Tony Scott biography

Scott's highest-grossing film of the '90s was 1998's Enemy of the State, starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman.

Recognition

Along with his brother, Tony Scott ran Scott Free Productions and worked on numerous commercials and television shows, in addition to his feature films. He collaborated with actor Denzel Washington on five different films, and throughout the duration of his career, with numerous other well-known Hollywood stars, including Robert Deniro, Wesley Snipes and Benicio del Toro.

Despite his films' box office success, Scott was unable to acquire critical respect. He was never in the running for an Oscar, and critics often criticized his films for emphasizing style over substance, according to an August 20, 2012 article in Newsday. The article quoted Scott's explanation in 2007 of how he gained perspective by mixing up things between commercials, television and film. "I like changing the pace of my life, changing my discipline," Scott said. "It gives me ideas for how to see the world differently."

Death

Scott, who was married to Donna Scott and had twin sons, jumped off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles, California, around 12:35 p.m. on August 19, 2012. Los Angeles police pulled his body from the water several hours later. Investigators found a note containing contact information in Scott's car, which was parked on the bridge. They also found a suicide note at his office.

Scott's death shocked and puzzled the world; a successful member of the Hollywood elite, Scott had been working on a sequel to Top Gun in the months before his death. He had also just finished working on a four-hour A&E Television Networks miniseries, entitled Coma, along with brother Ridley Scott and author Robin Cook.

He may not have won any awards, but Tony Scott certainly earned the respect of fellow Hollywood directors, including Ron Howard and Jon Favreau, both of whom used Twitter to express their sadness upon learning of his death. "No more Tony Scott movies. Tragic day," fellow director Ron Howard wrote on his Twitter page after learning of Scott's death. In a similar post, director Jon Favreau wrote: "Such sad news about Tony Scott. Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends."

Additionally, Tom Cruise expressed his sorrow in a statement: "Tony was my dear friend, and I will really miss him," Cruise said. "He was a creative visionary whose mark on film is immeasurable. My deepest sorrow and thoughts are with his family at this time."

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