Naomi Scott

Naomi Scott (born 6 May 1993) is an English[1] actress and singer. Born in Hounslow, London, Scott began her career with a starring role on the Disney Channel series Life Bites (2008–2009) and gained wider recognition for starring in the television musical film Lemonade Mouth (2011), for which she performed on the chart-topping eponymous soundtrack. Following this breakthrough, she starred in the science fiction series Terra Nova (2011) and the superhero film Power Rangers (2017).

Naomi Scott
Scott in 2016
Born (1993-05-06) 6 May 1993 (age 30)
Hounslow, London, England
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active2008–present
Spouse
(m. 2014)

In 2019, Scott starred in the action comedy Charlie's Angels and the live-action fantasy film Aladdin, which brought her to international prominence. After a brief break from acting, she starred in the Netflix thriller miniseries Anatomy of a Scandal (2022), and will next star in an upcoming sequel to Smile.

Early life

Scott was born on 6 May 1993 in Hounslow, London,[2] to an English father and an Indian mother.[3] Her mother Usha Scott (née Joshi), who was born in Uganda and emigrated to the United Kingdom at a young age, is Gujarati.[4][5][6] Scott also has an older brother, Joshua.[7]

At eight years old, she and her family moved to Woodford, London,[8] where both of her parents were pastors at the Bridge Church.[9] She grew up listening to gospel and R&B music, specific singers Kim Burrell, Mary Mary, and Kirk Franklin, and singing in church.[10] She attended Davenant Foundation School in Loughton, Essex.[11] She left the school halfway through taking her A-Levels to pursue her role in the series Terra Nova.[12]

Career

Scott was discovered by British pop singer Kéllé Bryan from the girl group Eternal, who signed her as a client.[13] She went to work with British songwriters and producers Xenomania.[14] In 2014, the YouTube channel "Reload" published two videos featuring her, as part of their "Reload Sessions" series.[15][16] Her first major acting role was Disney Channel UK series Life Bites.

In 2010, she was cast as Mohini "Mo" Banjaree in the acclaimed 2011 Disney Channel original film Lemonade Mouth, her first role in an American production.[17][18] She told Collider that "I [also] remember being introduced to craft services for the first time. And for me, it’s this US production and I was like, oh my gosh, they have a trolley of candy that just came around! And to me I just thought, I’ve made it. This is what I’ve wanted. This is what it’s all about. It’s all about candy on a trolley."[18] Khalid McCalla of The Oberlin Review believed that Scott "absolutely crushes it."[19] She additionally contributed vocals to the film's commercially successful soundtrack.[20] The song "She's So Gone" featured Scott on lead vocals; it was included on Billboard's list of "The 100 Greatest Disney Songs of All Time".[21] That same year she was cast as Maddy Shannon in the science fiction series Terra Nova, which premiered in September 2011 on Fox.[22] The series was not renewed for a second season.[23]

In 2013, Scott appeared in the music video for the song "Hurricane", by her Lemonade Mouth co-star Bridgit Mendler. In August 2014, she independently released her debut EP Invisible Division.[24] Scott was cast as Ryoko in Ridley Scott's The Martian. She filmed her scenes but most of them (including every scene where Scott speaks) were removed from the final cut, effectively making her an "extra" in the film.[25] Screen International selected Scott as one of their 2015 Stars of Tomorrow.[26] In October, she was cast in a co-leading role as Kimberly Hart, the Pink Ranger, in Power Rangers (2017), a film adaptation of the TV series of the same name.[27] The film was released on 24 March 2017,[28] and earned Scott a Teen Choice Award nomination.[29] The film was met with mixed reviews upon release and was a box office disappointment, grossing $142 million worldwide against a budget of $105 million.[30][31]

The cast of Charlie's Angels in 2019

In 2019, Scott starred as Princess Jasmine in Aladdin, a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1992 animated film of the same name.[32][33] Scott's casting over a "Middle Eastern or Arab actress" attracted comment.[34] In his review for the San Francisco Chronicle, critic Mick LaSalle found Scott to be the "real star" of the film and that she "thrives and gives everything to her new power anthem ['Speechless']".[35] Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times wrote that Scott "absolutely sparkles" in her performance of "Speechless".[36] For her role, Scott won the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Sci-Fi/Fantasy and also received a nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.[37][38] Aladdin was also commercially successful, grossing $1 billion at the box office.[39][40] Also in 2019, Scott starred as one of the three leads, alongside Kristen Stewart and Ella Balinska, in the action comedy Charlie's Angels, the third installment within the franchise of the same name, released in November.[1][41][42] The film received mixed reviews from critics.[43]

