A mother to three step-children, Dianne Scott first moved to Los Angeles when she was twenty-years old, wanting to pursue a career in acting and modeling. However, like many coming to L.A., hoping to immediately make it big in entertainment, Scott quickly realized that modeling wasn’t what she really wanted.
“I manifested this really fabulous modeling career for about 15 years, and I kind of woke up one day and realized that modeling wasn’t doing it for me, and I was tired of just standing still and looking pretty. So, I got my act together and started pursuing my career.”
Over the years, Scott has captivated audiences with her love for animals and films, including her series regular appearances on the hit SyFy show FaceOff and her performances on the popular FOX Network television show Bones.
In May of 2018, Scott created an online series called “Neighborhood Watch,” which came after a hiatus of acting when she became a step-mother to three children.
“I had no idea what I was doing, as I had never been a mom before; and so I took a step back in my career and went on a little hiatus, kind of inadvertently began [Neighborhood Watch] with my dog! Instead of trying to get him to stop staring out the window and barking at people, being obnoxious, I decided to join him! Now, let me be clear (laughing), I don’t sit at the window and bark at people; we sit at the window and I have my camera set up, and we just have this dialogue which turned into this thing, where I bought a police uniform and drive around the neighborhood ‘patrolling the area’. It really took off and I have to say, it’s so much fun for both of us, sadly, a little more for me. It’s such a testament to how an idea can spiral into something huge that you never dreamed of. It’s helping me take hints from myself, even if it’s something strange, I’m still inspired to do it.”
“It’s Not About the Money”
With the industry as saturated as it is when it comes to content curation, how does an entrepreneur and author like Scott ensure that her work and content stands out, distinguishing herself from the work others have done?
“Writing these books is absolutely not about the money, and my goal and mission has really expanded so far outside of myself, which is interesting because, of course when I started, and didn’t know what I was doing, just showing up and being the next star, it’s not even about that. Once you really follow your bliss, passion, and heart, the success and all the good stuff comes anyway. And it’s easy. I don’t have the desperation anymore to sell a billion books and be the next Hollywood star. I really enjoy myself so much more, now that it’s not.
For Younger Women: How to Navigate an Often “Manipulative” Industry
Over the years, Hollywood has come under major fire, rightfully so, for the unprecedented and inappropriate behavior that many of its leaders, including producers, directors, writers, and actors themselves have gotten away with for so long when it comes to sexual misconduct and gender bias in the workplace.
Looking back, Scott confessed that it took her some time to set boundaries when she felt they were crossed by a director, producer, or writer.
“When I was younger and first got to Los Angeles, I definitely allowed myself to be manipulated, and 99% of the time, it was by men,” she told True Hollywood Talk.
“You know, one day it would be someone offering me the ‘role of a lifetime’ and that ‘we could go to dinner and talk about it’; this happens more often than not, and as a model, working with photographers, I look back and am appalled that I allowed this shady behavior and inappropriate comments to happen.”
“You Always Have a Choice”
When it comes to mentoring younger actresses and models, Scott says she appreciates “how much stronger [she] has become. “I’m more solid in who I am, but it does make me sad to look back on younger Dianne. However, it shaped me and I have been able to continue mentoring these young professionals, warning them and telling them that it’s far more important for them to feel safe, than to be nice and avoid hurting someone’s feelings. There are so many directors, writers, and producers in Hollywood, so don’t feel bad about protecting yourself.”
For those women looking to penetrate the industry, hoping to avoid the pitfalls and potential for manipulation, Scott wishes there was more education in the industry.
“I wish it had been discussed more when I was starting out, because a lot of young women come here, and think they have to do whatever they’re told, meet with whomever wants to meet them, as if they didn’t have a choice. And that’s absolutely not true. I would love to empower anyone who’s coming here and remind them that they have a talent and a gift that they get to protect, and choose who they get to share it with.”
She continued, emphasizing that, “a huge tip I wish I had gotten when I was younger and first arrived here, was always listen to your gut. If you’re talking to someone or having dinner with somebody, and feeling a little sick–everyone get that feeling when something doesn’t feel right or something’s off, I don’t care if it’s a top producer in Hollywood– if it doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not, and you can walk away, and the right opportunities will come to you when you live in that truth of who you are.”
Pitbull Lovers, Gather ‘Round the Reading Table’
Scott is also the author of the hit book series, “A Tale of Two Pitties,” consisting of five incredible children’s books which unmask the abhorrent myths regarding pit bulls, educating thousands on their unsettling stigma and speaking on the controversial topic of vegan dog food.
One of the books in the series, “When Hurley Met Chewy,” is the incredible story of Hurley and Scott’s cat Chewy, who fell madly in love and had a world-wide celebrated romance. Clips from the book have appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, going viral internationally multiple times.
A lover of all animals, Scott currently has two dogs, two pitbull mixes, four cats, and two cats that she and her husband adopted after finding them on their porch.
“Living with so many animals as we do, I started writing these stories for fun, because I’m truly fascinated by the relationship these animals have with each other, especially the cats and dogs, who have stereotypes that go along with that kind of relationship. We’ve been able to train each of our dogs and cats who have come through our house, to get along with each other. We’re just so fascinated by them, and there’s an endless amount of stories to tell.”
In making the decision to tailor these stories to children, Scott believes it’s important for children to learn how intricate these animals are:
“…how they each have their own personalities; they each have their own boundaries of what they like and don’t like. We are teaching them to work through that and love their pets and other animals, beyond just the stigma of petting them and letting them go outside.”
Each animal, as Scott describes, is “very unique, different, and special, so I tell these stories from the perspective of one of these animals. I’m hoping children can learn to respect animals, why they should, and inspire people to adopt the millions of animals out there.”
Another book in the series, Scott revealed, was based off of one of her dogs that had passed away. “He was really awesome, and it was a very hard book to write, but going back and thinking about it , I had never seen a book about a dog dying for children, from the dog’s perspective. And as parents, do you explain what happened or why it had to happen? So, that book is very special to me, and definitely hard to read if you’re going through it. But I’ve had people tell me how helpful it was for their child.”
You can follow Dianne’s adventures on Instagram and TikTok at @actressdiannescott, as well as A Tale of 2 Pitties on Facebook and Instagram at @ataleof2pitties.
