Scott Evans & Zuri Hall – The Dream Team & our Best friends on the Red Carpet 

The Dream Team 

After interviewing Scott Evans and Zuri Hall of Access Hollywood, all I can say is ‘Dream Team.’ This dynamic duo’s energy, charisma, and personality are unmatched on and off the camera and red carpet. They are fearless of hard work or speaking their minds regarding entertainment and chances a company should take to stay ahead of the culture. These two are truly living the Hollywood dream as they have climbed their way through the ranks, starting humbly in the Midwest with their determination and grit.   

Full Circle   

I want to take you back to Indianapolis, where these two have now experienced a full circle moment since they both decided to embark on this journey in entertainment. “It’s crazy when I say we go back a decade. I was the second person to win this local news competition, which started my career in television. Scott was the first person to ever win it,” stated Hall. There was this symbolic torch that he handed over to Zuri.   

Their own paths to Hollywood   

Zuri’s path was something she manifested through planning and execution. The native Ohioan had plans for her milestone ages of twenty-five and thirty. Zuri said, “My goal was ‘national by 25’, [which I reached when I landed the opportunity to] move to New York to host a show for Fuse TV called Trending 10. I hit the ground running from there and was soon working at MTV.” Each of these positions and stations was a pit stop on her journey to getting what her heart desired. E! News was Zuri’s next stop – she got there sooner than she expected at 27. She spent “five incredible years” with the show. “But I was ready for a broadcast network,” stated Hall. Enter: NBC and Access Hollywood. I hope anyone can look at Zuri and see that you should never get complacent and be fearful because this Midwest native went from coast to coast without second-guessing herself.   

Scott is the opposite of Zuri in terms of planning it out but similar in being fearless and doing things in the present that will pay off in the future. “I’m not even tripping because when we get there, we will get there,” stated Evans. At an early age, Scott learned everything he could about video production from grade school to college, which paid off in the long run. In New York, he anchored ‘Hard News’ at CBS, which later became too much for his soul. But, Scott said,” Hard news is essential to work, and we need those people in there, but it was time for me to get on up.” So, when the opportunity came to work at Access Hollywood, he went “full force” and actually did like his counterpart (Zuri) and planned his climb to where he knew he wanted to be.   

Culture & Fun on the Red Carpet   

If you watch Access Hollywood or are on social media, you have seen viral clips of Scott or Zuri engaging with a celebrity during an interview or the red-carpet photographers requesting another photo opportunity of Zuri. They bring so much joy that entertainers leave other media outlets to come to chat with them. Their energy is both infectious and contagious. “Once we came unintentionally matching like a 1970s prom on the Oscars red carpet. We were having so much fun and were being so extra, to the point that Serena Williams came over to us. She said, ‘This is clearly where the party is,'” laughed Hall. When I asked how it is for them to be unapologetically Black on the carpet. “I live in a state of integrity, and I just got to the point where it was exhausting if I would have to code switch,” said Hall.  

Scott stated, “You know what it means to be a Black person to operate in a space and decide to take up that space.” He explained how when it’s red-carpet time, he isn’t worried about his Blackness offending anyone or how they receive it. That’s their business because Scott and Zuri ensure people get their authentic selves, so there is no code-switching. He shared that they both receive the best compliments when people tell them in person, “You are just like the person I see on television.”   

Scott shared a moment on the red carpet, stating, “He doesn’t know if they ever got in trouble for it.” When he was so energetic and treated Steven Spielberg like they were old friends. “He didn’t know who I was, but I acted like he was cousin Steven,” said Evans. This was just one of many examples where any celebrity, regardless of Hollywood status, would get the Scott and Zuri experience.   

The Work Never Stops   

The dream team’s trajectory is still on the rise as they shared with me other things they are currently working on and advocating for.   

Scott has recently signed an overall talent and development deal with NBCUniversal, where he will pitch and develop projects that tell even more meaningful and powerful stories. “The woman who gave me my first acting gig in the third grade is my partner on one of my projects,” stated Evans, as he has yet to have another full circle moment in life. This new lane he is in is another testament to the network’s trust in his ability to consistently bring authenticity and sincerity to the screen.   

If you can’t get enough of Scott, you can listen in on his AMP radio show “It’s Go Time with Scott Evans.”   

Zuri is booked and busy as well, advocating for Black mental health. She uses her platform to bring light to the issue. She wants the community to understand that the stigmas and shame that plague us don’t have to be generational. “I want people to know it’s okay to talk to someone. You don’t need a reason to emote your truth,” stated Hall. She is working to infuse this into her work as she continues to strive for “integrity” in her work. Hall’s podcast “Hot Happy Mess” (in partnership with iHeart and Charlamagne tha God’s Black Effect network) is a relationship and mental health podcast for Millennial women of all backgrounds. It prioritizes amplifying the voices of experts and thought leaders who are women of color. 

Speaking of integrity in her career, Hall is also the face of Access Hollywood’s partnership with the Black and Missing Foundation – where she utilizes her local hard news background during hard-hitting, often emotional true crime exclusives that highlight the cases of missing Black men, women, and children across America.  

Need more Zuri in your life? You can watch as she enters her fifth season as the sideline reporter on NBC’s hit summer primetime competition series “American Ninja Warrior.” 

The Big Takeaway  

I hope that people understand that when you see these two, you see individuals who keep going and never give up. They trusted their instincts and created a support system they could lean on when necessary. There was a pivotal moment in Zuri’s career when she had to make a tough decision and turned to Scott for advice. “I was happy because even though I gave her advice. She went with her gut and didn’t take my advice,” stated Evans. Safe to say, things worked out. In life, you only meet so few people who genuinely understand and respect you at this level of admiration. They show me what it looks like when Black Boy Joy meets Black Girl Magic.