Amiyah Scott is a transgender actress, model, and dancer. She is best known for her role as Cotton on the Fox drama Star.
Early life
Amiyah Scott was born Arthur Scott in Manhattan on January 11, 1988. She was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. As an adolescent, she experienced bullying. At 15, Scott underwent a partial male-to-female transition, and at 17, she fully transitioned. At this time, she moved out of her parents' house and explored entrepreneurship opportunities. Since young adulthood, she has been a well-respected member of the ball community.
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. 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. 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. Producers on Bravo later claimed the reason Scott was not on the show anymore was because her transgender identity was "not enough to make interesting." Shortly after her departure from Housewives, Scott was cast by Lee Daniels in the show Star; this became Scott's first acting role. In this role, Scott became the first trans-gender women to play a non-trans character in television.
Other ventures
Activism
As one of the first trans-woman of color on television, she has been an impactful figure for many. 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. At an event in Atlanta hosted by the Gay & Lesbian Association against Defamation, 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.
Books
Scott published her first book, a memoir called Memoirs of a Mermaid, on March 31, 2019.
Cosmetics
Scott has a beauty line, Amiyah Beauty, with RivalWorld. Her first product is a lip-gloss.
