Tony Scott facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Scott
Scott in 2009
Born	Anthony David Leighton Scott (1944-06-21)21 June 1944 Tynemouth, England
Died	19 August 2012(2012-08-19) (aged 68) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Alma mater	Royal College of Art
Occupation	Film director producer
Years active	1965–2012
Spouse(s)	Gerry Boldy ​ ​ (m. 1967; div. 1974)​ Glynis Staunton ​ ​ (m. 1986; div. 1987)​ Donna W. Wilson ​ (m. 1994)​
Children	2
Family	Sir Ridley Scott (brother) Jake Scott (nephew) Jordan Scott (niece) Luke Scott (nephew)

Anthony David Leighton Scott (born June 21, 1944 – died August 19, 2012) was a famous English film director and producer. He was known for making exciting action and thriller movies. Some of his most popular films include Top Gun (1986), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Man on Fire (2004), and Unstoppable (2010).

Tony Scott was the younger brother of another well-known film director, Sir Ridley Scott. Both brothers studied at the Royal College of Art in London. They were part of a group of British directors who became very successful in Hollywood. Many of them started their careers by making television commercials. In 1995, Tony and Ridley both won a BAFTA Award for their great contributions to British cinema. Later, in 2010, they received another BAFTA award for their worldwide impact on filmed entertainment.

Tony Scott's Early Life and Education

Tony Scott was born in Tynemouth, England. He was the youngest of three sons. His father was a Colonel in the Royal Engineers. Tony's great-uncle, Dixon Scott, was a pioneer in the cinema business. He opened many movie theaters around Tyneside.

Tony went to Rosebank School and then to Sunderland Art School, where he earned a degree in fine arts. When he was 16, Tony appeared in a short film called Boy and Bicycle. This was his older brother Ridley's very first film as a director.

Tony continued his art studies in Leeds. He later got into the Royal College of Art in London. In 1969, he made a short film called One of the Missing. Tony had a strong interest in painting and originally planned to become a painter.

How Tony Scott Started in Film

Making Commercials

Tony's older brother, Ridley, had a successful company called Ridley Scott Associates (RSA) that made television commercials. This caught Tony's attention and drew him into filmmaking. Ridley encouraged Tony to join him, promising him success. Tony recalled that he joined RSA because he needed to make money after eight years of art school.

Tony directed many TV commercials for RSA. He also helped manage the company while Ridley focused on making feature films. Tony spent about 15 years making commercials. He described it as a "blast" and a great "training ground" for making movies.

In 1975, Tony took a break from commercials to direct a TV movie based on a story by Henry James. By the late 1970s, many British directors who started in advertising, like Ridley, were finding success in Hollywood. Tony began to get offers from Hollywood in 1980.

First Feature Films

Tony Scott really wanted to direct feature films. In 1982, he was hired to direct the vampire film The Hunger. This movie starred famous actors like David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve. Even though it looked great, it didn't do well with audiences or critics at first. However, it later became a cult classic. After this, Tony went back to making commercials and music videos for a couple of years.

In 1985, producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer asked Tony to direct Top Gun. They were impressed by The Hunger and a car commercial he had made. Tony was unsure at first but agreed to direct Top Gun. The movie got mixed reviews from critics, but it was a huge hit at the box office. It made over $350 million and turned its young star, Tom Cruise, into a major celebrity. Top Gun is seen as a key movie from the 1980s that showed how British directors, skilled in advertising, brought a new style to Hollywood blockbusters.

Tony Scott's Success in Hollywood

After the huge success of Top Gun, Tony Scott became one of Hollywood's top action directors. He worked again with producers Simpson and Bruckheimer in 1987 to direct Beverly Hills Cop II, starring Eddie Murphy. This film also made a lot of money, even though critics weren't very impressed.

In 1990, Tony directed Revenge, a thriller set in Mexico. He also worked with Tom Cruise again on the big racing film Days of Thunder (1990). Tony said it was hard to find drama in racing cars in circles, so he used ideas from other racing movies. His next film was the action thriller The Last Boy Scout (1991), starring Bruce Willis.

In 1993, Scott directed True Romance, which had a script by Quentin Tarantino. It had a great cast, including Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, and Brad Pitt. Even though it got good reviews, it didn't make much money at the box office. However, it has since become a cult classic. For his next movie, Crimson Tide (1995), Tony worked again with Simpson and Bruckheimer. This submarine thriller, starring Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington, was both popular and well-received by critics.

