Amiyah Scott

Amiyah Scott (born January 11, 1988) is a transgender actress, model, and dancer. She is best known for her role as Cotton on the Fox drama Star.

Amiyah Scott
Scott during an interview in June 2019
Born (1988-01-11) January 11, 1988
Manhattan, New York, US
NationalityAmerican
CitizenshipAmerican
OccupationActress
Author
Model
Years active2000–present

Early life

Amiyah Scott was born Arthur Scott in Manhattan on January 11, 1988.[1] She was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana.[2] As an adolescent, she experienced bullying. At 15, Scott underwent a partial male-to-female transition, and at 17, she fully transitioned.[3] At this time, she moved out of her parents' house and explored entrepreneurship opportunities.[4] Since young adulthood, she has been a well-respected member of the ball community.

Career

Acting

Scott became an internet celebrity when videos of her performing as part of ballrooms were uploaded to YouTube. She then became "Insta-famous" following the posting of a before-and-after photo which contrasted her young self, styled as male, and her current self, the self-actualized female.[5]

In 2015, it was announced that Scott had been added to the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta for its eighth season; she was the first transgender woman to be cast in the Real Housewives franchise.[6] Scott later left the show, stating that she was offended by the way the producers wanted her to behave, which she believed [7] would have been an exploitation of her trans identity.[8] Producers on Bravo later claimed the reason Scott was not on the show anymore was because her transgender identity was "not enough to make [her] interesting."[9]

Shortly after her departure from Housewives, Scott was cast by Lee Daniels in the show Star; this became Scott's first acting role.[10] In this role, Scott became the first trans-gender women to play a non-trans character in television. [11]

Other ventures

Activism

As one of the first trans-woman of color on television, she has been an impactful figure for many. In addition to acting, Scott is a motivational speaker and activist with the goal of giving a voice to transgender women. Her presentations focus on the themes of bullying, self-esteem, and self-acceptance.[12] At an event in Atlanta hosted by the Gay & Lesbian Association against Defamation (GLAAD), the GLAAD President, Sarah Kate Ellis, said that "Amiyah Scott is a talented actress and brilliant advocate who uses her voice to uplift transgender women of color and educate fans everywhere about transgender people and issues. At a time when LGBTQ visibility in the South is critical to moving our community forward, we are proud to stand with women like Amiyah to promote messages of love and acceptance." In addition, Scott is also vocal with politics. For example, she criticized some of the Trump administration's policies together with other activists in the transgender community such as Laverne Cox and Janet Mock. [13]

Books

Scott published her first book, a memoir called Memoirs of a Mermaid, on March 31, 2019.[14]

Cosmetics

Scott has a beauty line, Amiyah Beauty, with RivalWorld.[15] Her first product is a lip-gloss.

Awards
Year Award Notes
2018 GLAAD Rising Star Award[16] Bestowed at GLAAD Atlanta Gala

Filmography
Year TV show Role Notes
2016-2019 Star Cotton 48 episodes (Seasons 1-3)

Podcasts
Year TV show
May 7, 2019 LGBTQ&A[17]

References
  1. "Amiyah Scott Bio: Inside The Life Of The Transgender Model". Nail Buzz. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  2. Dennis, Ryan (20 March 2019). "Amiyah Scott gets real about 'STAR', filming in Atlanta, singing on the show". 11 Alive. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  3. Maglott, Stephen. "Amiyah Scott Biography". Ubuntu Biography Project. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  4. Leeuwen, Anne van (2017-10-19). "We Have Always Been Materialists". Oxford Scholarship Online. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190275594.003.0005.
  5. Jordan, Christal (8 May 2019). "Amiyah Scott transitions from social media phenomenon to Hollywood starlet". The Advocate. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  6. Wagmeister, Elizabeth (18 August 2015). "Bravo's 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Casts Transgender Woman for Season 8". Variety. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  7. Ho, Rodney (29 December 2015). "TMZ: Transgender Atlantan Amiyah Scott left 'Real Housewives' after a month, disgusted by treatment". AJC. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  8. Cross, LaToya (15 December 2016). "TRANS MODEL AMIYAH SCOTT TALKS LEE DANIELS 'STAR'". Jet Mag. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  9. Whitt, Jonell (4 January 2016). "Bravo producers claim they didn't want Amiyah Scott". Rolling Out. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  10. Burke, Minyvonne (6 December 2015). "'Empire' Spinoff Rumors: Amiyah Scott Reportedly Cast In Prequel; 4 Things To Know About The Transgender Model". IB Times. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  11. "Gale In Context: Biography - Document - AMIYAH SCOTT TALKS TRANS VISIBILITY: "WE'RE HERE AND WE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN HERE AND WE ALWAYS WILL BE HERE" AND KAT GRAHAM SPEAKS ON BEING A TRANS ALLY AT GLAAD ATLANTA". go.gale.com. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  12. Lamonier, Paulona (5 June 2017). "'Star' actress Amiyah Scott on Pokémon and life as a trans creative". The Undefeated. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  13. "Gale In Context: Biography - Document - AMIYAH SCOTT TALKS TRANS VISIBILITY: "WE'RE HERE AND WE ALWAYS HAVE BEEN HERE AND WE ALWAYS WILL BE HERE" AND KAT GRAHAM SPEAKS ON BEING A TRANS ALLY AT GLAAD ATLANTA". go.gale.com. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  14. Keith, K. (12 March 2019). "Amiyah Scott Releasing First Book, Memoirs of a Mermaid". Gaye Magazine. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  15. https://www.prweb.com/releases/amiyah_scott_launches_inclusive_beauty_line_amiyah_beauty/prweb16524156.htm
  16. https://www.glaad.org/blog/star-actress-amiyah-scott-be-honored-rising-star-award-pose-actress-angelica-ross-glaad-atlanta
  17. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amiyah-scott-hollywoods-new-leading-lady/id1151561226?i=1000437391025
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