years.
Aspiring National Swimmer
Childhood and Family:
Born on September 1, 1975, in London, England, Robert Scott Speedman later grew
up in Toronto, Canada. He is the son of Scottish parents, department store buyer
father Roy Speedman and elementary school teacher mother Mary Speedman, who was
an Olympic athlete and held a world record in running. He also has one sister
named Tracey Speedman.
Scott attended the Earl Haig High School in Toronto, Canada, where he started
acting on a dare from a girlfriend. He continued his college study at the
University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, where he was an aspiring swimmer. He
competed in the Olympic trials as part of the Canadian Junior National Swim
Team. However, an injury put his swimming career path on hold forever. After one
year of attending college, Scott left the university to pursue an acting career.
Underworld
Career:
"No, no, no, I don't. I don't think I could do a good imitation of Tommy Lee
Jones. I guess there is sort of a similarity there but that guy's pretty
amazing." Scott Speedman
Originally dreaming of being a professional swimmer, Scott Speedman was urged by
a girlfriend to appear on a Canadian version of an MTV show, Speaker's Corner,
for which he had to pay to perform. One of the show's directors noticed and
suggested he join an audition for the role of Robin in Batman Forever (1995),
which later went to Chris O'Donnell. Though he did not win the part, Scott
managed to sign with an agent.
With his new agent, Scott landed his foremost acting works on the small screen.
He was spotted as a guest in an episode of the action drama series Kung Fu: The
Legend Continues (in May of 1995) and the family horror Goosebumps (in February
of 1996). Afterward, he appeared in several Canadian TV movies including the
screen version of David Cruise and Alison Griffiths' book Net Worth (1995),
Nancy Drew (1995, TV Series), A Brother's Promise: The Dan Jansen Story (1996),
Giant Mine (1996) and Dead Silence (1997). He also starred in Kris Lefcoe's
17-minute movie Can I Get a Witness (1996) and in William Chambers' 26-minute
movie Ursa Major (1997).
After costarring with Kate Jackson and Drew Ebersole in the 1997 TV movie What
Happened to Bobby Earl? (a.k.a. Murder in a College Town), Scott won his first
starring role in a motion picture as one of the teenagers indulging in a house
party in Canadian director Gary Burns' wild romp Kitchen Party (1997).
Subsequently, Scott went back to television acting in the TV movies Every 9
Seconds (1997) and Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Couples (1998), the latter
of which was inspired by Gay Block's book.
1998 was Scott's breakout year. TV series creator J.J. Abrams handed him the
lead role of Keri Russell's love attention Ben Covington in the WB's college
teen drama Felicity (also starring Scott Foley). The series received warm
reviews and was aired from 1998 to 2002. It consequently gave Scott more fans
and brought him to the limelight. While working on Felicity, Scott joined with
Gwyneth Paltrow in her father's film, the musical drama Duets in 2000. Two years
later, he teamed with Kurt Russell and Ving Rhames portraying tutored rookie
Bobby Keough in Ron Shelton's thriller drama Dark Blue. He also costarred with
Sarah Polley in Isabel Coixet's adaptation of Nanci Kincaid's book, the romantic
drama My Life Without Me in 2003, for which he won Best Actor at the Bordeaux
International Festival of Women in Cinema Golden Wave award.
Scott's most recognized big screen role was probably that of peace-loving
werewolf Michael Corvin in Len Wiseman's action horror film Underworld (2003).
The role netted him an award at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror
Films and Scott later reprised his role in its second installment, Underworld:
Evolution, in 2005.
Being asked about the 2005 sequel of Underworld, Scott said, "Actually they
really did a good job. I was really, really, really impressed by the end of the
movie. They got a great photographer, great cast, and it's good, good, good
writing in the movie." He added "...But I mean, they do a good job of holding it
together. I mean, Kate [Beckinsale] takes it and makes it a lot stronger - even
than the first one. She does a real good job."
In 2004, Scott became a married man on screen as Tom, a man who allows himself
to be picked up by a gay filmmaker (played by James Marsden) in Tony
Piccirillo's adaptation of his own play, the thriller 24 Day. More recent, in
2005, he united with Ice Cube and Samuel L. Jackson in Lee Tamahori's 2005
sequel of xXx, entitled xXx: State of the Union. In the action adventure film
written by Simon Kinberg, Scott played ambitious FBI Agent Kyle Steele, who
assumed Ice Cube's character was just another dangerous crook.
"I'd like to do some more serious indie movies but, you know, they're not the
easiest thing in the world for me to get. I mean, I'm trying to get what I can
get. I don't necessarily want to do small movies. I want to do really good,
edgy, off-center movies. But we'll see what I can find." Scott Speedway
Awards
- Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films: Cinescape Genre
- Face of the Future Award - Male, Underworld, 2004
- Bordeaux International Festival of Women in Cinema: Golden Wave - Best
- Actor, My Life Without Me, 2003
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