Tony Scott

Starred in brother Ridley Scott's first filmmaking Effort, "Boy and Bicycle", in 1960 at the age of 16, playing the title role. The film is currently owned by the British Film Institute, and video copies are currently available for purchase.

Tony Scott was a British-born film director and producer. He was the youngest of three brothers, one of whom is fellow film director Ridley Scott. He was born in North Shields, Northumberland, England to parents Jean and Colonel Francis Percy Scott. As a result of his father's career in the British military, his family moved around a lot. Their mother loved the going to the movies and instilled a love of cinema in her children. At age 16, Tony made his first appearance on screen as 'the boy' in his brother's directorial debut, the short film Boy and Bicycle (1965).

In 1969, Tony directed his own short film One of the Missing (1969) about a soldier in the American civil war. Tony had a talent for art and painting. He spent a year in Leeds College of Art and Design and went on to study for a fine arts degree at the School of Art at the University of Sunderland. He won a scholarship to study for his Masters of fine arts at the Royal College of Art. Following university, he spent several years as a painter. But life as a painter proved a struggle, so he decided to forge a different career path and partnered with Ridley in advertising at Ridley Scott Associates. It was there that he began shooting commercials.

Directed literally thousands of television commercials, most for his brother Ridley Scott's company RSA (Ridley Scott Associates), between the early 1970s and the early 1980s.

In 1971 he wrote, produced and directed Loving Memory however his vampire movie The Hunger (1983) starring Susan Sarandon, David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve wasn't a critical success but it attracted attention from Hollywood.

In the early 1980s, was reported to be a contender to direct the highly regarded screenplay Starman (1984), since British commercial veterans were suddenly in vogue in Hollywood (Alan Parker, Adrian Lyne, Hugh Hudson, Ridley Scott, etc.) However, the reaction to his debut film, The Hunger (1983), was so negative that his stock in Hollywood sank almost instantly. Starman was ultimately directed by John Carpenter, and Scott's next film was Top Gun (1986), three years later.

Unlike brother Ridley Scott, he utilizes mostly American actors in lead roles. (Only four leads in his features have not been American since The Hunger (1983): Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie in The Hunger (1983); Nicole Kidman in Days of Thunder (1990)) and Keira Knightley in Domino (2005)).

He was asked by producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer to direct Top Gun (1986) starring Tom Cruise.

He followed the success of Top Gun with the sequel Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) with Eddie Murphy, which was well received.

He would work again with Cruise on another high adrenaline film Days of Thunder (1990), which proved less successful.

He and his brother, Ridley Scott, have both worked with the following actors: Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise (1991), The Hunger (1983)), Tom Skerritt (Alien (1979), Top Gun (1986)), Tom Cruise (Legend (1985), Top Gun (1986)), Viggo Mortensen (G.I. Jane (1997), Crimson Tide (1995)), Brad Pitt (Thelma & Louise (1991), True Romance (1993)), Giancarlo Giannini (Hannibal (2001), Man on Fire (2004)), Gary Oldman (Hannibal (2001), True Romance (1993)) and Denzel Washington (American Gangster (2007), Man on Fire (2004), et al), Kevin Corrigan (American Gangster (2007), Unstoppable (2010)), Edgar Ramírez (Domino (2005), The Counselor (2013)), Tom Sizemore (True Romance (1993), Black Hawk Down (2001)).

In 1993, he directed True Romance (1993), which was written by emerging director Quentin Tarantino. Scott had a lot of control over the film and received some great reviews.

Tony has worked five times with actor Denzel Washington with Crimson Tide (1995), The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), Deja Vu (2006), Man on Fire (2004) and Scott's final film in the director's chair Unstoppable (2010).

Turned down a chance to direct Beautiful Girls (1996), because he felt he couldn't do justice to Scott Rosenberg's script, which placed characterization and dialogue above dramatic event.

Father of twin sons, Frank and Max (born 2000), with Donna W. Scott.

Once had a biography of Mexican icon Pancho Villa in production. At the same time, his brother, Ridley Scott, also had a "Pancho Villa" project in development. The story made headlines, and although both brothers are careful to note differences in the two projects, neither project has yet been produced (2001).

Directed Dakota Fanning in Man on Fire (2004) and her sister Elle Fanning in Deja Vu (2006). Both films also starred Denzel Washington.

In Scott's penultimate film The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), the climax involved a runaway train that foreshadowed the plot of his final film Unstoppable (2010).

Tony Scott killed himself August 19, 2012 by jumping from the Vincent Thomas suspension bridge in San Pedro, Los Angeles. According to his brother Ridley Scott he probably committed suicide because he had cancer. [The Guardian, May 2017].