"Top Gun" director Tony Scott jumps to his death

British film director Tony Scott, known for such Hollywood blockbusters as Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Beverly Hills Cop II and The Taking of Pelham 123, jumped to his death Sunday from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, California, according to Los Angeles County coroner's officials.

Scott, 68, climbed a fence on the south side of the bridge's apex and leapt off "without hesitation" around 12:30 p.m., according to the Coroner's Department and port police.

A suicide note was found inside Scott's black Toyota Prius, which was parked on one of the eastbound lanes of the bridge, said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Jennifer Osburn.

Born on June 21, 1944 in North Shields, England, Anthony David Scott was the younger brother of prominent Hollywood producer Ridley Scott. He starred in his brother's first movie, Boy and Bicycle, in 1960.

Scott, an avid mountain climber, graduated from the Royal College of Art in London. He directed television commercials before his debut film, The Hunger, starring pop singer David Bowie, was released in 1983.

Scott broke into Hollywood royalty three years later when he directed Tom Cruise in Top Gun, one of the highest-grossing films of 1986.

The pair worked together again four years later on the hit Days of Thunder, which also featured Scott's third and current wife, actress Donna Scott. The couple have twin boys.

Known for his trademark red baseball cap, Scott also directed Beverly Hills Cop II, starring Eddie Murphy; Enemy of the State, starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman; and The Taking of Pelham 123, starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta.

Scott, a Beverly Hills resident, also directed The Last Boy Scout, starring Bruce Willis; Crimson Tide, starring Washington and Hackman; and True Romance, written by Quentin Tarantino.

Scott and his older brother were co-producers on the CBS dramas NUMB3RS and The Good Wife. The pair recently wrapped Coma, a four-hour, two-night medical thriller starring Ellen Burstyn set for release next month on A&E.

Tony Scott was married to Gerry Scott from 1967 to 1974 and to Glynis Sanders 1986 to 1987 before he married his current wife in 1994.

Authorities did not release the contents of the suicide note, so it was unknown why Scott leapt to his death from the bridge where many others also have committed suicide.

Erected in 1963, the 6,060-foot bridge links San Pedro with Terminal Island and rises 185 feet at its highest point above the Main Channel of Los Angeles Harbor.

Officers with port police, the Los Angeles Police Department and California Highway Patrol joined city firefighters and the Coast Guard in searching the water for Scott's body after eyewitnesses saw him jump from the bridge.

Cargo vessels moved at slow speeds through the east side of the Main Channel during the search, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.

"It's a dolorous task and we're working to treat the deceased with the utmost dignity and respect," Humphrey said during the investigation.

Authorities used sonar equipment to track Scott in the port's murky waters and his body was recovered by a dive team around 4:30 p.m., port police Sgt. Michael Alva said. His body was taken to a dock in Wilmington and turned over to the county coroner.

One lane of the eastbound side of the bridge was closed to traffic during the investigation.


[Via Torrance Daily Breeze -- www.dailybreeze.com/latestnews/ci_21351381/updated-top-gun-director-tony-scott-jumps-his]