English actress and singer Naomi Scott is best known as Princess Jasmine in Disney’s live action remake of Aladdin. Her interesting family background may surprise viewers.
Naomi’s mother, Usha Joshi, is a Gujarati Indian who was born in Uganda. Her father, Christopher Scott, is English and was born in the UK where Naomi was raised. Both parents are pastors in the Bridge Church in North East London, which influenced Naomi’s own missionary work.
Discover more about Naomi Scott’s background and the influence it has on her career below.
Family Background
Christopher Scott and his wife Usha Joshi are both pastors in the Bridge Church, Woodford, in London.
The Church has been led by Christopher and Usha for over 10 years, and Bridge Church’s website exhibits a great appreciation for them.
One such excerpt from the Church’s website reads, “Chris and Usha Scott have been leading the Bridge Church for over 10 years now, and together with a passionate team, they are on a mission to shape a church that will embrace the challenge of our generation and raise up the change-makers of the next.”
The mission statement of Christopher and Usha’s Church is “Reach, Restore, Release.”
While Christopher is English, Usha is Gujarati Indian born in Uganda, though she spent much of her life in the UK. Together, raised Naomi in Essex, England.
Parental Influence In Naomi’s Life
Naomi’s parents greatly impact her life, her career and her marriage. She claims to be “obsessed with gospel music,” originating from her time in the Church.
Although she has now transitioned away from the genre, she loved to listen to it and used to sing in Church when she was younger.
In an interview with Hypebae, she mentioned that God was the “ultimate creative force” for her.
“Growing up in the Church fostered an inner spirituality that also introduced me to the concept of music having a deeper meaning,” she stated. “There has always been a connection between my faith, and realizing that music can have a soul and purpose, which has ultimately affected the way I approach the art.”
When discussing her role as Pink Ranger in Power Rangers, she further elaborated on the influence of having those of her faith around her. “I have an amazing team, coincidentally assembled through Church. When you have a room full of Church people, we feel the music (laughs).”
The actress also starred on an April cover of British Vogue.
When speaking about her young marriage to footballer Jordan Pence in an interview with UK Vogue, she said “[My faith is the foundation] of every decision I make, and of my marriage.” She met her husband at her parents’ church at 16, and married him 4 years later.
Naomi was greatly successful in her film career, obtaining the much coveted role of Princess Jasmine in Disney’s live-action remake of Aladdin.
Yet, the actress received some backlash for her casting as Princess Jasmine on Twitter, with users being frustrated at the idea of “brown people being interchangeable” in Hollywood.
It is deduced that the original Princess Jasmine from Disney was Arab, and some users felt that Naomi, being half Indian and half white, was not an accurate representation of the Arab community.
Naomi admitted that the comments affected her in an interview with The Telegraph, but expressed the importance of rising above it, saying “That feeling of being misunderstood by people commenting about me — if I put energy into that, I will get nowhere.”
Scott expresses a desire to venture more into music than her acting career, telling The Telegraph, “Music is my first love.” She mentioned in her Hypebae interview, “I will eventually switch gears to solely music, but at the moment it is both.”
From her acting to her music career, it is evident that Naomi’s passion and spirit are greatly influenced by the faith and love for Church that her parents instilled in her.