Seattle, WA
Seattle’s ‘Hollywood bandit’ bank robber to be featured in Netflix documentary
Infamous Seattle bank robber’s story comes to Netflix
FOX 13 caught up with the filmmakers and a detective who worked on the case in the 1990’s ahead of the Netflix premiere.
SEATTLE – The 1990s in Seattle, a time when grunge rocked, tech ruled, and a former pre-med student inspired by the surfer-suspense flick ‘Point Break’ emerged to become one of the most prolific bank robbers in American history. His name Scott Scurlock, better known in history as “Hollywood.”
Scurlock’s story and eventual death are now the subject of a new Netflix documentary. Keep reading for an inside look at the true crimes behind “How to Rob a Bank” ahead of its June 5 premiere.
The filmmakers told FOX 13 Seattle that Hollywood’s story is really Seattle’s story. There was so much innovation here and Scurlock’s approach to stealing money was equally groundbreaking, from his use of technology and meticulous planning to the Hollywood-quality make-up and elaborate disguises that gave him his nickname.
“When you talk about Hollywood, the bank robber, you think of the theatrical makeup and the overlays that he put on his face and reconstructed his face, facial hair and wig,” said Michael Magan.
Magan was a detective with Seattle Police Department’s robbery unit during the height of Hollywood.
“He was a very smart bank robber,” Magan said.
“He was probably the greatest bank robber in American history, undoubtedly,” Seth Porges, a director and producer of the film said.
Porges along with Stephen Robert Morse produced and directed the documentary which took four years.
“We uncovered this chapter of Seattle history that has not been told before,” Morse said.
The pair said they set out to find the truth about what happened 28 years ago.
“It’s this Greek tragedy, it’s this story of Seattle, the 90s, there’s so many themes here,” Porges said.
“In a city known for innovation, Scott Scurlock is the ultimate innovator,” Morse said.
“Seattle is blowing up and right in the middle of it is this guy who is robbing bank after bank after bank, and nobody knows who he is,” Porges said.
That is until the night before Thanksgiving in 1996.
“At 5:40 p.m., the alarm goes out that there was a robbery at Seafirst Bank in Lake City and the person was wearing theatrical makeup,” Magan said.
It was Hollywood, so they grabbed their gear, drove to Lake City and eventually spotted the van Hollywood and two of his accomplices were in. They tried to stop the van, but Magan told FOX 13 Seattle, instead, one of the passengers got out and was carrying an assault rifle.
“When he went up to fire at me, he was hesitating like this (motioned his hesitation) and the gun was not going off,” Magan said. From there, both sides started shooting.
“You could hear the rounds buzzing by your head,” Magan said.
At some point, Hollywood drove off, crashed into a house, and hid for 24 hours.
“Little did I know when I was firing into the van, I had struck two of the suspects,” Magan said.
One of those suspects revealed Hollywood’s name to law enforcement, Scott Scurlock. The FBI then served a search warrant to his tree house in Olympia, but as that was happening, investigators got a call from the owner of a camper where Scurlock was hiding. It was now Thanksgiving Day. Officers responded, Scurlock had taken his own life.
“We give him credit for at least 14 or 15 banks,” Magan said.
He told FOX 13 Seattle, the last bank Hollywood robbed, he and his two accomplices got away with just shy of $1.1 million.
“At that time we were told it was the largest bank robbery in U.S. history,” Magan said.
While the public knows some of these facts, the directors behind ‘How to Rob a Bank’ and those who worked the case say there are details that have been locked in a metaphorical safe, until now.
“Seattle is a city that has harnessed innovation and technology, but it’s really interesting and parallel because technology is ultimately what brought down our bank robber,” Morse said.
“I think the truth will finally come out about what we did to capture one of the most historic bank robberies in the history of bank robbery investigations of all time,” Magan said.
Scurlock’s two accomplices were sentenced to 21 years in prison each.
“How to Rob a Bank” premiers Wednesday, June 5 on Netflix.
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Ranger Suarez carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Friday night.
Suarez (3-3) struck out five and walked three in 6 2/3 innings. His no-hit bid ended with Josh Naylor’s one-out double in the seventh.
The 30-year-old lefty earned his first win since April 27 against Toronto.
Caleb Durbin put the Red Sox ahead with a second-inning solo homer, his fifth of the year. Durbin had his second three-hit game this season, with his first coming against Tampa Bay on June 10.
Ceddanne Rafaela scored on a wild pitch in the seventh, and Marcelo Mayer drove in two more runs with a bases-loaded single.
Carlos Narváez added a sacrifice fly before Seattle finally escaped the inning on a diving catch by Dominic Canzone in right field.
Suarez issued a two-out walk that loaded the bases in the seventh on his final pitch of the night, but Justin Slaten ended the threat by striking out pinch-hitter J.P. Crawford to preserve a 5-0 lead.
Mayer added one more insurance run with a ninth-inning RBI double. The Mariners got on the board thanks to Julio Rodríguez’s two-run homer in the ninth.
Seattle starter Bryce Miller (3-1) struck out seven in five innings. He allowed three hits and one run.
Luis Castillo, who has started in all but three of his 258 career appearances, gave up five runs in four innings of relief as the Mariners revived their “piggyback” rotation.
Up next
Red Sox LHP Connelly Early (5-5, 3.81 ERA) starts opposite Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (5-3, 3.28) on Saturday night.
