In a move that no one saw coming,Top Gun director Tony Scott was witnessed by several individuals jumping off of the Vincent Thomas bridge in Los Angeles on Sunday. The 68-year-old Scott, who also directed films like Crimson Tide and Beverly Hills Cop II was believed to have committed suicide on the basis of his inoperable brain cancer, but no one has been able to confirm this.

What is known is that two different suicide notes, contents being withheld, were found in both his car and another location. More will be investigated into events leading up to his death and the events of Sunday, but everything is pointing to a very apparent suicide. Witnesses who were interviewed by authorities said that Scott had appeared very nervous while on the bridge. One man who was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times said that most people who saw Scott thought that he was an extreme sports person who was about to bungee jump off of the bridge.

Scott’s work was very influential from the 1980s up unto his final film released while alive, Unstoppable in 2010 with Denzel Washington. Certainly though, his 1986 breakthrough film with Tom Cruise, Top Gun, will remain his most memorable movie. The film, along with many others, continues to experience regular syndication on cable and digital satellite dish TV, and its influence in the action genre of today can be easily seen.

According to Reuters, many celebrities took to Twitter and other public mediums on Monday to pay their respects to Scott, many of whom had worked with Scott throughout his career. Several of the people include Roger Ebert, Val Kilmer, Peter Fonda and Christian Slater.

Though Scott has passed, the Los Angeles Times also reports that he had completed one last film starring Christian Bale titled, Out of the Furnace. Release of the film is scheduled for next year.

photo: cristiano_betta