Jonathan Scott (Canadian Actor) - Jonathan Scott Wiki

Jonathan Silver Scott (born April 28, 1978) is a reality television personality who mostly appears with his identical twin brother, Drew Scott, and is also known as an illusionist, and TV and film producer. He is the co-host, along with Drew, on the TV series Property Brothers, Buying and Selling, Brother Vs. Brother, and Property Brothers: At Home, all on HGTV. As a result of the shows’ popularity, Kathleen Finch, the president of HGTV, has called the twins "the cable equivalent of box-office movie stars." The shows combined have more than 26 million fans. Scott is also co-founder and executive producer of Scott Brothers Entertainment, which creates TV, film and digital content for US and Canadian broadcasters.

Early life and education

Jonathan Silver Scott was born on April 28, 1978â€"four minutes before his identical twin brother Drewâ€"in Vancouver, Canada, the second son of Jim and Joanne Scott. He has an older brother, known as JD Scott. Having emigrated from Scotland as a teenager, Jim had dreams of being a cowboy as he had seen on television. He worked in the film industry as an actor, stuntman, and assistant director until the late 1970s, when he decided to focus on raising his family. The family then moved to a horse farm in the nearby town of Maple Ridge. Jim would commonly renovate their properties, and when the twins were 16, he actually built the family home, along with Jonathan. The twins would often rearrange the furniture in their family home.

When the twins were seven, their father encouraged them to get a job. They looked through the wanted ads, but ultimately began a business with their mother called JAM (for Jon, Andrew, and Mom) making woven, nylon hangers. In interviews, they have related how they would sell them door to door, eventually selling thousands to a woman who sold American paraphernalia in Japan.

Career

Early career

Following in his dad's footsteps, at the age of seven, Scott began performing in small theater productions. He also pursued an interest in magic and over the next decade won several awards.

Scott enrolled at Calgary University, majoring in business management. Despite having interest in going into entertainment, the twins didn't want to be "starving artists," and thought real estate would "ease the financial purgatory of being out-of-work actors." They began researching the topic, and during their first semester in college, they fixed up a rental property across the street from their university and sublet it for $800 a month. The rent was enough for them to pay their dorm fees with a profit, and they used the remaining money to put a downpayment on their first home. Using a take-back mortgage, they made a $250 down payment, made conservative renovations, and sold it a year later for a $50,000 profit. The continued to purchase and "flip" homes at wide profit margins, only making modest repairs that they completed themselves. After such successes, Scott went back to school and earned his degree in construction and design, and became licensed as a contractor. The twins renovated and sold properties for the next fifteen years.

In 2004, Scott founded a real estate company with Drew, who had continued to act and produce. In 2005, however, Drew moved to Vancouver to pursue his acting career in earnest, and JOnathan remained in Calgary to run the business.

Jonathan's acting eventually segued from the stage to screen and in 2005, he became involved in producing and promoting independent film and television. This led to his sitting on the executive board for ACTRA (the Canadian equivalent of SAG) for two years.

Transition to television (2008 â€" 2011)

When the real estate market collapsed in Calgary, Jonathan relocated to the US because the recession was further along there, and he saw an opportunity to buy inexpensive property. He had often traveled to Las Vegas with his ex-wife (drawn to live entertainment scene), and it's where he settled in 2008, purchasing a house in the suburb of Summerlin, Nevada. There, he found opportunities to renovate foreclosures and opportunities to expand his performance career as an illusionist.

They eventually begin pitching shows with real estate themes. That combination eventually landed them their own TV series, Property Brothers, which aired in 2011 after initially airing in Canada. Scott co-hosts the television shows Property Brothers, Buying and Selling (2012â€"present), and Brother Vs. Brother (2013â€"present) with his twin brother, Drew Scott.

The brother decided to sell their individual homes and purchase a joint property in 2011. Meeting all of their criteria (eg. within 20 minutes of the airport), they purchased a foreclosed home for $400,000. Scott moved in first, living there alone for three years before they began renovations that would turn the home into a hub for their extended family and friends. The renovation budget was $2 million, and a fourth television series, Property Brothers: At Home, which showed the twins at home in Las Vegas, premiered in 2014 in the United States, as well as in 2015 on W Network in Canada. It was the first production under the umbrella of Scott Brothers Entertainment, a production company composed of all three Scott brothers.

In 2015, Jonathan and Drew Scott launched an outdoor furniture line called Scott Living sold on QVC, planned a Scott Brothers-themed cruise called Sailing with the Scotts, and finished writing their first book, titled "Dream Home". It was released April 4, 2016 and debuted at #9 on the New York Times best sellers list for advice/how-to and #3 on the Wall Street Journal best sellers list for nonfiction.

With the success of Property Brothers: At Home, Jonathan, Drew Scott and JD Scott created another spin-off series called Property Brothers: At Home on the Ranch, where the brothers went back to their ranch roots in Alberta, Canada for a 10-week renovation for a family friend's Rocky Mountain estate. As part of the show, Jonathan and Drew Scott co-wrote and recorded, as Scott Brothers, two country singles that premiered during the third and fourth episode of the series, including their first-ever single "Hold On" and "Let the Night Shine In." They were both co-written by the brothers along with Nashville songwriters Victoria Shaw and Chad Carlson. "Hold On" hit #38 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and was accompanied by a music video that has more than three million Vevo views. On January 12, 2017, The Scott Brothers released a third song, "My House," featuring Eric Paslay, and announced 100% of the proceeds will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospit al. The song's accompanying music video was filmed at Jonathan and Drew's home in Las Vegas and features various celebrity cameos, including Carrot Top, Lindsay Ell and RaeLynn.

