It Takes Two Read online

  CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  Foreword

  Drew: Get a Job

  Jonathan: Pursuit of Happiness

  Drew: Brother vs. Brother

  Jonathan: Smoke and Mirrors

  Drew: Lights, Camera, Action!

  Jonathan: Romance

  Drew: Romance, Part II

  Jonathan: Band of Brothers

  Drew: TV World

  Jonathan: Speak Up, Step Up

  Afterparty

  Acknowledgments

  Actually, it takes more than two when it comes to capturing a lifetime in 75,000 words, give or take. When we decided to write a memoir, we thought it would be an easy flip—no structural damage, toxic exposure, or hidden problems to deal with. Wow, were we wrong. It turned out to be a journey through memories we hadn’t thought about in a very long time. More highs and lows than we could have imagined, and a fresh reminder of the incredible people whose support made our biggest reveal possible. It’s humbling to think back and realize how many forks we’ve had in the road and how many folks have helped us choose the right path.

  We were blessed from the beginning to be surrounded by wonderful role models who helped teach us about the importance of kindness, respect, compassion, and perseverance. From our incredible teachers at church and school, to our karate sensei, Gary Johnson, who was tough on us but understood that one day the discipline we’d learn would be invaluable. Our basketball coach, Mike Shannon, always knew exactly what to say to bring out the best in us . . . even when we felt like there was nothing left. Shelly Evans, our drama teacher, encouraged us to find our own voices and express our passions by digging deep within to get to the core of who we were. Many of these influences in our lives, who began in positions of authority to us, later became friends and remain a valuable part of our lives today. Nina Fowell comes directly to mind, and she has seen us through almost three decades of our development. No matter where we go or what we do, she takes the time to reach out and ask how WE are and if WE are finding happiness. What started out as a couple of rambunctious twins in her sixth grade class has evolved into a lifelong friendship.

  When it comes to our peers, our pals, our partners in crime, completely different criteria establish the impact they’ve had on our lives. Let’s be honest . . . we’d get up to no good from time to time. Nothing criminal or destructive, but definitely some good old-fashioned mischief. Our closest friends have always been genuine, reliable, trustworthy people. You’ll find a lot of similarities in Pedro, Brad, Toni, Jodi, Mike, Simpson, Barb, and the rest of our eclectic mix of compadres. Not only were we comfortable exposing our most embarrassing moments to each other . . . but we discovered the importance of laughing hard every day. We’ve traveled together, lived together, and seen each other through personal triumphs and tragedies. There has never been a situation where we needed one of these guys, and they didn’t drop everything to get to us. That’s true friendship.

  Our world changed when a company called Cineflix approached us to do what we now know as Property Brothers. There were many hands over the years involved in making it come together, such as Glen Salzman, Katie Ruttan Daigle, Christle Leonard, Gerard Barry, Lindsey Weidhorn, and Jessica Vander Kooij, but in the end we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the whole talented team of TV wizards. We have become like family with our crews for all our shows, and some days we’re amazed we get any work done because you make us laugh so much. Particularly you, Marnie. After completing the pilot episode, we met our first incredible network partner, Corus, in Canada, where Vibika Bianchi, John MacDonald, Doug Murphy and their team took a big risk on some hosts that were doing things a little differently and a concept that might or might not pay off. Fortunately for all of us, it did. Soon after, the show was picked up in the U.S. by Scripps Networks, and we found remarkable allies in Kathleen Finch, Audrey Adlam, Allison Page, Shannon Driver, Lynne Davis, Loren Ruch, Victoria Chiaro, Abbi McCollum, Santos Lopez, and many more who would once again prove that good, passionate, talented people create even better things together. The relationships have always been ones of mutual respect, open communication, and joint effort. It has paid off in creating something magical that our audiences absolutely love. And speaking of audiences . . . we legitimately have the most amazing fans in the world. We love every opportunity we get to meet them face to face to show our gratitude. Your support is what fuels us through the long hours and grueling schedule.

  When our world evolved and our television careers took off, we really needed to grow our team to ensure we could keep up. We have a few simple rules: First, we work with passionate people who love what they’re doing and are genuinely great at it. Second, we only work with people that we like to work with. Sounds simple, but in reality it’s harder to find than you would expect. Matt Horowitz was one of our first hires, when we were still mostly unknown. He has all of the good attributes of an amazing agent, but also a soul. His guidance, advice, and friendship have been invaluable and have definitely helped steer our ever-growing ship in the right direction. He heads our hard-working team at CAA, including Carla Laur, Cait Hoyt, Stephanie Paciullo, Kate Childs, and a ton of other brilliant people who work tirelessly with our legal guru David Dembroski to keep us in line. We pride ourselves in being easy to work with . . . though our business is QUITE complex.

  There are so many people we’ve worked with in the past who really did help make us a household name. There was our first publicist, Alina Goldstein Duviner, who we’ll never forget meeting during the launch of the first season of Property Brothers. She looked us right in the eye and said, “We’re going to make this show a hit.” She was right. There was also The Door in NYC, who propelled us to the next level and personified what it meant to have a think tank of creative masterminds.

