Person
Hazel Scott
Port of Spain, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago
Hazel Dorothy Scott was a Trinidad-born jazz and classical pianist, singer, actress, television pioneer, and civil rights advocate. Born on June 11, 1920, in Port of Spain, Trinid…
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Hazel Dorothy Scott was a Trinidad-born jazz and classical pianist, singer, actress, television pioneer, and civil rights advocate. Born on June 11, 1920, in Port of Spain, Trinidad, she moved to Harlem, New York, as a child and became a celebrated prodigy, studying piano at Juilliard at an unusually young age. Known for her dazzling ability to “swing the classics,” Scott blended classical technique with jazz improvisation and rose to fame at New York’s Café Society. In Hollywood, Scott refused degrading roles and insisted on appearing as herself, using her public image to challenge racist portrayals of Black women. She also refused to perform before segregated audiences and used contract clauses to force venues toward integration. In 1950, she made television history as the first African American to host her own TV show, The Hazel Scott Show. Her career was damaged by Red Scare blacklisting after she challenged accusations before HUAC. Scott later lived and performed in Paris before returning to the United States. She died in Manhattan on October 2, 1981. Her legacy endures as a pioneering artist who fused virtuosity, representation, and activism.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
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2025
The Disappearance of Miss Scott
Movie Self (archival footage)
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1998
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1969
Trial Run
Movie Herself
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1968
The Dick Cavett Show
TV show Self - Guest
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1966
CBS Playhouse
TV show Mrs. Foley
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1962
The Merv Griffin Show
TV show Self
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1961
The Mike Douglas Show
TV show Self
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1958
A Bullet in the Gun Barrel
Movie Self / Singer of the nightclub
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1958
The Night Affair
Movie Valentine Horse
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1954
Reflets de Cannes
TV show Self
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1950
The Hazel Scott Show
TV show
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1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
TV show Self
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1945
Rhapsody in Blue
Movie Hazel Scott
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1944
Broadway Rhythm
Movie Herself - Hazel Scott
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1943
The Heat's On
Movie Herself
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1943
I Dood It
Movie Herself
More credits
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1943
Something to Shout About
Movie Hazel Scott
