Tony Scott is dead.

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**Kanluwen**

Hollywood director Tony Scott, famous for films including Top Gun, has died after jumping from a bridge in Los Angeles, the authorities have said.

The Los Angeles County Coroner's office said Scott's death was being investigated as a suicide.

British-born Scott, brother of Alien director Ridley, shot to fame in the 1980s with a string of action films.

His blockbuster hits included Crimson Tide, Days of Thunder and Beverly Hills Cop II.

The coroner said Scott, 68, jumped from the Vincent Thomas Bridge, which spans San Pedro and Terminal Island in Los Angeles.

Lt Joe Bale, from the coroner's office, said the director was seen parking his car and jumping into the water at about 12:30 (19:30 GMT) on Sunday.

His body was recovered from the harbour less than three hours later.

Lt Bale said there was nothing so far to suggest anything other than suicide.

**Mannahnin**

The Hunger
True Romance
Crimson Tide
Spy Game

Those are all classics, in my book. Damn.

**azazel the cat**

This truly makes me sad to hear.

Domino
Man on Fire
Spy Game
True Romance
Crimson Tide
The Last Boyscout
Beverly Hills Cop II
Top Gun

These were all classics in my book.

**KalashnikovMarine**

Unfortunate to hear, Top Gun is a personal favorite and the man made some excellent films past that.

**warpcrafter**

I am suspicious about this. Nobody who is that successful and respected by his peers kills themselves unless their life has totally gone to gak or something else really catastrophic has happened. Suicide my ass.

**Ahtman**

Jumped to his death? I think that is more surprising then finding out that he committed suicide, and that is fairly surprising in and of itself.

**dogma**

warpcrafter wrote:
I am suspicious about this. Nobody who is that successful and respected by his peers kills themselves unless their life has totally gone to gak or something else really catastrophic has happened. Suicide my ass.

I always love it when people presume that success is the same as happiness.

**azazel the cat**

warpcrafter wrote:I am suspicious about this. Nobody who is that successful and respected by his peers kills themselves unless their life has totally gone to gak or something else really catastrophic has happened. Suicide my ass.

George Sanders killed himself because he got bored.

**Ouze**

Holy snap, I love his movies. That's too bad.

**Amaya**

dogma wrote:
warpcrafter wrote:
I am suspicious about this. Nobody who is that successful and respected by his peers kills themselves unless their life has totally gone to gak or something else really catastrophic has happened. Suicide my ass.

I always love it when people presume that success is the same as happiness.

**SagesStone**

Always sad to hear about this sort of thing no matter who it happens to be. I suppose now there will be a bunch of speculation about just why he did. Though it could be any number of things; depression, bad medical news, boredom, etc.

Didn't see many of his movies, but the few I did were good.

**KalashnikovMarine**

Well, success is usually a primary contributor to overall satisfaction in one's life.

**Amaya**

Success is intangible and differs wildly from person to person. He was a mildly successful director who may have been experiencing severe relationship or financial troubles. Lots of money may not make someone happy, but being broke does cause a great deal of stress typically.

**Ouze**

warpcrafter wrote:
I am suspicious about this. Nobody who is that successful and respected by his peers kills themselves unless their life has totally gone to gak or something else really catastrophic has happened. Suicide my ass.

By this rationale, any American choosing to kill themselves has got to look awfully suspicious to most Somalians, and so on.

**Orlanth**

warpcrafter wrote:
I am suspicious about this. Nobody who is that successful and respected by his peers kills themselves unless their life has totally gone to gak or something else really catastrophic has happened. Suicide my ass.

If you want to waste someone and make it look like suicide pushing/throwing them off a bridge is a not a good choice.
Death by falling from a bridge if often easy to check up. Many bridges have CCTV and if there are people around you run risk of witnesses with cellphones.
If he was dead before he entered the water the coroners office would be able to tell, so you will need him alive. That leaves it open to signs of struggle? Not good.
If it isn't suicide we will know quite soon and a murder investigation will start.

**Ouze**

Well, the article I read said he left a note.

**sarpedons-right-hand**

If he killed himself then that really is a shame. As dogma has stated, success does not not always equate to happiness. Who knows what was going on in his private life?
Heath Ledger, Vincent Van Gogh, Cleopatra, Alexander McQueen and more, all took their own lives. It's sad but I suppose a lot of genuine genius' are flawed in some way...

**labmouse42**

warpcrafter wrote:
I am suspicious about this. Nobody who is that successful and respected by his peers kills themselves unless their life has totally gone to gak or something else really catastrophic has happened. Suicide my ass.

