'Top Gun' Director Tony Scott Commits Suicide

by UInterviewAugust 20, 2012, 12:00 amNews >

Top Gun and Enemy of the State director Tony Scott, 68, brother of director-producer Ridley Scott of Alien and Gladiator, jumped to his death on Sunday from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, California. A witness, who alerted the authorities, saw Scott park his car and leap into the water without hesitation. "No more Tony Scott movies. Tragic day," A Beautiful Mind director Ron Howard tweeted.

Police recovered his body and a suicide note in his office, but its contents have not been disclosed. Scott, 68, lived in Beverly Hills with his twins and third wife, actress Donna Wilson, whom he met on the set of Days Of Thunder. But Scott also leaves behind many friends and fans, who took to Twitter to express their condolences. The A-Team director Joe Carnahan recalled a series of memories and stories about the late Scott on Twitter. "Tony always sent personal, handwritten notes & always drew a cartoon caricature of himself, smoking a cigar, with his hat colored in red," Carnahan tweeted. "Tony Scott as a Director was Sui Generis. Tony Scott as a friend and a mentor was irreplaceable. Tone, wherever you are, I love you man," Carnahan said, adding: "I figure if I don't share these stories guys, I'll wind up punching out the walls in this hotel room I'm so pissed off right now."

Scott, who was also a prominent producer, was recently nominated for an Emmy for the CBS drama The Good Wife. "So very, very sorry to hear of the death of Tony Scott," tweeted Martha Plimpton, an actress on the show. Scott's other productions, which include Out of the Furnace starring Christian Bale and Stoker featuring Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska, are set to be released in 2013, according to the Los Angeles Times. One Scott project we won't get to see would've been his next directorial effort Top Gun 2, the anticipated sequel to the 1986 original, which would have reunited him with Tom Cruise and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.