Updated, Aug. 20 6:08 PT:
Jerry Bruckheimer and Denzel Washington issued statements on Monday regarding the death of director Tony Scott, who died Sunday afternoon.
Both collaborated often with Scott, Bruckheimer as a producer and Washington as an actor. Bruckheimer produced a half dozen of Scott's film, including "Top Gun," "Enemy of the State" and "Deja Vu."
"I was shocked and devastated to learn of Tony Scott’s death," Bruckheimer said. "He was not only a brilliant filmmaker, but a wonderful man and dear friend. He was thoughtful and warm and had an irrepressible sense of humor. I was fortunate to have worked with him for 30 years, an experience that I will always treasure. Tony was a true original and he will be terribly missed by everyone who knew him. My heart goes out to his family."
Washington first worked with Scott on "Crimson Tide," a 1995 drama that also starred Gene Hackman. Washington went on to star in a number of Scott's more recent action-filled spectacles, including "Man on Fire" and "Unstoppable."
"Tony Scott was a great director, a genuine friend and it is unfathomable to think that he is now gone," Washington said in a statement. "He had a tremendous passion for life and for the art of filmmaking and was able to share this passion with all of us through his cinematic brilliance. My family sends their prayers and deepest condolences to the entire Scott family."
Earlier:
Gene Hackman and Tom Rothman, CEO and Chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment, have both issued statements on the shocking death of director Tony Scott, who died of an apparent suicide Sunday afternoon.
Hackman starred in a pair of Scott’s films from the late 1990s, “Crimson Tide” and “Enemy of the State.” In "Crimson," he starred alongside Denzel Washington, a frequent Scott collaborator over the past decade.
“Tony was always sensitive to the needs of an actor. We've lost a wonderful, creative talent,” Hackman, 82, said of Scott.
As for Rothman, Fox distributed Scott films including “Man on Fire” and “Unstoppable.” The studio had a longstanding relationship with both Tony Scott and his older brother Ridley Scott, dating to the release of Ridley’s “Alien” in 1979. Fox released “Prometheus,” a prequel of sorts to "Alien", earlier this summer.
“I had the privilege knowing Tony Scott well and working with him on many projects,” Rothman said in a statement. “The relationship was one of the great blessings of my life, as, in addition to his skill and professionalism, he was quite simply a wonderful man, generous, kind hearted and gracious. If there is a rock face in Heaven, I know he is climbing it with joy today, but this world will miss him terribly.”
Other directors, actors and people who knew Scott have expressed their sadness both in public statements and using Twitter.
Tom Cruise, who starred in Scott's "Top Gun," praised him as a "creative visionary."
The body of the 68-year-old Scott was recovered late Sunday after police received a 911 call that someone had jumped into the Los Angeles Harbor from the Vincent Thomas Bridge near San Pedro.
An autopsy was scheduled for Monday.
