Today, we’d like to introduce you to Emma Jean Scott.
Hi Emma, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Honestly, I’ve been performing for as long as I can remember. I used to put on little shows for my family with my cousins and sing as loud as I could whenever I could.
I grew up in Ohio until I started middle school, and when we made a move to Georgia, I got my first ‘real’ role: Gretchen in a community production of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” I LOVED working on the show, and I knew I never wanted to stop from that moment. Throughout middle and high school, I performed as much as possible. I was in our choir, acapella groups, musicals, plays, orchestra, band- whatever I could handle.
After high school, I was given the wonderful opportunity to come to Oglethorpe University on a full-ride theatre scholarship, and I said yes before I toured the school. Performing has always been such a huge part of my life, and I am extremely privileged with the opportunities I have been given. I adore it; it is my passion, and I am so lucky to have it take up such a huge part of my life.
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have been extremely privileged in my journey as an artist, as I have always been surrounded and supported by my friends and family. While there have been stumbles here and there, there has always been a hand to pull me out of the dark. We have all had our moments. Moments where we question whether or not we are on the right path, whether or not all this work is worth it, whether or not we really love what we do.
Those moments are natural. Those struggles are strength; I am so glad to have fought through my own. Anyone who knows me knows that I have had to learn to walk three times in my life. Once, of course, when I was a baby, and twice more within two years when I got two knee replacements before I even hit twenty. Check that one off the bucket list, I suppose! With those surgeries came spans of numerous months where I was bedridden, locked up in a brace that spanned from foot to hip, and stuck with learning how to move my leg again.
Those were very difficult times, especially because I have chosen an industry that demands high levels of physical activity. I remember the first day I met with my doctor about having surgery, and he asked what my goals for recovery were. I told him I wanted to be dancing full out by January 1st- my surgery was in September. It was a hefty goal, but we worked to create a plan that allowed me to do just that. By that January, I was rehearsing for ‘Urinetown’ with Actor’s Express, my biggest role to date.
Those dark times of struggle and wondering if everything is worth it – those are the moments that truly sculpt an artist. Artists cannot be carved smoothly from stone; they must be chipped away, burdened with beautiful struggles, to reveal their truest form.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I often struggle to sum up what I do in a single sentence, as I tend to spread myself over as many activities as physically possible. First and foremost, I perform on stage and screen most frequently at Oglethorpe University and in short films around Atlanta. Recently, I appeared in numerous short films by Brody Young, my fantastically talented partner and a director with whom I have had the privilege to collaborate many times.
I am also rehearsing a play at Oglethorpe University entitled ‘Picasso at the Lapin Agile.’ The production is directed by a dear friend of mine, Chris Kesserwani, and is shaping up to be one of the most unique shows I have ever had the pleasure been a part of. Outside of performing, I also write and direct my short films! I feel like my films are the truest expression of my creativity; because of that, they are what I am most proud of. They are few and far between, but they are little pieces of my heart that I am honored to share.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check?
Apps: QUEUE!!!! Queue is an app that lets you find and rank movies, create watchlists and track your progress through shows. It is a unique app that I use all the time to find new movies/TV shows to watch. Anyone who knows me can tell you I am a rewatch type of girl. I find a movie I love, and I stick with it, watching it constantly and being very reluctant to pick out my next fixation. But the queue ‘swipe’ feature has honestly changed the game.
On the app, at the bottom of the screen, you can click ‘swipe’, and it will take you to a Tinder-esque mini-game where you swipe through movies: left if you’ve seen it, right if you haven’t. This exposes me to many new movies and allows me to build up a library of movies I have seen to recommend them to friends! You can also ‘swipe’ with another user, which lets you both swipe through movies to say whether or not you would like to watch them. Then it matches each movie that both users swipe right on, throws them on a random spinner, and gives you a movie to watch! My indecisive friends, this one is for you.
Books: I have said it once and will say it again: ‘Greenlights’ by Matthew McConaughey. It is a touching tale, with many pieces of wonderful advice tucked inside. I recommend both the physical book and the audiobook – as McConaughey puts such a wonderful spin on each story as he reads it. Hearing his random ramblings adds so much charm to the already overflowing memoir, and I highly recommend it to anyone in the performance industry or looking for a good read.
Podcasts: “The Broski Report: With Brittany Broski” is one of the most surprisingly deep, intellectual, and thought-provoking podcasts I have ever enjoyed listening to. While each episode does come with its daily dose of gloriously outlandish comedy from the host (Brittany Broski), the conversation topics often trickle from Pedro Pascal fan edits to the Catholic church and how it affected Broski as a young woman growing up in a southern military family.
Broski is sharp, witty, and unafraid to be herself. I have so much respect for her as a woman and a creator, and every time I am in my car for more than 45 minutes, ‘The Broski Report’ will be at full blast.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmajeanscottofficial/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNn7ascNGtOs1OYsKGu6Q4w
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/emma._.jeanius/
Image Credits
Tammi Nowack, Casey Gardner, Ford 12, Angry Jurors, Barrett Carico ‘JACK’, and Still: Brody Young
