Ridley Scott reflected on the tragic loss of his director brother Tony in an emotional new interview – 12 years after his suicide at the age of 68.
The Gladiator and Alien director, 86, was emotional as he remembered his younger brother, known for directing iconic films such as Top Gun, Enemy of the State and Man on Fire.
The English filmmaker died on August 19, 2012 when he… jumped out of the Vincent Thomas Bridge in California after writing a farewell letter.
In 2014, Ridley revealed that his brother had been battling a “long battle with cancer”, and called his death “inexplicable”, saying: “Tony had actually been very ill, and that’s when I realized I was very close again had to come to him. , even though we were always close.’
Speak with THR this week ahead of the release of Gladiator 2, Ridley was asked if he wanted to add anything, to which the movie icon replied, “I miss my brother.”
Ridley Scott reflected on the tragic loss of his director brother Tony in an emotional new interview – 12 years after his suicide at the age of 68 – pictured together in 2010
Scott was known for directing iconic films including Top Gun (pictured with Tom Cruise in 1986)
He revealed that he was asked to direct Top Gun: Maverick, but declined because “I don’t want to follow my brother.
‘Tony was always interested in today. A lot of my stuff is historical, fantasy or science fiction. Tony didn’t like fantasy, things like Alien, Blade Runner or Legend.’
Ridley has previously paid tribute to his brother, telling Variety: “I miss a friend. I would go up to him, even when he was recovering, and I would say, ‘f*** the chemo, have a vodka martini,’ and then he and I would go out.”
Ton stayed behind twin sons, then aged 12, and his wife Donna, a model and actress who had appeared in some of his films.
His death came just weeks after he was pictured in pain as he left a Beverly Hills restaurant on July 23, 2012, but friends denied he was having problems in his marriage to wife Donna.
In 2012, his family told medical examiners that the British-born filmmaker did not have brain cancer or a serious illness when he jumped to his death.
Craig Harvey, chief operating officer of the coroner, also said the autopsy showed Scott had no obvious signs of a brain tumor.
Tom Cruise paid tribute to Tony’s callinga creative visionary whose mark on film is immeasurable’.
Speaking to THR this week ahead of the release of Gladiator 2, Ridley was asked if he wanted to add anything, to which the movie icon replied, “I miss my brother” — pictured with Jerry Bruckheimer in 2010
Tony left behind twin sons, then aged 12, and his wife Donna, a model and actress who had appeared in a number of his films (photo 2010).
Tony is pictured at a Top Gun reunion with Bruckheimer, Cruise and Kelly McGillis in 2010
He added: ‘Tony was my dear friend and I will truly miss him… My deepest sorrow and thoughts are with his family at this time.’
Tony was the first of the Scott brothers to achieve major success with Top Gun, 1986’s highest-grossing film with $176 million.
The film, which also starred Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer, was nominated for four Academy Awards and won Best Song for Take My Breath Away.
Scott teamed up with Cruise again four years later for the hit Days of Thunder, and had the sequel to Top Gun in development.