Dougray Scott has enjoyed a career that has spanned over twenty years yet he still remains one of the UK's most underrated actors.
Born Stephen Dougray Scott he got the acting bug after studying a foundation course in drama before going on to learn his trade at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff between 1984-87.
Like so many actors he kicked off his career in television his big break coming in popular show Soldier Soldier in 1995.
He made his movie debut two years later in Twin Town a black comedy set in South Wales alongside Rhys Ifans. But it was 1998 that brought the actor his breakthrough movie role in the form of Ever After: A Cinderella Story.
Starring Drew Barrymore the film follows Danielle, orphaned by her father's death, is raised by a wicked and snotty stepmother (Anjelica Huston) and her two daughters.
When she accidentally stumbles onto Prince Henry (Dougray Scott), the future King of France, the two inspire one another to resolve their respective troubles at home in this romantic fable.
The film was a hit and met well by the critics and Scott had arrived on the global acting stage.
After appearing in Deep Impact and Gregory's Two Girls until he got his first taste of the big budget blockbuster in Mission Impossible II, hand picked by Tom Cruise himself to play the movie's villain.
The film, of course, was a massive commercial hit. Scott had also been cast to play Wolverine in the first of the X-Men movies but when Mission Impossible II filming ran over by two months he had to drop out of the project and was replaced by Hugh Jackman.
Roles were coming in thick and fast for the actor with appearances in Enigma with Kate Winslet and Ripley's Games with John Malkovich.
He had built up such a bankable reputation that he was considered the lead candidate when the role of 007 was once again made vacant by the departure of Pierce Brosnan, however he lost out to Daniel Craig.
More recently Scott has split his time between the big screen and television appearing in shows such as Desperate Housewives and Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
This week he returns to the big screen with New Town Killers alongside Alastair Mackenzie. The film follows two Edinburgh bankers who kill for kicks, choosing their victims from the lowest rung of society: junkies, rent boys and alcoholics.
And over the next twelve months or so Scott is going to be incredibly busy TV series The Day of the Triffids and Father & Son and movies The Winter's Tale and Wave.
New Town Killers is released 12th June
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
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