The Beauty Of...Austin Scott

What beauty means to the devoted actor, husband and son.

Welcome to my new series The Beauty Of…where I interview someone delightful on the topic of beauty—what it means to them and how it shows up in their life. My hope in sharing these conversations is to offer a sliver of light to cut through the darkness, like a square of sunshine on your hardwood floor or a slice of lemon meringue pie after a hard day’s work.

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Meet my husband, Austin Scott. I’m biased, sure, but I think you’ll agree that he’s pretty wonderful. Austin is a theatre/screen actor who you can see this spring in the soulful new musical Goddess at The Public Theatre. When he’s not acting you can find him reading (sci-fi, thrillers, historical fiction), looking forward to his next sushi roll, watching movies, and generally making my life (and of those around him) 100x better.

What's an early memory you have of appreciating beauty?
One of the first things that comes to mind is Sea Ranch; we first started going there when I was five or six. I remember sitting on the rocks with a rope tied to my waist to make sure I didn't fall, and looking out over the ocean, in awe of the power and the beauty of it. Another memory I have is of being small, maybe six or seven years old, and looking up at this rose bush in our backyard. I saw this bright, red, vibrant rose and the deep green of the leaves and I was struck by the contrast and the beauty of a rose bush.

How would you describe a beautiful day in eight year old Austin's life?
A beautiful day was probably playing with my best friends Craig or Alexandra from next door and swimming in the pool during the summer in our backyard in Benicia, California. Jumping on the trampoline, catching bumblebees in our flower patch, and having dinner with my parents. Then having a slumber party out on the trampoline.

How does beauty show up in your day-to-day as a 31 (almost 32!) year old man?
I got a pretty beautiful wife. Anytime I'm able to get into nature. Um…it shows up in the laughter of my wife and the laughter of my friends. The really small things, like the sound of you eating potato chips. Playing video games with my friends and eating a beautiful, delicious meal and watching a show together at the end of the day. Moments on stage or in my work where I feel really free and I forget that I'm acting. Those are really beautiful moments.

What’s an internal quality (or two) that you regard as beautiful?
Patience and curiosity. Patience is a beautiful quality because it can be very, very difficult [to practice] and I think it’s something that everybody can appreciate; having patience helps the person practicing patience and it also helps the people around them. Curiosity, I think, is why we're here on earth. It connects us and helps us explore the world and learn and grow and challenge ourselves and be open to new possibilities.

Where do you go to witness beauty?
Nature. First and foremost. The ocean. The movie theatre. Broadway theatre. Lunches with my friends. Dinners with my wife. I go to work and I walk the streets of New York.

Who has taught you the most about beauty?
You. You value beauty, I think, more than anybody I've ever known. So, through your eyes and through your perspective, I’ve learned to appreciate it more. (alexa here—i rolled my eyes at this but the truth is my heart was smiling.)

What's something beautiful that was born from something painful?
My belief in myself as an actor. Te confidence and ability to see myself as somebody who actually belongs in the industry came largely from two years of pretty high anxiety and feeling incapable—feeling like I couldn't do it in Hamilton or other times I was on set [or on stage] where I felt way out of my depth. But I hung in there and showed myself that I could do it, that I was capable and that I was deserving of it. I think without those really intense difficult moments of self doubt, I don't think I would have learned to believe in myself as much as I do. It was the process of surviving those productions and doing it again and again and again that helped prove to myself that I was courageous. Whereas if everything had been easy, I don't think I would have grown. I don't think I would believe in myself the same way.

Finish this sentence: Beauty is...
Beauty is beauty is beauty is…often what the eye can't see.

Who is someone who puts beauty in the world that you'd like to give a shout out to?
Our therapist. She brings beauty into the world by encouraging connection, closeness, and fostering love and trust in couples and in people. She is somebody who I think of as a nurturer of beauty and nurturer of love and connection.

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Thank you, Austin, for saying yes to this interview and for being my first guest! One of the first beautiful things I noticed during our first year of dating (almost 8 years ago!) was how you connect with others—it doesn’t matter how many folks are around or how tired I know you are, if you’ve known them for 10 years or 10 seconds, you listen and speak sincerely to whoever you’re in conversation with.

How lucky am I to always know what book you’re deciding to read next; I’ve certainly been a grateful recipient of your patience throughout the years—hehe.

Thank you (all) for reading!
xo,
alexa