In 1995, Tony and Ridley Scott bought Shepperton Studios in Britain. They greatly improved and expanded the film studios. In 1996, Tony directed The Fan, starring Robert De Niro. His 1998 film Enemy of the State, a conspiracy thriller with Will Smith and Gene Hackman, was his highest-grossing film of that decade. Spy Game came out in 2001, and Man on Fire, another thriller with Denzel Washington, was released in 2004.

Tony also teamed up with Ridley to co-produce the TV series Numb3rs, which ran from 2005 to 2010. In 2005, Tony directed Domino, starring Keira Knightley. This film used experimental techniques, but it wasn't popular with critics or audiences. In 2006, Tony worked with Denzel Washington again on the sci-fi action film Déjà Vu. They collaborated once more on The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), which also starred John Travolta.

In 2009, Tony and Ridley Scott were executive producers for The Good Wife, a legal drama TV series. In 2010, the Scott brothers produced the film version of The A-Team. That same year, Tony worked with Denzel Washington again on Unstoppable, which also starred Chris Pine.

Before his death, Tony Scott produced several projects, including the medical thriller miniseries Coma and the thrillers Stoker and The East.

Tony Scott's Directing Style

Many film critics noted Tony Scott's unique directing style. Manohla Dargis of The New York Times called him "one of the most influential film directors of the past 25 years." She described his films as having "terrific pop, vigour, beauty and a near pure cinema quality." His movies were designed to grab your attention and not let go.

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly pointed out the fast-paced, exciting storylines in Scott's films. He mentioned the quick editing, glowing images, and intense action. These qualities made audiences love his work.

Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter said that after Top Gun, Scott became known for his "brash, flashy action painter on celluloid" style. He felt that Unstoppable, Scott's last film, was one of his best. McCarthy noted that this film had a deeper meaning, showing "disconnected working class stiffs living marginal lives." This added a connection to the real world that was sometimes missing from his earlier action films.

Betsy Sharkey of The Los Angeles Times wrote that Denzel Washington was Tony Scott's favorite actor to work with. Washington starred in many of Scott's films, including Crimson Tide, Man on Fire, and Unstoppable. Sharkey believed that Scott was at his best when Washington was in the movie. The characters Washington played often had a strong sense of decency, even if they had flaws.

Tony Scott's Personal Life

Tony Scott was married three times. His first marriage was to Gerry Boldy in 1967, and they divorced in 1974. His second marriage was to Glynis Sanders in 1986, but they divorced a year later. He then met actress Donna Wilson on the set of Days of Thunder in 1990. They married in 1994 and had twin sons, Frank and Max, in 2000.

Tony Scott's Death and Legacy

Scott jumped off the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

On August 19, 2012, Tony Scott died after jumping from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles. Investigators found notes in his car and at his office for his family. His body was recovered from the water.

The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office later announced that the cause of death was "multiple blunt force injuries." They also found small amounts of certain medications in his system. The coroner stated that Scott "did not have any serious underlying medical conditions."

In 2014, his brother Ridley Scott described Tony's death as "inexplicable." Ridley mentioned that Tony had been "fighting a lengthy battle with cancer," a diagnosis the family had kept private.

Tributes and Memorials

After Tony Scott's death, many actors and filmmakers shared their sadness and paid tribute to him. Tom Cruise called Scott "a creative visionary whose mark on film is immeasurable." Denzel Washington said, "Tony Scott was a great director, a genuine friend and it is unfathomable to think that he is now gone."

Tony Scott was cremated, and his ashes were buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles. His family set up a scholarship fund at the American Film Institute in his name to help future filmmakers.

Several films and TV shows were dedicated to Tony Scott's memory. These include the first episode of Coma and season 4 of The Good Wife. His brother Ridley's films The Counselor and Exodus: Gods and Kings were also dedicated to him. Most recently, Top Gun: Maverick (2022), a sequel to one of his most famous films, was also dedicated to Tony Scott, as he had been working on the project before his death.

Tony Scott's Filmography

Feature Films

Other Film Projects

Television Work

Director

Executive Producer

• AFP: American Fighter Pilot (2002)
• The Gathering Storm (2002)
• Numb3rs (2005–10)
• The Good Wife (2009–12)
• Gettysburg (2011)
• Labyrinth (2012)
• World Without End (2012)
• Killing Lincoln (2013)

Images for kids

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  Scott in 2009

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  The Vincent Thomas Bridge, where Tony Scott died.

See also

In Spanish: Tony Scott para niños

• Scott Free Productions