OZ SCOTT is an accomplished and award-winning television, theatrical and motion picture director. In his four decades plus years of experience, he has directed hundreds of television episodes along with dozens of stage productions, made- for-TV movies and motion pictures.
Mr. Scott began his professional theatrical career at Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage, with The Living Stage, an improvisational touring company. Soon afterwards, Scott found himself working in New York for Joseph Papp, where he stage managed Edgar White’s “La Gente” and “Crucificado,” “Merry Wives of Windsor” and Ed Bullins’ “Taking of Miss Janie,” Miguel Pinero’s “The Sun Always Shines for the Cool,” and Ruby Dee’s “Twin Bit Gardens.” Scott’s New York stage career then moved him into the director’s realm.
Oz staged and took to Broadway the widely acclaimed, for colored girls who considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf by Ntozake Shange.
In the midst of his success in NY, Universal called Scott to come to LA to direct Bustin’ Loose with Richard Pryor and Cicely Tyson.
This wizard of directing is no stranger to success. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Oz’s directorial talents enhanced the success of popular prime-time skeins such as The Cosby Show, Northern Exposure, Chicago Hope, Picket Fences, LA Law, Diagnosis Murder, Hill Street Blues, Fame, Dirty Dancing, 227, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Gimme A Break, and many others.
He directed the first of Disney Channel’s musical franchises, THE CHEETAH GIRLS, for which he received a DGA Award Nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement. Among his list of television credits are multiple episodes of the David Mamet and Shawn Ryan CBS series THE UNIT, and the Jerry Bruckheimer series CSI, CSI: NY and JUST LEGAL. He was also the Producer/Director on Denise Di Novi’s CBS series THE DISTRICT. He has a number of TV shows on right now. S.W.A.T., KINGDOM BUSINESS, ALERT; MISSINGS PERSONS, LAW AND ORDER OC, CHICAGO PD and MED.
In 2002, Scott directed one of VH1’s highest-rated programs, the original motion picture, Play’d – A Hip Hop Story. Directing Play’d added to Oz’s list of motion picture credits, which include Tears and Laughter: The Joan and Melissa Rivers Story (1994), Spanish Judges (1999) featuring Vincent D’Onofrio and Matthew Lillard.
Mr. Scott believes being well rounded is essential to achieving longevity. His versatility has allowed him to maintain his presence in the theater. He has directed at many of the major Regional Theaters, from Chicago’s Goodman Theater where he directed Ifa Bayeza’s “The Ballad of Emmett Till” to Cincinnatti Playhouse where he directed Endesha Holland’s “Mississippi Delta”, Daniel Beatty’s “Resurrection” at Arena Stage, The Hartford Stage to the Philadelphia Theater Company. He participated in The Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference for many years. Traveling to Russia with The Old Settler for the O’Neill Playwrights Conference, Scott directed both an American cast as well as a Russian cast in a Russian translation. Oz was the Artistic Director of The TV and Film Conference at The O’Neill. Oz recently directed a production ofINTIMATE APPAREL for Arizona Theater Company to rave reviews. “The play, directed sensitively and with keen attention to detail by Oz Scott, embodies and integrates the best elements of professional staging.” Broadway World.
On top of his work in the entertainment business he is also been very involved in the Los Angeles Community. For 7 years Oz Scott was a Commissioner for Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission.
For more than ten years Oz was on the Board of Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science. He was on the California Finance Committee for Jesse Jackson’s 1988 Presidential run. He directed the video that introduced Jesse Jackson to the Democratic Convention.
In 1990 Oz Scott continued to put his entertainment experience together with his community work by directing the Nelson Mandela US tour at the LA Coliseum keeping 80,000 people entertained for 3 and a half hours without a break.
Oz Scott has been on the Advisory Board for Cal State Northridge College of Arts, Media, and Communication.
One of the most important events Oz has been involved in is hosting, along with his wife Lynne, the Jackie Robinson Foundation’s Jazz On The Grass (JOTG) in their backyard. They were thrilled to continue a tradition that was begun by Jackie Robinson and his wife Rachel who started these Jazz concerts in their backyard starting in 1963. They hosted this event at their home for 7 years.
Oz Scott is also very active with both of his unions. The Directors Guild of America where he was a member of the National Board. He had been on the Stage Directors and Choreographers Union board where he served as the Secretary for the Union. SDC’s headquarters are based in NYC. In the Unions attempt to show their national presence Oz Scott is proud to be the first officer of the Union to live outside the NYC area.
With all of the community work Oz Scott has done he still is a highly sought after director whose notable work throughout the past decade can be seen on dozens of highly-rated network and cable series.
Recognized for his contributions, Oz has received an NAACP Image Award, the Drama Desk Award, a Village Voice OBIE Award for Off Broadway, Genesis Award, and the Nancy Susan Reynolds Award.
Mr. Scott is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (M.F.A.).