In 2013, Jonathan, Drew and JD Scott hosted the radio show Off Topic with the Scott Brothers for Canada's Corus Entertainment.

Television producing

In 2010, Jonathan and Drew launched Scott Brothers Entertainment, an independent production company. In 2013, they shifted the focus from film to television and digital platforms. With offices in both the US and Canada, Scott Brothers Entertainment is currently in production on two original series for Scripps Networks Interactive, as well as other projects.

The web series Toddler Vs. Toddler and Property Brothers Big Day Off were produced in 2013 and aired on HGTV and W Network. The webisode Makeover Manor was produced for Funny or Die and also starred Love it or List It stars David Visentin and Hilary Farr, Scott McGillivray, Ty Pennington, Bryan Baeumler, Candice Olson, Sandra Rinomato, plus Jersey Shore stars, Sammi Giancola and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro. In 2014, Scott Brothers Entertainment produced the new series, Half Price Paradise, for HGTV and HGTV Canada. Scott Brothers Entertainment also produced Property Brothers: at Home, which was the highest rated series premiere on HGTV since 2009. Property Brothers: at Home featured Jonathan and brother Drew Scott as they renovated their Las Vegas family home.

Acting

Early television appearances included roles on X-Files and Canada's Breaker High. After being in the public eye via Property Brothers, he caught the attention of producers for The Bachelor but turned down their offer to star on the show. Both he and his twin played themselves in the USA Network comedy Playing House in 2015. He and drew hosted the Friday night Nissan Stadium show of the CMA Music Fest 2016.

Magic

Scott has performed magic since he was a young child and in recent years has performed shows in Las Vegas, including Murray SawChuck's show at Laugh Factory. He has been a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians for more than 20 years, and still creates illusions for other magicians in Las Vegas, where he has lived since 2007.

Public image

The twins became sex symbols for HGTV, even though it is more known for how-to shows about DIY projects around the home than sex appeal. The basic cable network has said: "We know that twin brothers and HGTV fan favorites Drew and Jonathan Scott are good-looking, talented and ever-so-popular with the ladies." After the debut of Brother VS Brother, which pitted the brothers against one another, Glamour wrote, "Yes, we've all always harbored massive crushes on the twins, but let's just say they are taking their sex appeal to all new levelsâ€"ripped-shirts, greased-muscles, water-sprayed levels of hotness." They garnered the second-largest crowd ever at Mall of America because of their female fans, second only to the British boy band One Direction.

Both twins stand 6'4" tall. They are known for their goofy senses of humor, and for how much they poke fun at each other, often during public appearances. They honed these skills during their time in improv and sketch comedy.

While real estate agent Drew is often in a suit and tie, contractor Jonathan is more casual, or the "rugged, flannel-shirt-outfitted half." Drew has referred to Jonathan's work as "slow-motion renovation in tight jeans."

Scott is "beloved" on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Periscope. Mashable even called him a "master" at it. This is due in part to his being willing to go all out, often with brother Drew, to choreograph Vine videos. To do so, he has worked with big name Viners including Vincent Marcus, Manon Mathews, Sara Hopkins, BrittleStar, NeatDude, and Gregor Reynolds. People named one of his Vinesâ€"of him and Drew doing pull-upsâ€"a "Vine of the Day."

Personal life

Scott married young and wore a kilt to his wedding to celebrate the family's Scottish heritage. He has since divorced, explaining, "We were young and not a good match." In 2013 and 2014, he and Drew appeared in People's Sexiest Man Alive issue, and the magazine's list of Men of the Year in 2014. He has lived in Las Vegas since 2007. While not an American citizen, Scott tends to have Democratic views. He endorsed Hillary Clinton in March 2016. He and his brother have shared that they have donated to the Clinton Foundation, to "work towards a better world". He is an animal lover and has two small dogs, Gracie and Stewie, whom he calls his "kids." They often travel with him. With his twin, Scott has twice played in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game. He has a black belt in karate.

The twins along with their brother, maintain a "no B.S." policy that means they are alway honest with each other when something bothers them, and then try to move on from it. They credit the policy with helping them get along.

Philanthropy

Scott is actively involved in youth initiatives of all kinds, having worked in a children's hospital's oncology ward, volunteered with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and partnered with First Lady Michelle Obama on her 5th Annual "Let's Read Let's Move" campaign to encourage kids to be more active. His involvement included reading to more than 100 underprivileged kids and leading them in an obstacle course. With his brothers, he is also a global ambassador for World Vision, a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization. The three Scott brothers went to New Delhi and visited several slums as part of their commitment to No Child For Sale, which targets the fight against child labor and trafficking. He has collaborated with the network of artists involved in Paul Haggis's Artists for Peace and Justice, a non-profit organization that supports communities in Haiti through programs in education and health.

Filmography

• The X-Files, "Little Green Men" (1994) â€" Blue Beret (uncredited)

Awards

Property Brothers has been nominated for multiple awards, including a Cablefax Award and Outstanding Structured Reality Program at the 2015 Emmy Awards. After being nominated in 2011, Scott won the 2012 Leo Award for "Best Host(s) in an Information or Lifestyle Series" for Property Brothers.

Publications

• Dream Home: The Property Brothers’ Ultimate Guide to Finding & Fixing Your Perfect House (2016)

Footnotes

References

Bibliography

• Scott, Drew; Jonathan, Scott (April 2016). Dream Home: The Property Brothers’ Ultimate Guide to Finding & Fixing Your Perfect House. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 0-544715-67-5. 

External links

• The Scott Brothers official website
• The official website of Scott Living
• The Scott Brothers on YouTube
• The Property Brothers page on HGTV