Dougray Scott: Who is Vigil actor from Fife?

Fans of BBC drama Vigil may have spotted a familiar face when the second series of the show started on Sunday.

Dougray Scott, who hails from Fife, is playing Air Marshall Marcus Grainger in the new series.

In the show, Scott’s character is playing host to a dignitary from an oil-rich Middle Eastern dictatorship when things go wrong – and DCI Amy Silva, played by Suranne Jones, steps in to investigate.

The drama has returned after the hugely successful first series, which was set on a submarine with several scenes set in Scotland.

But Air Marshall Grainger is not the only prominent role in Scott’s extensive CV.

Who is Vigil star Dougray Scott?

Scott was born in Fife in November 1965, growing up in Glenrothes and studying drama at Fife College of Technology.

His career started on Taggart, where he played a character called Colin Murphy, during which deadly snakes were used as the murder weapon.

Appearances in Kavanagh QC and Soldier Soldier followed.

Dougray Scott as Colin Murphy in Taggart — One of Scott’s first roles was as Colin Murphy in Taggart. Image: Supplied

Scott’s first major movie appearance came in 1998, when he starred alongside Drew Barrymore and Anjelica Huston in Ever After.

Scott is perhaps best known for his role as Sean Ambrose in Mission: Impossible 2.

The rogue agent possessed a genetically modified disease that Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt was tasked to destroy.

The actor – married to actress Claire Forlani – is dad to Gabriel and Eden (twins from his first marriage to costume designer Sarah Trevis), and son Milo.

Dougray Scott turned down major roles after Mission: Impossible 2

After battling Cruise in the first of the series’ many sequels, Scott’s stock started to rise.

In an interview with NME in 2020, he revealed that he had turned down the role of Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings series.

He said: “They sent (the script) to me.

“They wanted me to go meet Peter Jackson, but to be honest with you I’d just finished doing Mission: Impossible 2 and the idea of spending two years away in New Zealand, I just couldn’t quite contemplate.”

Dougray Scott as Sean Ambrose in Mission: Impossible 2 — Scott played villain Sean Ambrose in Mission: Impossible 2. Image: Supplied

It was also revealed back in 2006 that Scott was close to replacing Pierce Brosnan as James Bond.

He said: “They certainly approached me, but at the end of the day all that matters is that Daniel Craig played Bond and he was great.

“They first talked to me about it five years ago but then Pierce Brosnan wanted another go. Good luck to Daniel.”

Scott later appeared in 18 episodes of Desperate Housewives, as well as Doctor Who and Taken 3 with Liam Neeson.

Suranne Jones and Dougray Scott in Vigil — Scott stars alongside Suranne Jones in Vigil. Image: BBC/World Productions

A passionate Hibs supporter, he appeared in a promotional video advertising season tickets in 2020.

The clip was panned by supporters, with one claiming that he “had to bleach his eyes” after seeing it.

Last year, Scott was the recipient of the International Emmy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the drama series Crime.

Describing his new character in Vigil, Scott said: “Grainger is an Air Vice Marshall, a very patriotic and proud member of the British military and the air force and he’s responsible for many of the arms sales to countries like Wudyan, our fictional middle-eastern country in the series.”