The Injury That Changed Everything For Scott Speedman

Scott Speedman is known for starring in popular television shows like "Animal Kingdom" and "Felicity." He has also landed parts in a number of films, such as "Underworld" and "The Vow." Recently, the actor has been making headlines for his return appearance on medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," where he plays transplant surgeon Nick Marsh. Season 18 brought his character back as a potential love interest for the lead character, Meredith Grey (played by Ellen Pompeo). This is fortunate for Speedman, since he "really connected" with the role, he told Esquire. As he tends to go for darker roles these days, returning to the "lighter romantic comedy world" was a nice change for him as well.

Speaking of dark roles, Speedman also recently appeared on Season 3 of the Netflix series, "You." He stars as Matthew, the neighbor of the main characters, Joe and Love, and the husband of one of the couple's victims. In an October interview with Entertainment Weekly, Speedman revealed that he became interested in the role after seeing how Matthew would evolve during the season. "When it's a flawed man, deeply flawed, interesting man, that's more fun for me," he said, adding that he feels "more comfortable in those characters."

Before Speedman was a successful actor, however, he was a competitive athlete headed for the Olympics. But an unexpected injury one day changed everything.

Scott Speedman may be known around the world as Michael Corvin in "Underworld," but as a young teenager, he had a completely different future in mind. During his high school years in Toronto, Canada, Speedman was welcomed into the gifted athlete's program at Earl Haig Secondary School for his talent as a strong swimmer, per AmoMama. He eventually joined the Canadian Junior National Swim Team, and, over the following years, trained to compete in the Olympics. The actor made it to the 1992 Olympic trials where he came in ninth place.

Not long after the Olympic trials, however, Speedman suffered a neck injury that forced him out of the sport, he told Men's Journal. He described the lesion as a "nerve injury" that came about from "over-training." He explained, "I was a distance swimmer, a miler, freestyle, and the training back then was definitely very intense." Eventually, the "Felicity" star says, "my arm just kind of gave out." 

While the injury signaled the end of Speedman's competitive swimming career and denied him the opportunity to become the next Michael Phelps, he has no regrets. He told Men's Journal that "It was definitely one of the best things that has happened to me." With his future as an athlete now over, Speedman turned to another future in the spotlight: acting.

Scott Speedman's high school doubled as a center for gifted athletes as well as gifted artists, he told Men's Journal in an interview. The exposure to artists led him to form friendships and romantic relationships with other kids striving to become dancers, singers, and even actors. This was how he came up with the idea to audition for a part in a movie. Although the audition was "just on a whim" and Speedman didn't get the part, he made a connection with the casting director who encouraged him to sign up with a local talent agency. When Speedman landed his first role on a television show, he chalked it up to luck.

In a separate interview with Elle Canada in 2012, the "Grey's Anatomy" actor opened up about his early years pursuing an acting career. He admitted that he "spent a lot of time flailing around" in the beginning trying to figure out the career trajectory that he wanted. After starring in the 2008 film, "Adoration," everything started to make sense and he felt "inspired" to get "on the right track." Since he spent so long hesitating when it came to the roles he wanted to audition for, this turnaround encouraged him to start being open to any opportunity that came his way. Speedman even compares his experience as an actor to being a competitive swimmer in that they are both "an art form" and require dedication.