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Amiyah Scott

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Amiyah Scott
Scott during an interview in June 2019
Born (1988-01-11) January 11, 1988 (age 36)
Manhattan, New York, US
Occupation(s)Actress, model, author, dancer
Years active2000–present

Amiyah Scott (born January 11, 1988) is an American actress, model, author, and dancer. She is known for her presence on social media apps such as Instagram, as a fixture in the LGBT ball community, and for her role as Cotton in the Fox television series Star (2016–2019). She also appeared in the eighth season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Early life

Amiyah Scott was born in Manhattan on January 11, 1988. She was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana.[1]

As an adolescent, she experienced bullying due to her being transgender. [2] At 15 years old, she moved out of her parents' house and explored entrepreneurship opportunities.[3] Since young adulthood, she has been a well-respected member of the LGBT ball community.[1]

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.[4]

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.[5] Scott later left the show, stating that she was offended by the way the producers wanted her to behave, which she believed would have been an exploitation of her trans identity.[6][7] 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."[8]

Shortly after her departure from Housewives, Scott was cast by Lee Daniels in the show Star; this became Scott's first acting role.[9] She starred on the series from 2016 to 2019, for three seasons.

Other ventures

Activism

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.[10] 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.[11]

Books

Scott published her first book, a memoir called Memoirs of a Mermaid, on March 31, 2019.[12]

Cosmetics

Scott has a beauty line, Amiyah Beauty, with RivalWorld.[13] Her first product is a lip-gloss.

Awards

Year Award Notes
2018 GLAAD Rising Star Award[14] Bestowed at GLAAD Atlanta Gala

Filmography

Year TV show Role Notes
2016–2019 Star Cotton 48 episodes (Seasons 1–3)
2021 Legendary Herself (Guest Judge) Episode "Plastic Fantastic"

Podcasts

Year TV show
May 7, 2019 LGBTQ&A[15]

References

  1. ^ a b Dennis, Ryan (20 March 2019). "Amiyah Scott gets real about 'STAR', filming in Atlanta, singing on the show". 11 Alive. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Amiyah Scott Bio: Inside The Life Of The Transgender Model". Nail Buzz. 24 March 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  3. ^ Leeuwen, Anne van (2017-10-19). "We Have Always Been Materialists". Oxford Scholarship Online. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190275594.003.0005.
  4. ^ Jordan, Christal (8 May 2019). "Amiyah Scott transitions from social media phenomenon to Hollywood starlet". The Advocate. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  5. ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (18 August 2015). "Bravo's 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Casts Transgender Woman for Season 8". Variety. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  6. ^ Ho, Rodney (29 December 2015). "TMZ: Transgender Atlantan Amiyah Scott left 'Real Housewives' after a month, disgusted by treatment". AJC. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  7. ^ Cross, LaToya (15 December 2016). "TRANS MODEL AMIYAH SCOTT TALKS LEE DANIELS 'STAR'". Jet Mag. Archived from the original on 9 August 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  8. ^ Whitt, Jonell (4 January 2016). "Bravo producers claim they didn't want Amiyah Scott". Rolling Out. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ Lamonier, Paulona (5 June 2017). "'Star' actress Amiyah Scott on Pokémon and life as a trans creative". The Undefeated. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Gale In Context: Biography - Document - Scot 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. Archived from the original on 2020-06-20. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  12. ^ Keith, K. (12 March 2019). "Amiyah Scott Releasing First Book, Memoirs of a Mermaid". Gaye Magazine. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  13. ^ "Amiyah Scott Launches Inclusive Beauty Line - Amiyah Beauty".
  14. ^ "Star actress Amiyah Scott to be honored with Rising Star Award from Pose actress Angelica Ross at GLAAD Atlanta Gala". 8 November 2018.
  15. ^ "LGBTQ&A: Amiyah Scott: Hollywood's New Leading Lady on Apple Podcasts".
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