In 2022, Scott played Olivia Lytton, a parliamentary aide, in the Netflix series Anatomy of a Scandal.[44] She will next star in the untitled sequel to the horror film Smile,[45] the science fiction film Distant,[46] the epic romance film Eternal Return,[47] and the crime comedy film Wizards![48]

Personal life

Scott is a Christian.[49] She is a UK ambassador to the Christian charity organisation Compassion International, sponsoring children and families living in poverty.[50][6] She suffers from the skin condition eczema.[51] She holds a black belt in karate, having studied it since her youth, which she credits as helpful with her roles in Power Rangers and Charlie's Angels.[52][53]

In June 2014, Scott married English footballer Jordan Spence after four years of dating.[54][55] The couple met at church when she was 16.[12][56]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2015The 33Escarlette Sepulveda Valdivia
The MartianRyokoDeleted scene[25]
Hello, AgainMauraShort film
2017Power RangersKimberly Hart / Pink Ranger
2019AladdinPrincess Jasmine
Charlie's AngelsElena Houghlin
2024Untitled Smile sequelTBAFilming
TBADistantNaomi CallowayPost-production
Eternal ReturnCass
Wizards!TBA

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2008–2009Life BitesMeganMain role
2011Lemonade MouthMohini "Mo" BanjareeTelevision film
Terra NovaMaddy ShannonMain role
Sadie JClareEpisode: "Crushamondo"
2013By Any MeansVanessa Velasquez1 episode
2015LewisSahira DesaiEpisode "One For Sorrow"
2022Modern Love TokyoEmmaEpisode: “He Saved His Last Lesson For Me”
Anatomy of a ScandalOlivia LyttonMain role

Podcasts

YearTitleRoleRef.
2021Soft VoiceLydia[57]

Discography

Extended plays

List of EPs
TitleDetails
Invisible Division
Promises
  • Released: 5 August 2016[58]
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
  • Label: Independent
So Low / Undercover
  • Released: 7 June 2018[59]
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
  • Label: Independent

Singles

As lead artist

TitleYearAlbum
"Say Nothing"2014Invisible Division
"Motions"[60]
"Lover's Lies"[61]2016Promises
"Vows"[62]2017Non-album singles
"Irrelevant"[63]
(featuring Nick Brewer)
2018
"So Low"So Low / Undercover
"Undercover"
"You Say"[64]
(with Kinnship)
2019Kinnship Presents: A Thousand Fibres
"Desert Moon"[65]
(with Mena Massoud)
Non-album single

As featured artist

List of singles, with selected chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
US
[66]
US
Heat

[66]
UK
[67]
"Breakthrough"
(as part of Lemonade Mouth cast)
20118811200Lemonade Mouth
"Fall From Here"[68]
(Nick Brewer featuring Naomi Scott)
2014Four Miles Further
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Other charted songs

List of singles, with selected chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
US
Bub.

[69]
JPN
[70]
KOR
[71]
SCO
[72]
UK
[73]
"She's So Gone"20113Lemonade Mouth
"A Whole New World"
(with Mena Massoud)
2019191343Aladdin
"Speechless (Full)"234052573
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Guest appearances

TitleYearOther artist(s)Album
"More Than a Band"2011Lemonade Mouth castLemonade Mouth
"Livin' on a High Wire"
"Fall From Here (Jarreau Vandal Remix)"2015Nick BrewerWarning Light
"Speechless (Part 1)"2019Aladdin
"Speechless (Part 2)"

Music videos

TitleYearOther artist(s)DirectorRef.
As lead artist
"Motions"2014NonePeter Szewczyk[78]
"Lover's Lies"2017Daniel Cummings[79]
"Vows"Naomi Scott[80]
"Speechless (Full)"2019[81]
"A Whole New World"Mena MassoudGuy Ritchie[82]
As featured artist
"Fall From Here"2014Nick BrewerMatthew Walker[83]
Guest appearances
"Hurricane"2013Bridgit MendlerRobert Hales[84]

As a director

TitleYearArtist(s)Co-directorRef.
"Forget You"2019Nick BrewerJordan Spence[54]

Awards and nominations

AwardYearCategoryWorkResultRef.
Teen Choice Awards2017Choice Sci-Fi Movie ActressPower RangersNominated[29]
Teen Choice Awards2019Choice Fantasy Movie ActressAladdinWon[85]
Saturn Awards2019Best Supporting ActressNominated[38]
Shorty Awards2020Best ActorHerselfNominated[86]

References

External links