Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Scott Wilson, entered Southern Polytechnic State University on an athletic scholarship, left college and hitchhiked to Los Angeles to become an actor. He studied for five years, gaining experience in local theatre while working menial jobs. In 1967, at age 25 he landed roles in two high-profile films, murder suspect Harvey Oberst In the Heat of the Night and murderer Richard Hickock In Cold Blood.
Scott Wilson, diagnosed with leukemia, died at age 76.