Scott Hyalnds was born Scott Hyalnds Douglas in Lethbridge, Alberta on February 27, 1943. His father was killed in action during World War II. His mother was a public health nurse and later a maths teacher. He grew up in British Columbia and attended Shawnigan Lake Boys School on Vancouver Island. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1964.
Following college, Scott Hylands moved to New York. He appeared in an off-Broadway production of Billy Liar in 1965. That same year he was an understudy on Broadway in And Things That Go Bump in the Night. He spent several years in San Francisco with the American Conservatory Theatre, In 1969, he made his film debut in Daddy's Gone A-Hunting, playing the antagonist in the film. He also appeared in the movies Operation Snafu (1970) and Fools (1970).
In 1971, Scott Hylands made his television debut in the unsold pilot Earth II. During the Seventies, he guest starred on the shows The Sixth Sense; The Streets of San Francisco; Owen Marshall, Counsellor at Law; Gfiff; Kung Fu; Ironside; The Magician; Harry O; Medical Story; Police Woman; Joe Forrester; Cannon; Medical Center; Barreta; The Quest; Wonder Woman; Police Story; Baa Baa Black Sheep; For the Record; Project U.F.O.; Insight; and When the Whistle Blows. He appeared in the mini-series The Lives of Benjamin Franklin and Centennial. He appeared in the movies Slipstream (1973), The Visitor (1973), Earthquake (1973), Bittersweet Love (1976), The Boys in Company C (1978), and Coming Out Alive (1980).
It was in 1985 that Scott Hylands began a four season run as Detective Kevin "O.B." O'Brien on the TV series Night Heat. Night Heat was the first Canadian drama to air simultaneously on Canadian and American television. It was also the first original, first run television show to air in a late-night time slot on American television. It aired on CTV in Canada and on CBS Late Night in the United States. During the Eighties, Scott Hylands also guest starred on the shows The Waltons; Today's F.B.I.; Hart to Hart; Cassie & Co.; The Powers of Matthew Star; The Yellow Rose; Airwolf; Blue Thunder; and Street Legal. He appeared in the mini-series Tales of the Klondike and George Washington. He appeared in the movies Death Hunt (1981), Isaac Littlefeathers (1984), and The Oasis (1984). He appeared on Broadway in The Queen and the Rebels.
In the Nineties, Scott Hylands guest starred on the shows Counterstrike; Palace Guard; Beyond Reality; Neon Rider; Top Cops; Street Justice; Sweating Bullets; Scales of Justice; Matrix; Kung Fu: The Legend Continues; Secret Service; Cobra; NYPD Blue; Lonesome Dove: The Series; The X-Files; F/X: The Series; Due South; The Outer Limits; Stargate SG-1; and Cold Squad. He appeared in the mini-series To Catch a Killer and Titanic. He appeared in the movie Decoy (1995).
In the Naughts, Scott Hyland had recurring roles on the shows Falcon Beach and V. He guest starred on the shows The Outer Limits; MythQuest; Mutant X; The Twilight Zone; The Dead Zone; Eureka; Whistler; The Guard; and Shatter. He appeared in the movies Ignition (2001), Pursued (2004), The Hamster Cage (2005), Freezer Burn: The Invasion of Laxdale (2008), and Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010).
In the Teens, Scott Hylands guest starred on the shows Supernatural; Artic Air; Guidestones; The Returned; Once Upon a Time; Heartland; and Wynonna Earp. He appeared in the movies Knockout (2011), Becoming Redwood (2012), Rememory (2017), and Elsewhere (2017).
There is little wonder that Scott Hylands was as prolific as he was. With his talent, he was very much in demand. In his movie debut, he gave a chilling performance as the psychopath Kenneth Daly in Daddy's Gone A-Hunting. Years later he played level-headed, experience police detective Kevin O'Brien. Over the years he played everything from villains to heroes and everything in between. He played John Jacob Astor Iv in the mini-series Titanic. In the mini-series Centennial, he played Mike Lasater, a drover on a cattle drive. In his final appearance, on the show Wynonna Earp, he played Wyatt Earp. During his career, Scott Hyland played everything from police officers to criminals, to military officers and yet other roles. What is more, he always gave a good performance.
