Dominating the Feb. Sweeps: Scott Cohen
*On ABC's "NYPD BLUE" he is about to become embroiled in a major romance with one of the series main female characters.
*On NBC's mega-hyped "Tenth Kingdom" next week, he will be seen in a highly visible characterization, which could bring him many accolades.
*On CBS's "Jon Benet Ramsey Story" tele-pic later this month, he'll be seen as an investigator with serious moral fiber.
In other words, by the time this month is over, you'll be seeing more of Scott Cohen, than you ever wished for. The amiable 35 year old New York actor wouldn't have it any other way, considering the fact that NO ONE was paying attention to his multi-dimensional abilities less than two years ago . And then came the famous Volkswagen Passat commercial, where he is seen flirting with a young blonde woman, while waiting for the light to change.
Just as the light turned green, Scott's almost empty bank account began to mimick the color of money, as "The Tenth Kingdom" script landed on his doorstep.
"I literally was down to my last few dollars when I got the commercial, which wasn't easy for me since I had a wife and young child at home. There I was, this actor who had done just about everything in his career, on stage, on film, TV and I had nothing going on. I was on the verge of waiting tables again," Scott told Kochavim.
"Then I got this 600 page script called 'Tenth Kingdom' and I really didn't think I would get a chance to star in this project because it was a big part, usually reserved for a major star. But I couldn't put the script down, so while I was caught in a dilemma, since 'pilot' season was about to start (usually in January) I went to L.A. to audition.
"Two days after I got to Los Angeles I found out I got the role and was offered more money than I've ever made in my life. But the role was fascinating to me. It combined all of the elements I ever participated in as an actor-clown,children's theatre, avant-garde material. This role was a culmination of those things."
Scott spent 7 months in Europe lensing the fantasy laced mini-series. One day, during a break in production he went to the Dachau concentration camp. It deeply affected him. But Scott, felt fortunate enough to have the opportunity to remind himself of who he was.
Upon his return from Europe, Scott snared the role of Detective Denby on "NYPD BLUE" who becomes involved with Kim Delaney's character (Diane). Their scenes are electrically charged. So much so that according to Scott, Kim has been pushing to have his character return to the series at a later date. "Kim was a dreamboat to work with and 'Blue' is such a high pressured show to work on,but it was a great experience," he fondly recalled.
As for the "Jon Benet Ramsey Story" role, Scott claimed, "Originally, I wanted to stay away from it because I thought it would be exploitive but the finished script, had a 'Law & Order' feel to it and was objective enough for me to accept the offer to do the mini-series."
For now, Scott is sitting back waiting to see how Hollywood reacts to his diversified acting abilities. There are scripts to ponder and yes, we are deep into pilot season but Scott wants his next move to be a logical one. So stay tuned.
A special thanks to Kimberly for pointing this article out to me!