'Top Gun' director Tony Scott commits suicide
British director Tony Scott arriving with his family on the red carpet for the premiere of the film "Unstoppable" at the Regency Village Theater in Los Angeles on October 26, 2010. Prominent Hollywood film director Tony Scott, whose works included "Top Gun" committed suicide by jumping off a bridge in San Pedro, California, The Los Angeles Times reported late on August 19, 2012. Photo/AFP
What you need to know:
- Film director Tony Scott jumped to his death from a bridge in San Pedro, California, US
- US Coast Guard officials pulled Scott's body out of the water near the Vincent Thomas Bridge
- Several witnesses saw Scott, 68, climb over a fence on the bridge and jump into the water
Prominent Hollywood film director Tony Scott, whose signature works included "Top Gun," jumped to his death from a bridge in San Pedro, California, US media reported late Sunday.
Citing unnamed Los Angeles police sources, The Los Angeles Times said police and US Coast Guard officials pulled Scott's body out of the water near the Vincent Thomas Bridge.
According to the report, investigators found a suicide note in his car, which was parked on the bridge.
The content of the note has not been revealed.
Several witnesses saw Scott, 68, climb over a fence on the bridge and jump into the water, the paper said.
Celebrity website tmz.com said authorities used sonar equipment to find Scott's body in the port's murky waters.
His body was recovered at approximately 4:30 pm (2330 GMT), four hours after he jumped, the report said.
The body was turned over to coroner officials.
Scott, who was born in Britain in 1944, made his mark in the mid-1980s when he directed "Top Gun," an action-filled blockbuster about elite navy pilots featuring then-rising star Tom Cruise.
It was one of the highest-grossing films of 1986, taking in more than $176 million and giving a major boost to Scott's and Cruise's careers.
Besides "Top Gun," Scott directed "Enemy of the State," "Beverly Hills Cop II," "Spy Game," "Unstoppable" and "Crimson Tide," a submarine thriller starring Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington.
Scott was the younger brother of fellow film director Ridley Scott.
He started his career under his brother's patronage in the early 1970s and directed thousands of television commercials for his brother's company Ridley Scott Associates.
