R.I.P. Tony Scott 1944-20120

via nydailynews.com

Tony Scott’s battle with inoperable brain cancer may have driven ‘Top Gun,’ ‘Crimson Tide’ director to suicide leap from Los Angeles bridge.

Action movie maestro Tony Scott reportedly battled inoperable brain cancer before he jumped from a Los Angeles bridge and died Sunday.

ABC News reported the diagnosis citing a source close to the famed director of “Top Gun,” “Beverly Hills Cop II,” and “Crimson Tide.”

“The autopsy is scheduled for this morning. We might (see a brain issue), but we don’t have anything medically confirmed at this time,” Ed Winter, the assistant chief coroner for Los Angeles County told the Daily News.

Another coroner source said Scott left several notes to loved ones in his car and at a second location.

Scott, 68, parked his car at the crest of the Vincent Thomas Bridge spanning Los Angeles Harbor, about 185 feet above the water, and leaped to his death as witnesses looked on in horror.

Multiple bystanders called 911 around 12:35 p.m., police said.

Rescue divers recovered his body from the murky harbor hours later, police said.

The British-born director was survived by his third wife, Donna Wilson Scott, and their twin sons.

“I can confirm that Tony Scott has passed away. The family asks that their privacy is respected at this time,” his spokesman Simon Halls said in a statement.

Scott was best known for his blockbuster action movies with strong human dimensions but also worked with famed brother Ridley Scott, director of “Gladiator,” on successful TV projects including the critically acclaimed drama “The Good Wife.”

Their company Scott Free Productions produced the recent alien thriller “Prometheus.”

Ridley Scott was at Heathrow Airport in London Monday morning, reportedly boarding a plane for Los Angeles, according to TMZ.com.

An unshaven Tom Cruise was photographed leaving the Madeos restaurant hours after the tragic news broke looking grim and typing messages on his phone. The actor starred in 1986’s “Top Gun” and 1990’s “Days of Thunder” for Scott, and considered the 68-year-old iconic action director a close friend.

“No more Tony Scott movies. Tragic day,” director Ron Howard said in a Twitter message Sunday.