Seattle, WA
Seattle fans pack waterfront hours early as USA defeats Australia, advances in World Cup
SEATTLE — Soccer fans descended on Seattle’s waterfront well before kickoff Friday, staking out their spots early to watch a highly anticipated World Cup matchup at Seattle Stadium between the United States and Australia. That patience paid off as Team USA won the match and now advances to the knockout round.
The atmosphere at Pier 62 was electric from the start, with fans lining up for prime viewing positions, whether down on the water’s edge or taking in the sweeping scene from the waterfront overlook above.
“I mean, look at all these people that are here hours beforehand to celebrate this incredible game,” said Paul Hanson, who was rooting for Team USA. “The hairs are going up on the arm.”
The energy was a draw in itself.
“The energy is amazing, everyone’s in a great mood, it’s just a lot of fun to be down here,” Maggie McNeil said.
Not everyone in the crowd was wearing red, white, and blue.
Lizzie Manning hails from Melbourne, Australia, and is now living in the Pacific Northwest.
Manning told KOMO News she hasn’t been back home in nearly a decade, but taking in the U.S.A-Australia match with the waterfront crowd gave her a taste of it.
“Whenever I see another Australian I’m like, ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie, oy oy oy,’” she said. “I feel so close to home. I need a meat pie, life’s good.”
“I’ve met so many people who are visiting from other countries,” Seattle resident Maddie Chaplain said. “I sat next to a couple yesterday who was eating dumplings for the first time from Argentina, that was so awesome.”
With Team USA advancing, fans like Aaron Olson say they’ll be back for more.
“USA’s gonna win it,” Olson said. “I will come down here every game. This is spectacular.”
The World Cup watch parties continue on Pier 62 throughout the tournament. They are free and open to the public with online registration, but capacity is limited.
Seattle News Weekly S1E44: FIFA Frenzy hits the PNW
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is off and running as Seattle prepares to host the United States vs. Australia match on Friday. With more matches to be played in the Emerald City after that, FOX 13’s David Rose, Dan Griffin and Austin Lane are taking a closer look at the biggest stories surrounding the international tournament. Dan is hearing from fans on Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s decision to turn on CCTV cameras during the World Cup, Austin is taking a deeper dive into why ties are a good thing in the group stage, and David revisits the lessons learned from the first match hosted in Seattle between Egypt and Belgium.
SEATTLE – The FIFA World Cup has taken Seattle by storm, bringing global excitement to our city and visitors from across the world.
On this week’s episode of the ‘Seattle News Weekly’ podcast, David Rose, Dan Griffin and Austin Lane discuss the top headlines of the week that have emerged alongside the buzz about the FIFA World Cup 2026.
A Massive Tournament Expansion
The hosts open the podcast with a discussion on how historically large this year’s FIFA World Cup is compared to years past. Expanded to 48 teams (up from 32), the tournament features a record 104 matches over 39 days across 16 host cities. Seattle is hosting six of those matches.
Austin explains the value of “ties” in the group stage—especially with the new format where 32 teams advance to the knockout stage instead of 16—meaning a single point from a tie carries significant weight.
At the time of recording, the US had already defeated Paraguay and is preparing to face Australia at “Seattle Stadium,” where a win would guarantee advancement.
Transit Tactics
Dan Griffin reports on the city’s transit system, noting that while the light rail is moving a massive influx of people smoothly, transit authorities are actively “throttling” passengers.
This practice involves controlling crowd flow onto platforms to ensure safety, which has caused wait times of over an hour for some fans on TikTok. Transit officials recommend that fans walk to stations slightly further away from the stadium district to get moving faster.
The CCTV Security Debate
The hosts talk about how security is a major focal point. The FBI has already had to confiscate drones being flown illegally downtown. More prominently, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson activated controversial closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the Stadium District following “general but credible threats” identified by law enforcement.
While an activist group called Community, Not Cameras expressed fears that the surveillance puts vulnerable populations at risk due to federal agency presence, visitors and fans interviewed largely welcomed the extra layer of security. The cameras are expected to be turned off after the World Cup concludes.
Cultural Celebrations and Fan Experiences
The hosts play a clip from reporter Lauren Donovan who provides a colorful look at the fan festivities happening in the city. She highlights the “March to the Match,” describing Monday morning where Belgian fans swarmed Victory Hall alongside middle school band directors from the Stanwood-Camano district who were recruited to drum for them.
She also joins celebrating Egyptian fans, whose match against Belgium ended in an enthusiastic tie. The hosts note that international fans (like those from Australia) are already flooding local attractions, including Seattle Mariners baseball games, turning the sporting event into a broader West Coast vacation.
Seattle News Weekly is a podcast that goes in depth and gives context to the stories that matter to the western Washington community. Check back every Thursday for a new episode on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Audible or YouTube.
MORE WORLD CUP NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
USA players want to lay off the ‘Layup’ chatter ahead of Australia matchup
How Seattle is preparing for USMNT vs. Australia World Cup match on Juneteenth
FIFA World Cup billboards in Seattle spark sexual health conversations
Seattle’s Ballard to host Pride celebration, FIFA watch party on June 26
Seattle reviews FIFA World Cup 2026 transit options after post-match congestion
Egypt’s World Cup pride, Mohamed Salah’s legacy and one fan’s love for the Pharaohs
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
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