We are sad to report that over this past weekend, Director Tony Scott died in an apparent suicide. Authorities reported that he jumped from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, California around 12:30 p.m. After finding his car parked on the bridge, the authorities later found a suicide note in his office. His reasons for his actions have yet to be disclosed but his family is asking for privacy at the moment.
A passerby who saw Scott jump from the bridge called 911, according to a statement released by the coroner’s office late Sunday.
The coroner’s office declined to comment or confirm a Los Angeles Times report that authorities found contact information in Scott’s car parked on the bridge, and later found a suicide note in his office.
Born Anthony D.L. Scott in North Shields, England, in 1944, Tony — as he was known — got his start as a teenager in front of the camera, starring in his older brother Ridley Scott’s film “Boy and Bicycle.” In 1995, the two joined forces to create the production company, Scott Free Productions.
Regardless of the person, it is always a tragedy when someone chooses to take their own life. Tony Scott’s brother, Ridley Scott, is the more well known of the two but Tony was actually the first to make a name for the family. In addition to films like “Top Gun” and “Days of Thunder,” which skyrocketed Tom Cruise’s career, there were a plethora of films that he worked on that were true contributions to the film industry. My personal favorite was “True Romance” which was written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott. The film had a certain quirkiness to the love story that gave the film’s title an ironic sense of truth in regards to love. I think that Tony truly captured the essence of the script and translated it perfectly to the big screen.
Tony Scott had an eye for action that captured more of the surrounding environment than the characters involved. Whether it was a gunfight or a chase scene, Tony knew how to place that scene in the real world and visually captivate his audience. While he gained much notoriety as a Director, he also was involved in many films as a Producer that expanded his usual genre of work. He’s credited working on films such as “The Grey” and working on “Prometheus” with his brother Ridley.
I can’t imagine what reason Tony would have for ending his life but he will be missed. He was a Hollywood icon and gave us many films that will keep his memory alive. I found this video on YouTube and I liked how it took the score from his most notable film, “Top Gun,” and provided a list of some his work. Please take a look below at some of Tony’s contributions to film and it would be nice to hear the readers’ favorite Tony Scott films as well. RIP Tony Scott, you will definitely be missed.
