Scot Armstrong


Scot Armstrong is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He is credited with writing or co-writing numerous comedy films, including Old School, , Semi-Pro, Road Trip, and many others. He is also the writer and director of the 2015 film, Search Party. The film was released in the US in May 2016. Also in 2016, his TV series, Dice, premiered on Showtime.

Early life

Armstrong grew up in Wheaton, Illinois in the western suburbs of Chicago. He attended Wheaton North High School where he wrestled.

Career

Armstrong started out working at an advertising agency in Chicago in his early 20s. While working there, he took night classes at The Second City and ImprovOlympic where he studied under Del Close. He also performed with the Upright Citizens Brigade in groups/shows including Mother, Feature Feature, Asscatt, and Soundtrack. During this time, he met Todd Phillips whom he hired to direct a commercial for Miller Genuine Draft. In 2000, the two released their first feature film together, Road Trip, which Armstrong co-wrote and Phillips directed.
Armstrong and Phillips would end up working on a variety of other films together including Old School, Starsky & Hutch, School for Scoundrels, and The Hangover: Part II. Outside of his partnership with Phillips, Armstrong was also responsible for uncredited rewrites of Elf and Bad Santa. In 2007, he co-wrote the Farrelly Brothers' film, The Heartbreak Kid. The following year, Semi-Pro, which was Armstrong's first solo-written film, was released.
In 2011, Armstrong announced the concept for his directorial debut, Road to Nardo. The film was set to begin production in 2011. Its name was changed to Search Party and the distribution rights were picked up by Universal in 2013. The film was eventually released in 2015 and was released in May 2016 in the United States. Armstrong's production company, American Work Inc., has also produced several films and TV shows including Hesher, NBC's Best Friends Forever, a TV series adaptation of Problem Child, and the USA Network's Playing House.
In 2015, Showtime gave Armstrong's show, Dice, a straight-to-series order of six episodes. The series—which Armstrong writes, directs, and produces—follows the exploits of a fictional version of Andrew Dice Clay and premiered on Showtime in 2016.
Armstrong also co-hosts the UCB Sports & Leisure Podcast, alongside Matt Walsh.

Filmography

YearFilmDirectorProducerWriterActorNotes
2000Road Tripwith Todd Phillips
2003Old Schoolwith Todd Phillips and Court Crandall
2003ElfUncredited rewrite
2003Bad SantaUncredited rewrite
2004Starsky & Hutchwith Todd Phillips
2006School for Scoundrelswith Todd Phillips
2007The Heartbreak Kidwith Leslie Dixon, the Farrelly Brothers and Kevin Barnett
2008Semi-ProCameraman
2010HesherExecutive producer
2011with Todd Phillips and Craig Mazin
2012Best Friends Forever Executive producer
2012Animal Practice Executive producer
2014Search PartyDirectorial debut
2014–2017Playing House Executive producer
2015Problem Child
2016–2017Dice Creator