Scott Foley on AllMovie

While best known for portraying Felicity's devoted resident advisor Noel Crane, actor Scott Foley has conquered roles that are poles apart from his boy-next-door character on the now-defunct WB college drama. From his wicked turn as a murderous film director in Wes Craven's Scream 3 (2000) to his comedic stint as a neurotic (and extremely handsome) patient on the hit sitcom Scrubs, he has proven to be one of the most versatile and promising graduates of the youth-dominated network.

Born on July 15, 1972, in Kansas City, KS, Foley is the oldest of three sons. Thanks to his father's job as an international banker, Foley grew up all over the world, spending the most time in Sydney, Australia and Tokyo, Japan. He caught the acting bug at age six after his mother took him to see the children's musical Annie. Foley made his theatrical debut only a few years later, singing "I'll Do Anything" in his school's production of Oliver. When he was a teenager, his family settled in St. Louis, MO, where he participated in community and regional theater. Shortly after graduating high school, he bought a one-way plane ticket to Hollywood.

Foley struggled for almost six years before earning his big break. He rented a "sleeping room" apartment and worked various jobs that allowed him to take acting classes and attend auditions. Foley waited tables, managed restaurants, sold insurance, worked at the Gap, manned the counter at Mrs. Fields' Cookies, and even stocked nursing supplies during the graveyard shift at U.C.L.A. Medical Center. His first paying gig came in 1995 when he appeared in an episode of Sweet Valley High titled "Blunder Alley." Two years later, he landed a theatrical agent, as well as guest spot on the sitcom Step by Step and a small role as a parking valet in the television movie Crowned and Dangerous (1997). Within a month he was on the set of the WB's teen drama Dawson's Creek, playing all-American high school quarterback Cliff Elliot, Dawson's (James Van Der Beek) romantic rival. Originally hired to guest star in the series' first three episodes, Foley hung around for five. Created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson, Dawson's Creek premiered in the winter of 1998 to rave reviews.

With his popularity steadily increasing, WB executives cast Foley in Felicity, a one-hour drama about a college freshman who follows her lifelong crush from their California high school to a university in New York City. Originally hired to portray the object of Felicity's (Keri Russell) affection, Foley stepped in to play her resident advisor and confidante, Noel Crane, when producers could not find an actor for the role. The show, which first aired in the fall of 1998, became a critical favorite and earned a Golden Globe nomination in its first year. Its success forced Foley to back out of his deal to appear as a regular cast member on the WB sitcom Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane. Instead, he guest starred in two episodes of the series as Montana Kennedy, an attractive (and unattainable) older man.

In 2000, Foley made his big-screen debut opposite Courteney Cox Arquette, Parker Posey, and Neve Campbell in Scream 3 (2000). Shortly afterward, he married actress Jennifer Garner, whom he met two years earlier when she played his ex-girlfriend on Felicity. The couple appeared together in the independent film Rennie's Landing (2001), before Foley went on to play a junior grade lieutenant in Below (2002), a submarine thriller co-written by Darren Aronofsky.

Unfortunately, as Foley's career grew, Felicity dipped in the ratings and suffered the constant threat of cancellation. A letter-writing campaign carried out by Felicity fans initially saved the show, but the WB still canceled the series in the spring of 2002 after four years on the air. However, the network did produce a season of "good-bye" episodes to give the show a proper ending. The bonus season also marked Foley's first time behind the camera, as he directed the episode titled "The Graduate."

With his own series' run coming to an end, Foley appeared in two episodes of the NBC comedy Scrubs. The job turned out to be the perfect trial run for his first post-Felicity gig, the lead role in the NBC pilot A.U.S.A. Described by the network's president as "Scrubs with lawyers," the sitcom features Foley as a neophyte lawyer in the United States Attorney's office and was picked up for the 2002-2003 television season.