Netflix’s How To Rob A Bank tells the real-life story of Scott Scurlock, a charismatic criminal counted among the most elusive bank robbers in U.S. history. Nicknamed the Hollywood Bandit, Scurlock and his accomplices successfully robbed 17 banks in Seattle, Washington, stealing $2.3 million between June 1992 and November 1996. While he carried a Glock, he never used it until his last robbery, which was on Thanksgiving eve of 1996. Scurlock’s likable personality and Robinhood ideology drive the fascination around his life and crimes.
He avoided using violence in his robberies and gave away a good portion of the money he stole to people and environmental causes. Before the Netflix documentary directed by Stephen Robert Morse and Seth Porges, Scott Scurlock’s crimes had been featured in episodes of Tom Naughton’s The FBI Files and The History Channel’s Masterminds. How To Rob A Bank stars Jordan Burtchett as Scurlock alongside Tristan McKinnon and Kurt Ostlund as his henchmen, Steve Meyers and Mark Biggins.
Family Background and Childhood Of Scott Scurlock
The Hollywood Bandit, William Scott Scurlock, was born and raised in Reston, Fairfax County, Virginia. He came from a decent Christian home. His father was a youth pastor whereas his mother was a school teacher. Though a brilliant lad, Scurlock’s adventurous spirit trivialized his academic interest. He constantly sought out challenging new experiences. Even as a child, it was quite clear that Scurlock wanted an unconventional lifestyle, he wanted to live wild and free.
As a misfit at age 19, Scott Scurlock left Reston in 1974. He moved to Hawaii and reconnected with his childhood friend Kevin Meyers. Together, they worked on a tomato farm, where Scurlock first embraced making money through illegal means. While working at the farm, the duo planted marijuana to sell and were fired when it was discovered. Meyers relocated to Canada while Scurlock moved to Olympia, Washington.
How He Got Involved With Bank Robbery
Scott Scurlock moved to Olympia to pursue a career in medicine. In 1978, he enrolled at Evergreen State College and commenced his studies towards becoming a doctor. However, he was soon caught up in another drug scheme for easy money. Scurlock secretly used the school’s chemistry lab to manufacture meth and soon became a major dealer of the addictive drug. He made huge sums from selling meth, which he used to fund his lifestyle and acquire acres of land around Evergreen where he built a three-story treehouse.
He continued to produce meth at this property and with a regular inflow of drug money, he relegated his studies to the background. Scott Scurlock eventually dropped out of school, abandoning his dream to become a doctor. Following the murder of his major distributor in 1990, Scurlock decided to retire from dealing drugs. But with his lifestyle, it was only a matter of time before he ran out of cash. When he did, it marked the birth of the Hollywood Bandit.
Why He Was Nicknamed Hollywood?
With the help of his college friend Mark Biggins and Kevin Meyers’ brother Steve Meyers — both of whom he had contracted to help build his treehouse — Scurlock pulled off his first bank robbery on June 25, 1992. His target was the Seafirst Bank in Madison Park. Though it was a successful robbery as they made away with roughly $20,000, Biggins was too rattled to participate in another heist. Meanwhile, Meyers only committed to helping Scurlock launder the money. But with time, Scurlock coerced both men back into the crime.
To evade the police and the FBI, Scott Scurlock invested heavily in theatrical makeup. He disguised himself, wearing a new look for each robbery. Initially dubbed the Take Charge Robber due to his composure and control, law enforcement started calling him Hollywood due to his quality makeup. Also, Scurlock reportedly watched movies to find inspiration for each of his operations. He was particularly inspired by Patrick Swaye’s Bodhi from Kathryn Bigelow’s Point Break.
What Happened To Scott Scurlock And His Partners?
For over four years, Hollywood and his partners in crimes robbed banks in the Seattle area, compelling the banks to place a $50,000 bounty on him. This didn’t deter the trio. They went for another robbery on the eve of Thanksgiving 1996 at Seafirst Bank in Lake City. A pursuit ensued, forcing Scott Scurlock to fire his gun for the first time since he started robbing banks. In the exchange that followed, Biggins and Meyers were struck and apprehended. Scurlock escaped, but as law enforcement closed in on him in a frantic manhunt, he turned his gun to himself.
Hollywood died on November 28, 1996; he succumbed to a self-inflicted gun wound to the head. After recovering from their gunshot wounds, Biggins and Meyers faced charges that earned them a 21-year sentence in federal prison. Meyers regained his freedom in 2013 and now lives in New Iberia, Louisiana. Biggins, on the other hand, still lives in Olympia. He was released from prison in 2015. Check out who’s Bamar Kane, the Yuusuf actor from Eric?
Follow Us
