Scout Taylor-Compton (born Desariee Starr Compton; February 21, 1989) is an American actress, film producer, director, and screenwriter. She began her career as a child actor, making her Hollywood film debut in 13 Going on 30 (2004) and having recurring roles on the WB television series Gilmore Girls (2001–2004) and Charmed (2003–2006). After supporting roles in the films Sleepover (2004) and An American Crime (2007), Taylor-Compton received mainstream recognition for her starring role as Laurie Strode in the horror films Halloween (2007) and Halloween II (2009).
Following Halloween, Taylor-Compton portrayed musician Lita Ford in the biographical film The Runaways (2010) and had supporting roles in the films Obsessed (2009), Love Ranch (2010), and Flight 7500 (2014), as well as a recurring role as Erin on season 4 of the ABC series Nashville (2015–2016). In the 2020s, she starred in the films The Long Night (2022) and Into the Deep (2025). She voiced Lady in Devil May Cry (2025).
Taylor-Compton made her feature directorial debut with the action thriller Bring the Law (2026). She subsequently co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in the horror film Last Chance Motel (2026) with Danielle Harris.
Early life
Taylor-Compton was born Desariee Starr Compton, on February 21, 1989, in Long Beach, California to a Mexican mother and an American father who worked as a mortician. Taylor-Compton was raised in Apple Valley, California, and partly spent her childhood growing up in her father's funeral home. She has described herself as a "huge tomboy" in her early years: "I played baseball, and I was a swimmer. I did perform in plays. But I really got into acting when I was just eight years old."
Career
1998–2006: Early roles
In 1998, Taylor-Compton began her acting career with an appearance in the film A.W.O.L. with David Morse, and later in the short film Thursday Afternoon. She went on to have small roles in both television and film including Ally McBeal, ER, Frasier, The Guardian and The Division. She appeared in several student films, commercials for Fuji Film and the Disney Cruise Line, and various skits on The Jay Leno Show. In November 2000, Taylor-Compton made her stage debut as the title character in a production of Annie Warbucks at The Grove Theatre in Upland, California, and a stage production of Footloose at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center.
In 2001, she had a recurring role as Clara Forrester, the younger sister of Dean Forrester (Jared Padalecki) in the television series Gilmore Girls, appearing in a total of four episodes until 2004. Taylor-Compton was nominated for Best Performance in a Television Series – Recurring Young Actress for her portrayal of Clara at the 25th Young Artist Awards.
She made a comedic appearance in the film Four Fingers of the Dragon (2003) playing herself auditioning for a role in a fictional Kung Fu film. In 2004, she appeared in the teen comedy, Sleepover, her first large Hollywood film role. The cast of the film was nominated for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Young Ensemble Cast at the 26th Young Artist Awards. Following Sleepover, she appeared in numerous television series including Hidden Howie, Unfabulous (2 episodes), Cold Case, That's So Raven, Charmed(appearing in 8 episodes between 2000 and 2006 as various Fairies), and Without a Trace (in which she portrayed a runaway teenager).
In 2007, Taylor-Compton joined the cast of ABC's Friday Night Live. The same year, she starred in the drama Tomorrow is Today and the horror film Wicked Little Things. Tomorrow is Today features Taylor-Compton as Julie Peterson, a girl who saves the life of and befriends a hapless drifter. The film won over six awards at various festivals which included the California Independent Film Festival, the Garden State Film Festival, Method Fest Independent Film Festival, and the Rhode Island International Film Festival. She won "Best Actress" for her performance in the film at the Method Fest Independent Film Festival. Wicked Little Things was one of the films featured in After Dark's 8 Films to Die For and saw Taylor-Compton star as Sarah Tunny. Following these films, she appeared in Standoff and Close to Home.
Taylor-Compton returned to the horror genre as Laurie Strode in Rob Zombie's 2007 remake of the classic slasher filmHalloween (1978). She endured a long audition process, but as director Zombie explains, "Scout was my first choice. There was just something about her; she had a genuine quality. She didn't seem actor-y."
She also starred in the television drama film Love's Unfolding Dream, which premiered on the Hallmark Channel on December 15, 2007, followed by the horror film April Fool's Day, a remake of the 1986 film, which was released directly to DVD in March 2008. She also made another horror film, the 2009 film Life Blood, in which she had a cameo as Carrie Lain.