Many successful people in life have committed suicide. You don't know what was going on in his life to drive him to that.
Suicide is much more common than one might think. Its the 5th most common way for people to die. Its a shame as its completely preventable.

http://www.nsc.org/NSC%20Picture%20Library/News/web_graphics/Injury_Facts_37.pdf

**Howard A Treesong**

warpcrafter wrote:
I am suspicious about this. Nobody who is that successful and respected by his peers kills themselves unless their life has totally gone to gak or something else really catastrophic has happened. Suicide my ass.

You don't really know what was in his head. Highly creative and successful people can be afflicted by the most awful depression. You can't assume because he seemed to be doing well that he was happy in life.

**Squigsquasher**

This is a sad sad day. RIP Tony.

At least we still have Ridley.

**Relapse**

azazel the cat wrote:
warpcrafter wrote:I am suspicious about this. Nobody who is that successful and respected by his peers kills themselves unless their life has totally gone to gak or something else really catastrophic has happened. Suicide my ass.

George Sanders killed himself because he got bored.

He was also in declining health and according to what I've read, couldn't stand the thought of having to be cared for.

**reds8n**

Sad news indeed, best wishes to his family and friends.

.. oddly enough, "proof" that the universe has an odd sense of humour indeed, this was the other news article that caught my eye today :

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120816170400.htm

A parasite thought to be harmless and found in many people may actually be causing subtle changes in the brain, leading to suicide attempts.

New research appearing in the August issue of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry adds to the growing work linking an infection caused by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite to suicide attempts. Michigan State University's Lena Brundin was one of the lead researchers on the team.
About 10-20 percent of people in the United States have Toxoplasma gondii, or T. gondii, in their bodies, but in most it was thought to lie dormant, said Brundin, an associate professor of experimental psychiatry in MSU's College of Human Medicine. In fact, it appears the parasite can cause inflammation over time, which produces harmful metabolites that can damage brain cells.
"Previous research has found signs of inflammation in the brains of suicide victims and people battling depression, and there also are previous reports linking Toxoplasma gondii to suicide attempts," she said. "In our study we found that if you are positive for the parasite, you are seven times more likely to attempt suicide."
The work by Brundin and colleagues is the first to measure scores on a suicide assessment scale from people infected with the parasite, some of whom had attempted suicide.
The results found those infected with T. gondii scored significantly higher on the scale, indicative of a more severe disease and greater risk for future suicide attempts. However, Brundin stresses the majority of those infected with the parasite will not attempt suicide: "Some individuals may for some reason be more susceptible to develop symptoms," she said.
"Suicide is major health problem," said Brundin, noting the 36,909 deaths in 2009 in America, or one every 14 minutes. "It is estimated 90 percent of people who attempt suicide have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder. If we could identify those people infected with this parasite, it could help us predict who is at a higher risk."
T. gondii is a parasite found in cells that reproduces in its primary host, any member of the cat family. It is transmitted to humans primarily through ingesting water and food contaminated with the eggs of the parasite, or, since the parasite can be present in other mammals as well, through consuming undercooked raw meat or food.
Brundin has been looking at the link between depression and inflammation in the brain for a decade, beginning with work she did on Parkinson's disease. Typically, a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, have been the preferred treatment for depression. SSRIs are believed to increase the level of a neurotransmitter called serotonin but are effective in only about half of depressed patients.
Brundin's research indicates a reduction in the brain's serotonin might be a symptom rather than the root cause of depression. Inflammation, possibly from an infection or a parasite, likely causes changes in the brain's chemistry, leading to depression and, in some cases, thoughts of suicide, she said.
"I think it's very positive that we are finding biological changes in suicidal patients," she said. "It means we can develop new treatments to prevent suicides, and patients can feel hope that maybe we can help them.
"It's a great opportunity to develop new treatments tailored at specific biological mechanisms."
Brundin and co-senior investigator Teodor Postolache of the University of Maryland led the research team. Funding for the project came from several sources, most notably the Swedish Research Council and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

**Hordini**

warpcrafter wrote:
I am suspicious about this. Nobody who is that successful and respected by his peers kills themselves unless their life has totally gone to gak or something else really catastrophic has happened. Suicide my ass.

A lot of people have already touched on this, but the vast majority of people who commit suicide are affected by some sort of mental illness, something that someone can suffer from no matter how successful or respected they seem to be, or how much money they have.

It's sad news, he made a lot of cool films.

**mattyrm**

Isnt he from Hartlepool originally?

You know.. the same place as the other famous water based suicide chap.

Maybe Tony is off sipping cocktails in Ecuador!

**Ahtman**

sarpedons-right-hand wrote:
Heath Ledger

Accidental overdose, not suicide.

