Tony Scott, the British director and producer responsible for the films Top Gun, True Romance, Enemy of the State and Crimson Tide, as well as TV shows like The Good Wife and Numb3rs, appears to have committed suicide on Sunday, August 19. The 68-year-old man jumped from a bridge in the Los Angeles area around midday.
Los Angeles’ KTLA News says that the Coast Guard report described a jump “without hesitation” from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro section of Los Angeles, California. Police and the Coast Guard worked together to retrieve the man’s body. Scott’s vehicle, a black Toyota Prius, had been parked in one of the southbound lanes of the bridge. Inside the car, officials reported finding contact information. Police later found a suicide note in Tony Scott’s office. The contents of the note have not been released, but the case is thus far being treated as a suicide.
Tony Scott has been one of Hollywood’s most successful directors and producers since the 1980s. His earliest success lay mostly in directing — Scott helmed such action hits as Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II and Enemy of the State. In recent years, the man’s work has turned more toward the production end of movie-making. Tony Scott is credited as a producer on multiple projects in most recent years.
Along with brother Ridley Scott, Tony Scott has produced a number of successful television dramas. Most notable among these are the Emmy-nominated The Good Wife, and the CBS crime drama, Numb3rs. Work has not slowed for Tony Scott in the past couple of years. On the contrary, Scott is credited as a producer on 10 upcoming projects, according to the producer’s IMDB page.
Many Hollywood celebrities quickly responded with shock and sadness to the news. Director and producer Ron Howard tweeted, “No more Tony Scott movies. Tragic day.” Meanwhile, Good Wife recurring actress Martha Plimpton posted, “So very, very sorry to hear of the death of Tony Scott. A terrible, terrible loss of a truly talented, brilliant man.”
(Image courtesy of WENN)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
Laurel grew up in Mamaroneck, NY, Grosse Pointe, MI and Bellevue WA. She then went on to live in places like Boston, Tucson, Houston, Wales, Tanzania, Prince Edward Island and New York City before heading back to Seattle. Ever since early childhood, when she became addicted to The Muppet Show, Laurel has watched far too much TV. Current favorites include Chuck, Modern Family, Supernatural, Mad Men and Community. Laurel received a BA in Astrophysics (yes, that is possible) from Colgate University and a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies and History of Science from Columbia University before she realized that television is much better than studying.
