He’s the Hibbee tipped by Mick Jagger for enormous fame. Now, after Mission: Impossible 2, DOUGRAY SCOTT has found a cracking lead role in Enigma. So will he be the next Bond?
Words: James Smart
1 reads like a Britflick dreamteam. You’ve got the
bestselling novel by Robert Harris as yottr raw material.
Worried that a film adaptation might dumb down the script'.’ (iet playwright and .S'ltukespeure In l.()\'(' scriptwriter Tom Stoppard to reweavc the plotlines. Want a director who can keep the tension high but still work in a believable romance'.’ How about Michael Apted. a man able to top his (‘V with The lliirld Is Not [fitting/I and tail it with Gorillas In The .llisl'.’ And l)ougray Scott. Kate \‘l'inslett. Saffron Burrows and Jeremy Northam for the main roles‘.’ It's not a had little package.
It all sounds decidedly itnprcssive. though a glimmer of doubt enters on learning that rock fossil Mick Jagger is the film’s producer. l’op stars and films mix about as well as. well. Phil (‘ollins and Buster. But according to {\pted. this was a rather happier collaboration.
'\\'ell.‘ he says about Jagger. ‘he and Lorne Michaels bought the book about six years ago. so he has been involved right from the start. And you‘ve got to remember that Jagger is a very smart guy. In terms of his lame. I hope his celebrity will give linigmu a platform to lind an audience.‘
It helps. of cottrse. to have l)ougray Scott on board. The Scottish actor and llibs fan. fresh frotn swapping faces and bullets with Tom (‘ruise in the rip-roaring extravaganza that was .llissimz: [III/)().\'.\‘l/)/(’ 2. is described by Jagger as being ‘on the edge ofenormous fame'. In person. Scott seems a little level—headed for the movie industry and rather more interested in whether my green watch is anything to do with ('eltic or llibs (his team) than whether his career is to continue racing onwards and upwards. The watch dispensed with (it‘s just green). Scott sits back. fag in hand. to contemplate fame.
‘lt seetns like a weird thing to say.‘ he says. ‘1 mean. I understand what it means — you’re asking an actor: “Are you now enormously famous?" ~ but I don‘t feel famous at all. ()bviously .l'lt'ssiun: lm/mszvilrle tnade a lot of difference to my career. but as a person I'm the satne as I always was. I live in London and I like London. and I like being close to Scotland. I wouldn‘t care to live in l.:\ or somewhere like that.’
Scott was born in St Andrews and raised in (ilenrothes before performing (to ‘two men and their dog') at the lidinburgh l’ringe and attending the Welsh (‘ollege of Music and Drama. where he received the award for Most Promising Student. llis assessors weren't wrong. l)espite appearing in Soldier Soldier. he managed to avoid the curse of pritnetime [TV drama. instead taking the role of Lewis in BB("s 'I'lte ('rmr Rmul. before stan'ing in 'lirt'n ’lém'n. liven-liter and Deep Impact.
ln Iinigmu he plays the role of Tom Jericho. a talented
code-cracker recovering from a nervous breakdown. caused in
part by his split with the mysterious (‘lait'e Romilly (Saffron
Burrows). When the lilm opens. Jericho has just been called 5 j. ' O
22 THE LIST I EM. .2