However, in an interview conducted in July 2007, Taylor-Compton did report that after completing April Fool's Day she wanted to stay away from roles in the horror genre for her next film projects. Although she has received many horror film scripts, she believes that she "need[s] to move on from horror. Just drift away a little bit and do something else so I don't get stuck in that" and although she "love[s] doing horror films" and are her "favorite", she'd "like to do other stuff in between." She has recently been influenced by the career of Scarlett Johansson, wanting to choose scripts and roles based on personal interest as she views Johansson does. Taylor-Compton went on to explain, "That's what I kind of want to do. I love just being passionate about something rather than just caring about the money or who's in the movie." In 2009, Taylor-Compton starred alongside Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci in Love Ranch. The following year, she had a supporting role in the thriller Obsessed, starring Beyoncé Knowles, Ali Larter, and Idris Elba. The same year, Taylor-Compton reprised her role as Laurie Strode in Halloween II (2009), a sequel to Rob Zombie's 2007 film.
In 2021, Taylor-Compton starred in the thriller film An Intrusion, followed by the Western Apache Junction, for which she and co-star Stuart Townsend. Joe Leydon of Variety praised her and Townsend's performances, noting the two "are well-cast as archetypical Western characters while Trace Adkins again demonstrates commanding on-screen presence."
In 2025, she starred opposite Richard Dreyfuss in the thriller Into the Deep, playing an oceanographer who becomes stranded in the ocean among sharks. The same year, Taylor-Compton made her directorial debut with the short filmBuilding Blocks, which was screened at the Beverly Hills Film Festival. She also wrote and directed Road to Recovery in 2025, which was filmed in Tulsa, Oklahoma and inspired by her grief over her mother's death from cancer several years prior.
In 2026, Taylor-Compton directed her first feature film, the crime thriller Bring the Law, which stars Mickey Rourke, Peter Facinelli, and Leah Pipes. She subsequently co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in the horror film Last Chance Motel with Danielle Harris. The film, which also features Heather Langenkamp, is scheduled for digital release on October 6, 2026.
Other ventures
In 2001, Taylor-Compton provided voice overs for I Am Sam, and continued with voice over work with appearances in The Core (2003) and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). The following year, she provided voice over work for the teen hero comedy Sky High. She sang the theme song "Jet Set" for the film Chicken Night (2001). In 2002, Taylor-Compton appeared briefly in the Will Smith music video for "Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)" for the Men in Black II soundtrack. She appeared in the music video for "Sweet Valentine" by the band Born the Sky in 2007.
In 2003, Taylor-Compton took vocal lessons with Diane Gillespie and Vocal Power Institute, along with guitar, drums and keyboard lessons, and joined a theatre group called "Shenanigans," where she performed and took weekly tap and jazz lessons. She attended the Hollywood Pop Academy for additional vocal training.
In 2007, Taylor-Compton released her debut rock/pop album, in which she sang and played drums. She has cited Cyndi Lauper, Gwen Stefani, Madonna, Kelly Osbourne and Green Day as her musical influences. She worked with ERA Productions and punk-pop singer Vitamin C. While on the set filming Halloween (2007), Taylor-Compton received "a few pointers" about a music career from director Rob Zombie, who had also fronted the band White Zombie. She has stated that singing is a side project and "is just a little talent that I have on the side, and if it does something then I'll do that, but I'm not gonna give up acting."
On October 31, 2021, Taylor-Compton and Danielle Harris launched a podcast called Talk Scary to Me, in which they discuss the horror industry alongside their personal lives. In 2023, the podcast was added to Bloody Disgusting's podcast network, Bloody FM.
In 2022, she appeared in metalcore band Ice Nine Kills' music video for their song "The Shower Scene", based on the 1960 film Psycho.
In 2023, she voiced Julie Crawford in the Texas Chain Saw Massacre video game, as well as performing motion capture for all female victims.
Personal life
As a teenager, Taylor-Compton dated Andy Biersack from Black Veil Brides, who composed the song "The Mortician's Daughter" about her. In August 2005, when Taylor-Compton was sixteen years old, she was reported missing by her parents and was found approximately two weeks later at the home of a high school friend.
