While still a student at the University of Kansas, Scillian began his television career at WIBW-TV in Topeka, Kansas. After graduating from the William Allen White School of Journalism at Kansas, Scillian worked from 1985 to 1986 at WAND-TV in Decatur, Illinois. He spent the next three years as the main anchor at KLTV in Tyler, Texas, before moving to KFOR in Oklahoma City in 1989. He joined WDIV as a reporter in 1995, and took an anchor position in 1996.

Scillian has appeared as a television journalist in several films, including Scream 4, The Double, and Mooz-lum, as well as a recurring role on The Ellen DeGeneres Show as a news anchor in a "Breaking News" skit.