Scott Bairstow
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Canadian Scott Bairstow has played wide-eyed young leads in a number of film and TV projects, first winning attention as Newt Call in the syndicated version of "Lonesome Dove: The Series" (1994-1996). In 1997, he had a shot to leap into the top rung of youthful leading men playing nature photographer Marty Stouffer who goes searching for "Wild America" with his younger brothers. Although the film failed to connect at the box office, Bairstow went on to a co-starring role opposite Kevin Costner (who also directed) in "The Postman" (also 1997).
Bairstow's parents are both musicians with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and he was exposed early the arts. By age 10, he was on the Canadian children's series "Okay, Let's Go" and while in high school took musical theater classes with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Bairstow ventured to the USA for a summer at age 17 to work as an apprentice at the prestigious Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. A stage acting role in "A Study in Scarlet" landed him a New York agent and he ventured to the Big Apple to work. What he found, instead, were restaurant jobs and a work as a day player on the ABC soap opera "All My Children."
After a year, Bairstow returned to Canada where he starred in a Manitoba staging of "Our Town" and directed several Gilbert and Sullivan productions. He was seen by a talent scout and signed for a TV pilot in Hollywood, but the series was not picked up. Nevertheless, Bairstow was signed to a one-year development deal with ABC. In 1992, he appeared in three Dr. Pepper TV commercials, but the ABC deal did not yield work. Bairstow finally made his US primetime debut in the 1993 CBS TV-movie "There Was A Little Boy," playing the son of Cybill Shepherd. Bairstow was in a memorable as a faith healer using his powers for both good and evil in a memorable 1994 episode of "The X-Files" (Fox). That same year, he inherited the role of Newt (originated by Rick Schroder in the miniseries) in "Lonesome Dove: The Series." as well as the lead in his first feature, "White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf" (1994). Again, the young actor replaced a better-known one (this time Ethan Hawke). Bairstow went on to appear as a alienated teen who falls victim to a group interested in the occult in "Black Circle Boys" (1997). On the small screen, he starred as the leader of a group of teens who kidnap and accidentally murder a hated high school teacher in "Killing Mr. Griffin" (NBC, 1997) and as Henry, a confused twentysomething in the unsuccessful series "Significant Others" (Fox, 1998).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Life Events
1980
Got first break in Canada when he was 10 years old, performing on "Okay, Let's Go", a children's educational TV show (date approximate)
1986
Was apprentice at Williamstown Theatre Festival; first appeared on stage in "A Study in Scarlet"
1987
Appeared on the ABC daytime drama "All My Children"
1987
Moved to NYC
1988
Returned to Canada
1992
Returned to New York; did three "Dr. Pepper" TV commercials
1993
Moved to L.A. when cast in a pilot that did not go to series
1993
TV-movie debut, "There Was A Little Boy" (CBS)
1994
First major film role, "White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf"
1994
Starred as Newt Call in the syndicated "Lonesome Dove: The Series"
1997
Co-starred in "Wild America"
1997
Had featured role in Kevin Costner's "The Postman"
1998
Cast in one of the leading roles in the Fox drama series "Significant Others"
1998
Joined the cast of "Party of Five" in the recurring role of Ned, a love interest for Neve Campbell's Julia
1999
Starred in the short-lived Fox series "Harsh Realm"
2001
Returned to series TV as co-star of CBS' "Wolf Lake"
2004
Sentenced to four months in jail for second degree assault agaisnt a 12 year old, originally charged with statutory rape, maintains his innocence
2006
Made his final screen appearance in the TV movie "Android Apocalypse"
Family
Companions
