Scott's fledgling career took off big time after being discovered by director Norman Jewison who cast him as a murder suspect in En el calor de la noche (1967) starring Sidney Poitier and "Best Actor" Oscar winner Rod Steiger. If that weren't a sufficient beginning, Wilson immediately followed this with the co-lead role of murderer Richard Hickok in the stark and disturbing A sangre fría (1967), a superlative adaptation of Truman Capote best-selling docu-novel. It didn't hurt that Scott himself had a startling resemblance to the real-life killer. Partnering up with Robert Blake as two ex-cons who are eventually executed for the senseless, brutal slaughter of an entire Kansas farm family, the critically acclaimed film put both men squarely on the movie map.
Although a serious contender, out-and-out stardom did not come about for the quietly handsome, slightly forlorn-looking actor. Major roles in major pictures, however, did. Among Scott's early film work were La fortaleza (1969) and Los temerarios del aire(1969), both starring Burt Lancaster; La banda de los Grissom (1971); Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973) (again with Steiger); Los nuevos centuriones (1972); El gran Gatsby (1974), in which he earned raves as the garage owner who shoots Robert Redford's title character to death in Gatsby's backyard swimming pool; La novena configuración (1980), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination; Elegidos para la gloria (1983); the Venice Film Festival winner El año del sol tranquilo (1984) [A Year of the Quiet Sun]; Malone (1987) and Johnny el Guapo (1989). TV also showed off Scott's dark, controlled intensity and wide range in later years, appearing in guest spots on such popular dramas as "The X-Files" and "The Twilight Zone," and in a recurring role as Marg Helgenberger's unscrupulous mobster father in "CSI." In minimovies Scott played everything from Elvis's father in Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold Story (1993) to a Wyoming governor in Sin piedad (1999).
Hardly one of Hollywood's flashiest good ol' boys, the taciturn, unassuming actor has preferred to remain discrete and let his performances do the talking. His output has been minimal compared with other character stars, but he has remained in the quality ranks nevertheless, mixing his standard penchant for darker movies with such family-oriented films as Shiloh (1996) and its 2006 sequel.
Supporting the newer "young guns" these days, he appeared with Vince Vaughn inDemasiado profundo (1998) and Ryan Phillippe in Secuestro infernal (2000), and ended up one of serial killer Charlize Theron's victims in Monster (2003). Other strong showings on the big screen have included a lead part as a rockabilly star in Don't Let Go (2002) and his down-home patriarch in the superb ensemble art film Junebug (2005), a breakout hit with Academy voters. More recently, Scott has gained a following sporting a full grey beard and ponytailed as grizzled farm owner Hershel Greene in the cable series The Walking Dead: Webisodes (2011).
Wilson resides in Los Angeles along with his wife of nearly four decades, Heavenly, an attorney and accomplished artist and writer.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net
Spouse
Heavenly Koh (1977 - present)
Personal Quotes
I'm not a great hunter. But I have fired guns in the past, when I was growing up. But it was part of growing up where I lived. You go out hunting or target practice. They also taught you to respect guns.
I will say this: the first film that I was on was 'In the Heat of the Night', that Norman Jewison directed with Sidney Poitier. I'm on the set, and I'm totally taking it for granted. Everyone is working for everyone else and pulling for the very best, and it makes everyone better because you feel that effort and concern and appreciation.
Music can get me through anything.
I am cursed with the inability to sleep on planes - ever.
I am a stickler for always having to know what time it is.
When you arrive to a set and you see the sky all lit up and the sets all lit up, for me it is very exhilarating and it's a lot of fun. It's really fun to see that and to be a part of it. It's just like going to the circus.
I learned very early on just how important it is to work with good people. It's important to have a good prop department, and a good director of photography. A lot of people don't understand just how collaborative filmmaking is. Actors often get credit for making a film great, but filmmaking is a total collaboration and everyone should get the credit.
I love getting into the research for the characters that I play. You do all that research and then you just give yourself to it and let go and allow it to take you where it wants to go.
Heavenly Koh (1977 - present)
Personal Quotes
I'm not a great hunter. But I have fired guns in the past, when I was growing up. But it was part of growing up where I lived. You go out hunting or target practice. They also taught you to respect guns.
I will say this: the first film that I was on was 'In the Heat of the Night', that Norman Jewison directed with Sidney Poitier. I'm on the set, and I'm totally taking it for granted. Everyone is working for everyone else and pulling for the very best, and it makes everyone better because you feel that effort and concern and appreciation.
Music can get me through anything.
I am cursed with the inability to sleep on planes - ever.
I am a stickler for always having to know what time it is.
When you arrive to a set and you see the sky all lit up and the sets all lit up, for me it is very exhilarating and it's a lot of fun. It's really fun to see that and to be a part of it. It's just like going to the circus.
I learned very early on just how important it is to work with good people. It's important to have a good prop department, and a good director of photography. A lot of people don't understand just how collaborative filmmaking is. Actors often get credit for making a film great, but filmmaking is a total collaboration and everyone should get the credit.
I love getting into the research for the characters that I play. You do all that research and then you just give yourself to it and let go and allow it to take you where it wants to go.
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