**sarpedons-right-hand**

Ahtman wrote:
sarpedons-right-hand wrote:
Heath Ledger

Accidental overdose, not suicide.

Yeah, ya got me there.... But something must have been going on in his life for him to take too many tablets yes?

**timetowaste85**

reds8n wrote:
Sad news indeed, best wishes to his family and friends.

.. oddly enough, "proof" that the universe has an odd sense of humour indeed, this was the other news article that caught my eye today :

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120816170400.htm

A parasite thought to be harmless and found in many people may actually be causing subtle changes in the brain, leading to suicide attempts.

New research appearing in the August issue of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry adds to the growing work linking an infection caused by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite to suicide attempts. Michigan State University's Lena Brundin was one of the lead researchers on the team.
About 10-20 percent of people in the United States have Toxoplasma gondii, or T. gondii, in their bodies, but in most it was thought to lie dormant, said Brundin, an associate professor of experimental psychiatry in MSU's College of Human Medicine. In fact, it appears the parasite can cause inflammation over time, which produces harmful metabolites that can damage brain cells.
"Previous research has found signs of inflammation in the brains of suicide victims and people battling depression, and there also are previous reports linking Toxoplasma gondii to suicide attempts," she said. "In our study we found that if you are positive for the parasite, you are seven times more likely to attempt suicide."
The work by Brundin and colleagues is the first to measure scores on a suicide assessment scale from people infected with the parasite, some of whom had attempted suicide.
The results found those infected with T. gondii scored significantly higher on the scale, indicative of a more severe disease and greater risk for future suicide attempts. However, Brundin stresses the majority of those infected with the parasite will not attempt suicide: "Some individuals may for some reason be more susceptible to develop symptoms," she said.
"Suicide is a major health problem," said Brundin, noting the 36,909 deaths in 2009 in America, or one every 14 minutes. "It is estimated 90 percent of people who attempt suicide have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder. If we could identify those people infected with this parasite, it could help us predict who is at a higher risk."
T. gondii is a parasite found in cells that reproduces in its primary host, any member of the cat family. It is transmitted to humans primarily through ingesting water and food contaminated with the eggs of the parasite, or, since the parasite can be present in other mammals as well, through consuming undercooked raw meat or food.
Brundin has been looking at the link between depression and inflammation in the brain for a decade, beginning with work she did on Parkinson's disease. Typically, a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, have been the preferred treatment for depression. SSRIs are believed to increase the level of a neurotransmitter called serotonin but are effective in only about half of depressed patients.
Brundin's research indicates a reduction in the brain's serotonin might be a symptom rather than the root cause of depression. Inflammation, possibly from an infection or a parasite, likely causes changes in the brain's chemistry, leading to depression and, in some cases, thoughts of suicide, she said.
"I think it's very positive that we are finding biological changes in suicidal patients," she said. "It means we can develop new treatments to prevent suicides, and patients can feel hope that maybe we can help them.
"It's a great opportunity to develop new treatments tailored at specific biological mechanisms."
Brundin and co-senior investigator Teodor Postolache of the University of Maryland led the research team. Funding for the project came from several sources, most notably the Swedish Research Council and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

I know this is a fairly serious, and sad, thread as suicides are awful and talent like this will be missed...but this line from the article made me burst out laughing thinking "no gak, Sherlock".

**Ouze**

sarpedons-right-hand wrote:
Ahtman wrote:
sarpedons-right-hand wrote:
Heath Ledger

Accidental overdose, not suicide.

Yeah, ya got me there.... But something must have been going on in his life for him to take too many tablets yes?

Yeah, he was fairly ill/insomniac for a long time. Check out his wikipedia page. No real reason to think he intentionally OD'd.

**Easy E**

Too bad.

He had an impressive assortment of films under his belt. Frankly, I didn;t realize how prolific his career had been.

Edit:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/rip-tony-scott,84015/

Looks like he had just been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer that was inoperable.

Now, here comes the politics........

**mattyrm**

Easy E wrote:
Too bad.

He had an impressive assortment of films under his belt. Frankly, I didn;t realize how prolific his career had been.

Edit:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/rip-tony-scott,84015/

Looks like he had just been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer that was inoperable.

Now, here comes the politics........

Yep. Just read it.

So, if he lived in Scandinavia he could have had a few more weeks with his family, and then a big party, where he could say goodbye to all his friends and family, and end his own life painlessly and with dignity.

Or.. you know.. throw yourself off a fething bridge because bible thumpers think they have the right to tell us all what we can do with out own bodies.

If I had terminal cancer screw going to Dignitas... I'm going to hang myself in the living room and let my stunned wife have to drag my gak covered carcass down instead!

Much more pleasant.. we don't want to risk upsetting Jesus now do we?