The Secrets Behind Scott Ly’s Success as an Actor, His Age, Wife
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Scott Ly
The talented Scott Ly – born Trung Quoc Ly – went viral in 2923 for his dedication to the job, as he lost 20 kilos in just four months in preparation for a Netflix role. However, not much else is known about the Asian-American actor, who keeps his private life to himself and prefers to make headlines for strictly professional reasons.
The youngest of four siblings, Scott was born in Houston, Texas, USA on 2nd April 1978, but raised in Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley, which he considers his hometown. His parents were Vietnamese boat refugees who fled in April 1975 after the fall of Saigon in search of a better life; although Scott mentions them in the odd interview, he doesn’t post any of his family members on his social media profiles, so we’re unable to provide more information.
During his high school days, Scott was the captain of the wrestling and basketball teams, and practiced a myriad of other sports such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, circuit training, mixed martial arts (MMA), and even yoga. Nevertheless, his true passion’s always been performing, be it on stage or in front of a camera.
One interesting anecdote about the actor is that, during his childhood he was ‘always sweating’, and felt embarrassed about it. In an Instagram post, the Netflix star told his fans how he once asked his mother why he sweated so much, to which she replied: ‘It’s because you’re strong.’ ‘I’ll never forget that moment,’ Scott wrote. ‘It led me to become the stronger [man] I am today.’
Career
“A Tourist’s Guide to Love” is considered by all accounts to be Scott’s breakout role after almost two decades in the industry, but for those who were unaware, the Texas native’s acting career dates back to 2006 with his first credited role in the short “Fast Money”. Over the next two years, Scott had a couple of minor roles – namely in the short “Jaded Love”, and playing Huy Tran in the movie “1968 Tunnel Rats” – which failed to go anywhere.
A three-year hiatus ensued, during which time Scott presumably worked other jobs and continued to perfect his craft. His 2011 comeback saw him portray Vikis for his first recurring role in the drama series “Legend of Souls”. Thereafter, he guest-starred in an episode of “Criminal Minds”, and portrayed Lin Chau in “Blood of Redemption”.
Until the late 2010s, Scott focused on guest-starring roles in popular series such as “Bones”, “The Young and the Restless”, and “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders”. His character, Danh, also appeared in two episodes of “Animal Kingdom” in 2018. The next two years were also slow for the actor, although he did branch out into voiceover work for the video games “Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War” and “Final Fantasy VII Remake”.
After guest-starring as Adam Moore in a 2022 episode of “FBI: Most Wanted”, Scott snagged a starring role in the feel-good Netflix romcom “A Tourist’s Guide to Love”, which premiered in 2023 to mixed reviews. Despite being described by longtime film critic Christy Lemire as ‘harmless as its blandly forgettable title would suggest’, she also praised the movie’s beautiful cinematography and Scott’s charisma. In a similar vein, Variety declared the ‘cute and conventional’ movie ‘a jovial jaunt worth taking’.
Starring Rachael Leigh Cook as an uptight travel agent in an unfulfilling relationship who journeys to Vietnam for the possible acquisition of a local tour company, “A Tourist’s Guide to Love” was first announced in April 2021, and filmed on location in April 2022, with scenes in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and other Vietnamese locations. Screenwriter Eirene Tran Donohue explained the importance of highlighting Vietnam as ‘a modern thriving country whose stories are worthy of being told’, adding: ‘There are almost no American movies set in Vietnam that aren’t about the trauma of the war.’
Bad break-up. Work trip to Vietnam. Instant meet-cute.
A Tourist's Guide to Love, starring Rachael Leigh Cook and Scott Ly, is now on Netflix! pic.twitter.com/079ovepLa9
— Netflix (@netflix) April 21, 2023
Weight Loss
As mentioned, Scott lost just over 50lbs, over 20kgs while preparing for his role as Sinh Tach – and unexpectedly regained his passion for sports and a healthy lifestyle. In a rare interview with Men’s Health Magazine, the actor opened up about the heartbreaking loss that he and his family suffered shortly before he landed the gig, explaining that his wife had miscarried the couple’s third daughter.
Just as Scott was finally finding motivation through the pain, he was pushed to go even harder after learning that he had won the role. ‘My third daughter gave me the opportunity to have this project,’ he told Men’s Health. Determined to get into the best shape of his life, he went from 220lbs to 169lbs (100kgs to 76kgs) while also building a considerable amount of muscle mass.
The grueling workout regime consisted in a morning training session, which Scott would start off with a black coffee or sugar free latte and no food. After a series of stretches and a two-hour weights workout, which at first were focused on one body part per day until Scott began combining muscle groups, the Netflix star finished up with ten minutes of high intensity interval training.
Naturally, Scott took the occasional day off from the weights, but continued to do half-hour cardio workouts without fail. His recovery routine consisted in a daily ice bath or a hot yoga session to improve mobility; having a consistent sleep schedule also helped him feel more energized.
A weight loss plan like Scott’s would be unachievable without a healthy diet, and the “Bones” actor made sure to achieve his goals with basic but nourishing meals that mostly consisted of grilled chicken, spinach, boiled eggs, and tuna. Most importantly, he was supported by his wife every step of the way, as she took on most of the childrearing duties to make sure that he could dedicate as much time as possible to his role prep.
As the one-year anniversary of “A Tourist’s Guide to Love” looms, Scott recently thanked his fans for their support, and shared that he’s working on an original script. The actor is also interested in returning to his roots, planning on eventually doing more movies in Vietnam.
