Director Tony Scott passed away yesterday at the age of 68 after jumping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge spanning San Pedro and Terminal Island in Los Angeles Harbor in an apparent suicide. Police have indicated that a suicide note was later found in his office.
Scott was a prolific film, TV and commercial director/producer, who has worked alongside his older brother Ridley Scott for over 40 years. In 1967, Ridley and Tony created RSA Films – a U.K. based advertising production company. Now over 40 years later it has offices in London, New York and Los Angeles.
The brothers’ Scott Free production company produced film and TV shows.
Speaking of his long-term collaborators in a 2004 interview, Scott told Below the Line: “My guys have a sense of humor, no matter how tough it is. I hate bad feelings on the set. They’re in tune with what I want. I think they enjoy coming to work with me and I love coming to work with them. I think our sets have a reputation, especially for the actors, as the most comfortable sets they’ve ever worked on.”
Tony was reportedly working on a sequel to his 1986 box-office smash hit, Top Gun at the time of his death. Known for his high-adrenaline action films, like Beverly Hills Cop II, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State and True Romance, Tony was also nominated for seven Emmy awards, and won one for his work on The Gathering Storm (2002).
He leaves behind his wife, Donna Wilson Scott, and their twin sons, Frank and Max.