Biography for
Tony Scott (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

21 June 1944, North Shields, Northumberland, England, UK

Birth Name

Anthony D. L. Scott

Nickname

T-Scott

Height

5' 6½" (1.69 m)

Spouse

Donna W. Scott	(24 November 1994 - present) 2 children
Glynis Sanders	(1986 - 1987) (divorced)
Gerry Scott	(1967 - 1974) (divorced)

Trade Mark

Constantly wears a faded red baseball cap It often appears in his films

Often casts Denzel Washington and Christopher Walken

[director's trademark - camera pan across a large tower]. The "top of the world" tower at the casino in Domino and Beat The Devil, The tower in Mexico City at the start of Man on Fire

Has used dogs in many of his movies including Top Gun, True Romance, Crimson Tide, The Fan, Enemy of the State, Man on Fire, and Domino.

Kinetic, choppy editing

Frequently has sunlight flashing at characters to make the picture more effective

Often ends a film with a shootout. See True Romance, Last Boy Scout, Enemy of the State.

Trivia

Brother of director Ridley Scott

Uncle of Jake Scott

Partner, with Ridley Scott, in Scott Free Productions.

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).

His films are known for their rich visual style, with dazzling cinematography and beautiful production designs.

Visual trademarks include heavy use of smoke, colored filters, and shafts of light breaking through windows, often through blinds.

Often works with film editor Chris Lebenzon.

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.

Is an avid mountain climber.

Graduated from the Royal College Of Art In London, England.

Has 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.

Once linked romantically to Brigitte Nielsen, whom he directed in Beverly Hills Cop II (1987). Both were married at the time, Nielsen to Sylvester Stallone. Scott has since admitted the affair was what led to his divorce from his second wife.

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.

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.

Son of Elizabeth Jean Scott.

Uncle of actress Jordan Scott

Dedicated his movie Spy Game (2001) to the memory of his mother, Elizabeth Scott, who died that year.

Performance (1970) by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg is one of his favourite films.

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)).

Often works with editor Christian Wagner

He and his brother Ridley have both worked with the following actors: Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise, The Hunger), Tom Skerrit (Alien, Top Gun), Tom Cruise (Legend, Top Gun), Viggo Mortensen (G.I. Jane, Crimson Tide), Brad Pitt (Thelma & Louise, True Romance), Giancarlo Giannini (Hannibal, Man on Fire), Gary Oldman (Hannibal, True Romance), and Denzel Washington (American Gangster, Man on Fire et al).

Was classmates with Stephen Goldblatt and Richard Loncrain in Film School.

Often casts Denzel Washington.

Former brother-in-law of Sandy Watson.

Personal Quotes

About Ridley Scott: "Nobody does toga movies like my brother."

[on Tom Cruise] A magnet for women.

On Days of Thunder (1990): The problem was, we started on the movie without a script. Tom [Cruise] was already part of the line-up when I arrived and they said: "Tom can sit behind the wheel of a race car and smoke a cigarette and this movie will make a fortune." And that was the attitude we went in with. Robert Towne would be writing the scenes at night, we would shoot in the morning. It was a dangerous way to work. But we really thought, "Look - it's racing cars and it's Tom Cruise!" But you always have to get a story and you've got to get character first, and we hadn't.

Where Are They Now

(September 2001) Tony and Ridley Scott's Scott Free Productions signs a 3-year production deal with Fox. Each will produce (separately and together) films for Fox and each will direct at least one film at Fox in that time.