# Scott Mactavish

Scott Mactavish (born April 20th, 1965 in Pulaski, VA) is an American filmmaker and author. Mactavish began his career in New York City after serving in the United States Navy and attending film school at New York University. His national media appearances include Fox News, NBC, PBS, MSNBC, Today in New York and CBS, and he has been a guest speaker at corporations and universities around the country, including Penn State and the University of Virginia. His book The New Dad's Survival Guide is a perennial favorite in the parenting category. Mactavish also worked as an actor on stage and screen, including a role in the original Super Mario Brothers movie. Early in his career he changed his name legally to avoid conflicts with author Will Self and Hollywood producer William Self. Mactavish is a family name on his mother's side.

## Early Life

Mactavish was born and raised in the Appalachian foothills of Virginia. At age seventeen, his mother signed enlistment papers on his behalf for the United States Navy and he attended boot camp at the Recruit Training Command in San Diego, California. He later served with Submarine Squadron 6, aboard the USS L.Y. Spear, and in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He received an honorable discharge after four years of active duty and two reserve duty and attended New York University on the GI Bill.

## Career

Upon graduation from NYU, Mactavish worked in various roles on studio films while writing original screenplays and books. He also worked as an actor on stage and screen, including the titular role in playwright Jo Carson's Preacher with a Horse to Ride. He also played a goomba in the 1993 film Super Mario Bros., Navy sailor Ken Truitt in the NBC series What Happened? and an uncredited stunt double in The Crow.
Following the attacks of 9/11 Mactavish shifted his focus to work behind the camera and founded Mactavish Pictures in New York City.
Mactavish served as executive producer on the international documentary Chagas, directed by Ricardo Preve. He wrote, produced and directed Summer Running: The Race to Cure Breast Cancer featuring Sissy Spacek. The film was used to raise over $30,000 for breast cancer research. He also made God and Country: Untold Stories of the American Military,a feature documentary that explores the little-known humanitarian work carried out by the American military. Through Mactavish Pictures, he produced commercials and corporate films for clients in various industries including Pepsi, Dun and Bradstreet, Deloitte & Touche, Pitney Bowes and The Gap. He also worked on several big-budget Hollywood films including Evan Almighty.
As writer, he continued composing feature screenplays and wrote his first book, The New Dad's Survival Guide,published by Little, Brown and Co. in 2005. The book was an instant hit and made several best-seller lists, and continues to be a popular international title. As a freelance writer, he contributed to Indiewire, Windcheck Sailing Magazine and Film Threat.

## 2011 - Present

Mactavish wrote, produced and directed Ride for Lance, a tribute to Navy SEAL Lance Vacarro who gave his life for his country in 2008. Four of Lance's SEAL friends rode motorcycles from Virginia Beach to Alaska and back in thirty one days to honor his memory. Mactavish then wrote, produced and directed MURPH: The Protector, a critically-acclaimed tribute to Navy SEAL LT Michael Patrick Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient who gave his life for his men. Following MURPH, Mactavish wrote, produced and directed Family Mission: The TJ Labraico Story, distributed by Virgil Entertainment. In 2019, he began production on Shattered Lives, a feature documentary that explores domestic terrorism in America prior to 9/11. That same year he began development on Under the Trestle, a true crime documentary based on the national bestseller of the same name by Ron Peterson, Jr. The murder case covered in the book took place in Pulaski County, Virginia, where Mactavish was raised.
In 2013 he co-authored Battle Ready: Memoir of a SEAL Warrior Medic,published by St. Martin's Press. The book was optioned as a scripted series by Joe Carnahan.

## Personal Life

Mactavish is married and has three sons. He is an advisory board member of The Davis Focus Project, a non-profit that helps veterans overcome Traumatic Brain Injury, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and insomnia through innovative human performance protocols. He also serves as the Public Affairs Officer for Wheels for Warriors, a Michigan nonprofit that builds adapted motorcycles for combat-wounded veterans. He coaches soccer and divides his time between Nashville and New York City. At age 46 he returned to college and completed a bachelor's degree at the University of Alabama.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Actor | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
| 1989 | Preacher with a Horse to Ride | Yes | | | | Stage Play |
| 1990 | The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail | Yes | | | | Stage Play, Lead |
| 1991 | Flowers for Judith (HBO) | Yes | | Yes | | NYU Thesis film |
| 1992 | What Happened? (NBC) | Yes | | | | |
| 1992 | Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | | | | | Crew |
| 1993 | Super Mario Brothers | Yes | | | | |
| 1993 | American Experience (PBS) | Yes | | | | |
| 1994 | The Crow | | | | | Stunt Photo Double |
| 1994 | Hudsucker Proxy | | | | | Crew |
| 1994 | Chasers | | | | | Crew |
| 1994 | The Road to Wellville | | | | | Crew |
| 1997 | Major Burns Comedy Short | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Pseudo.com |
| 2005 | Chagas, a Hidden Affliction | | | Yes | | Executive Producer |
| 2005 | Summer Running | | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2007 | God and Country | | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2007 | Evan Almighty | | | | | Crew |
| 2011 | Ride for Lance | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Lionsgate |
| 2013 | MURPH: The Protector | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Lionsgate |
| 2015 | Family Mission | | Yes | Yes | Yes | Virgil Entertainment |
| 2019 | Battle Ready Series | | | | Yes | Co-Author, Book |
| 2023 | Shattered Lives | | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2024 | Under the Trestle | | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2024 | The Widow Spy | | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2024 | Wheels for Warriors Series | | Yes | Yes | Yes | |

## Books

| Date | Title | Publisher | Notes |
| 2005 | The New Dad's Survival Guide | Little, Brown and Company | |
| 2013 | Battle Ready: Memoir of a SEAL Warrior Medic | St. Martin's Press | Co-Author |