  Inevitably over time, we grew our internal team to reflect the precision and efficiencies we’ve always strived to achieve in all our businesses. Lance, Josie, Richard, Christina, Stephanie, Rachel, Ashley, Amara, Ydo, Vanessa, and the rest of Team Scott are simply rock stars. We’ve always wanted to run a company that people love to work for and boasts an environment that keeps the team members challenged but excited to come in every day. We pulled it off, and are so proud of the squad we’ve assembled. They enable us to take on far more than we could ever do on our own while still keeping the bar raised higher than anybody else in the business. It allows us to pursue passion projects like this book which, thanks to our hero and editor, Justin Schwartz, and the HMH team—Marina Padakis Lowry, Tai Blanche, Rita Sowins, and Eugenie S. Delaney—we’re sure will be another big success. Tamara, we’ll admit the way you cracked the whip to get the good stuff out of us is simply superb.

  If you’ve noticed . . . we don’t do anything half-assed. We also don’t pursue business relationships for the short term. We want relationships that are going to last and people we want to keep around for a very long time. It’s the only way to build a legacy brand. But if you were to strip back all of the business and all of the shows and focus on the people who have personally had the most impact on us, it’s family and the loves of our lives. Our parents, Jim and Joanne, you absolutely astonish us with your infinite love and support. You brought us into this world, but you also made us shine. Our brother JD, you have always been an ear if we needed to talk, muscle if we needed help, and right there when we needed anything. Thank you for putting up with a couple of annoying little clones your whole life. We’ve always looked up to you, big brother. We also can’t forget Gracie and Stewie, because even though they’re fur-babies . . . they’re part of the family, and even while writing this sentence, they’re staring up at us with unwavering love and devotion. Or mayb
e they just want to be fed. LOL.

  And lastly, our beautiful soulmates, Linda and Jacinta, you make everything an adventure and breathe life into our souls. As much as we try to express it, you’ll never fully understand the extent to which we appreciate you. Twins have a very special bond and nothing can break that. But we both agree that of all the people on this big, blue planet, you are the only two we want to share that with. We love you. We cherish you. And we look forward to every little reveal the future holds for us.

  —Drew & Jonathan

  Foreword

  “Doctor, I think there’s another baby.”

  We had just welcomed our son Jonathan into the world at 9:57 a.m. that spring morning at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia. But now the nurse had just delivered the surprise of our lives—at 10:01 a.m., Drew magically appeared. Within the span of four minutes on April 28, 1978, our family of three had become five.

  The new duo launched their act on an unsuspecting world with no instruction book provided. Looking into their precious faces, we wondered what life had in store for them. Little did we know what they had in store for us!

  Our firstborn son, James Daniel (JD), was still a month shy of his second birthday when his twin brothers arrived. With three children in diapers, Dad decided it was time to leave his job in the motion-picture industry for a career that would keep him closer to home. He became a child and youth counselor in Maple Ridge, about 30 miles east of Vancouver, where we lived and raised horses. That job afforded the flexibility we needed on the home front once Joanne returned to her work for a law office.

  As time went by, Drew and Jonathan followed the unofficial twin rule book, bonding close and chattering in a secret language that only big brother JD could translate. Fortunately we were eventually all communicating on the same page.

  Raising three rambunctious boys brought numerous daily challenges. That missing instruction book would have been helpful, but we learned a lot from those experiences and honed our problem solving skills in short order.

  All three boys became excellent horseback riders. We did a lot of camping in those early days, often with the horses; the boys loved it. We would hike, ride, fish for trout, and sing around the campfire. Drew and Jonathan were constantly making up their own songs and certainly kept us all entertained.

  By the time they were 8, the writing was already on the wall: They had launched their first business—selling decorative hangers—and went global. They had also started learning Shotokan karate, which sparked their competitive streak but also instilled the self-discipline, confidence, and sense of honor that defines them to this day.

  But their real passion was in performing. Jonathan taught himself magic and earned national recognition while still in his teens, while Drew shined in theater and on the basketball court. As they entered adulthood, we prayed we had given them the necessary tools (no pun intended) to have a happy and successful life—without becoming starving artists.

  They bought and flipped their first house at just 18, and the $50,000 profit they made became the seed money for what has become, twenty years later, as much a thriving dream factory as a business. It hasn’t been all sunshine and roses, though.

  Life happens, and parents are only as happy as their saddest child. Jonathan suffered anguish and heartache through a divorce, and Drew faced many a closed door in his early years pursuing his dream of an acting career. Notwithstanding this, they have always had a strong determination and have been relentless in their ability to forge on. The right doors did eventually open.

  A huge part of their year is taken up with filming their five shows, book signings, Scott Living engagements, host appearances, commercial shoots, and social media. Jonathan and Drew often bring fans behind the scenes of their shows.

