McKinzie Scott

Scott was born in New York City and raised in central Harlem. He is the son of Joy Green, who is of black Native American heritage, and James Scott Jr., a legal Dutch citizen of Netherlands origin. He has a younger brother, McKhel Joyner, a basketball player.

He attended P.S. 154 Harriet Tubman Learning Center for elementary school, where he was held back in third grade after not completing summer school. He continued his education at Frederick Douglass Academy I, where he played lacrosse and trained in taekwondo, though he later described the environment as “toxic” and unsupportive of his growth. He remained there until his junior year, before transferring to the selective Professional Performing Arts School (PPAS).

Scott has credited Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance in The Revenant (2015) as the inspiration for his pursuit of acting. During his sophomore year of high school, he applied to PPAS on his own initiative, determined to prove to his mother that he was serious about an acting career. His audition earned him a callback within an hour, marking what he has described as a turning point in his passion for the craft. As a senior, he starred in Manhood (2025) and was the cover of SUNY Financial Aid Advertisement (2025), while completing his studies, graduating that same year.

Following high school, Scott received offers to study drama at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA), where he was awarded a scholarship. Ultimately, he chose not to pursue college, citing his desire to focus fully on his acting career and avoid the financial burdens of student debt.