Tony Scott* was a famous director and producer with an incredible amount of career success. But it was not his many successes that must have been on his mind yesterday when he decided to park his Prius on the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro (near LA) and leap to his death in an apparent suicide Sunday.
It is a heartbreaking turn of events for the director who was most famous for Top Gun, but who also produced the TV show The Good Wife and made True Romance, Days of Thunder, and Enemy of the State. He was also the brother of Ridley Scott whose films Alien and Gladiator have garnered more critical acclaim.
Though police have not revealed the contents of Scott suicide note (he did leave one), it's just a sad truth of Hollywood that all the success, acclaim and money in the world can't solve depression and fight one's inner demons.
From the outside, it always seems like Hollywood types have the perfect life. Scott was married to actress Donna Scott and had two children with her. They had money and success and a family together.
But all those material goods truly can't make a person happy. Suicide is a tragic choice and, in order to respect the family, we may never know why he jumped 185 feet to his death. But we also don't need to.
It is just a sad and awful reminder that no matter what we see of a person on the outside -- beauty, acclaim, success, money -- we never really know what is going on beneath the surface.
It is a tragedy made all the worse by the knowledge that he chose it. He pulled over and jumped off a bridge according to witnesses. And all the money and close ties to family and success in the world could not save him. Hollywood is full of people who are making movie magic, but in the end, they are also real people full of pain and struggle. Just like us.
My heart goes out to his family. We may never know why he did this, but we never need to know. This is a private tragedy for his family, including his two sons, to grieve privately.
Did you know Tony Scott's work?
**Editor's Note: According to sources at ABC News, Scott had inoperable brain cancer.
Image via banjobelknap/Flickr
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Comments 15
weird-- I worked a cross word puzzle on a plane with him once..have to admit didnt know who was untill later...
I have watched many movies that he has produced. Where he ended his life is not far from where I grew up. That is a bridge that I travel quite often. Now when I cross the bridge or when I am in the near vacinity of it that is all I will be thinking about. He was a very well-liked man and his death is a big tragedy. My prayers go out to his family and all his loved ones. I was watching the news earlier and they were @ his place of business and people that were so close to him did not want to speak on camera because they were so much in shock and shakend up. He will always be in peoples heart.
So very sad. Condolences to his family and may he rest in peace.