  We love watching “the Scott brothers” have so much fun interacting with the fans—and the fans, in turn, enjoy asking us all kinds of questions about what the guys were like growing up. The most common one is whether they always got along so well. That answer is easy: Drew and Jonathan were best friends from the beginning and had a knack for working out differences so they could quickly get back to more important agendas of work or play. Their secret language of twins became unspoken.

  This book serves as a portal into the ever-surprising, inspiring, and entertaining lives of two of our three wonderful sons. It showcases their joyful moments, painful struggles, relentless determination, and boundless optimism, all of which helped shape the fine men they are today. Their integrity, strong values, and love for their family make us so proud to be their parents.

  We are a very close family, which is a gift that has paid itself forward throughout our lives. We talk every day, no matter how many miles separate us, and we often get calls from Jonathan or Drew inviting us to hop on a plane to join them in some adventure or come visit them on set. (The latter call occasionally comes with the announcement that sends shivers through us: “We have homework for you.”)

  In writing this engaging book, Jonathan and Drew are welcoming you into their world, both private and public. We sincerely hope you enjoy the journey—and the surprises they continue to bring—as much as we have.

  Sincerely,

  James and Joanne Scott

  (Mom & Dad)

  P.S. To their many fans all over the world, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for embracing our family with love and kindness. You have given our sons their success, and we will never forget it. Our wish for each and every one of you is that you, too, will find fulfillment and happiness in your lives.

  Birthdays were always fun for us growing up—our parents didn’t need to get a bouncy castle or hire some event planner to make them special. There would always be ice cream cake and presents, maybe a clown and a round of Happy Meals with our friends at McDonald’s, and once, even a trip to a water park. But the best birthdays were the ones when the family just saddled up our horses and rode to the national park at the edge of our farm in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. We’d cook some steaks for dinner, then sing around the campfire while Dad strummed his guitar. No rented bouncy castle could ever match that.

  (Besides, when it came to bouncing, Jonathan and I would rather pile up sofa cushions and mattresses and leap off the back deck, anyway.)

  So when we woke up one April morning on what we assumed would be just another typical birthday, we had no idea our lives were about to change—until Dad made a surprise announcement: It was time for The Talk.

  Jonathan and I exchanged eager looks, but tried to act cool (correction: I acted cool, and Jonathan tried to) as the three of us sat down at the kitchen table. We were Jonathan was growing up, and our parents had obviously taken note. That day, it turned out, we had reached an important milestone. Dad looked us each in the eye, man to man, then spelled it out for us in his thick brogue:

  “Boys, you’re seven years old,” he decreed. “It’s time to get a job.”

  We didn’t stop to ask whether our Lego habit had forced Dad to borrow from the mob, or if the extra money was needed to send Jonathan to a sleep lab so he’d stop trying to walk through our bedroom wall in the middle of the night like some possessed zombie on an invisible treadmill. (Hilarious unless you happen to have the exact same DNA and have to spend every night of your life worrying that the same freak gene will eventually turn you into a wall-zombie, too.)*

  *What can I say? I’m an active sleeper. I don’t have to be conscious to go places!

  When we got older, we would understand and appreciate what Dad was instilling in us that day. He wanted us to get experience off the farm, and learn the value of a dollar. But at 7, all we really cared about was the cash we were going to rake in. We were like those cartoon characters whose pupils turn into dollar signs while they count bags of money in their heads. This wasn’t like having to do chores for an allowance: This was grown-up, and we were excited to join the labor f
orce. We grabbed the newspaper to start combing through the Help Wanted ads, crossing jobs off as we went.

  Accountant—Nice salary! I just so happened to love math and had some impressive skills when it came to figuring out how many apples Jane had left after Bobby ate three, but we were only in second grade and hadn’t made it through the multiplication tables yet, so that could be an issue on the way up the corporate ladder. I marked that one MAYBE.

  Repairman—There wasn’t a small appliance in the house that Jonathan couldn’t fix, but on the down side, he didn’t discriminate between* things that were actually broken and things that were perfectly fine before he started tearing stuff apart. And he tended to get distracted and wandered off mid-task. For days. Sometimes weeks. That one got a big, fat NO.

  *Ha! Sounds like maybe you’re jealous you were never asked to help.

  The Help Wanted ads weren’t being very helpful. The whole thing seemed rigged toward people who knew how to drive, had previous experience, or—I strongly suspected—could even do long division.

  “Do we have experience?” I wondered aloud.

  “Rocks,” Jonathan pointed out.

  That was true. No one could boast anywhere near the experience we had in rock-picking. Ever the thrifty Scotsman,* our dad used to send us out to clear the pastures by hand, paying us a nickel for each pail we filled with rocks. We could make enough to buy a box of our favorite shortbread cookies or some cheap toy on a good day, but it was boring work and took forever, which is probably why the entire national labor force of rock-pickers consisted of prison road gangs and a pair of squirrely twins from Maple Ridge. We had a complicated love/hate relationship with rock-picking, and were secretly relieved that no one was advertising for professionals in that field.

  *You mean too cheap to buy a power rake