Who Is Elizabeth Jean Scott? (Everything To Know)

 

If you’ve ever watched Spy Game with Brad Pitt, then you’ve most likely seen the loving dedication to Elizabeth Jean Scott in the credits of the movie.

She definitely earned the dedication because the movie would have never happened without her.

Scott was a woman who had seen the worst of humanity and still charged forward to inspire her children with her strength and courage.

 

Who Is Elizabeth Jean Scott?

Elizabeth Jean Scott was the mother of famous film directors Tony Scott and Ridley Scott.

Her name can be seen in the credits of Tony Scott’s movie Spy Game.

Tony Scott’s mother passed away in 2001 during the filming of Spy Game, which is why the director decided to dedicate the movie to her.

Ridley Scott followed in his younger brother’s footsteps and dedicated his 2001 film Black Hawk Down to their mother as well.

Elizabeth Jean Scott lived a long life, 95 years, having been born in 1906.

During her lifetime, she saw each stage of modern American culture grow and the United States change rapidly.

Tony Scott once told interviewers that his mother and father made sure that he and his siblings had a wonderful childhood.

Throughout World War II, Elizabeth Jean Scott had lived in Ealing, a district that was located in West London.

When the bombs began to drop, the Scott family was right in the middle of the storm.

With their entire town being demolished, they decided to move to the Lake District and then settled in North Shields.

After the smoke of World War II had settled, the Scott family moved to Germany where Francis Scott worked until he could afford to move the family back to England.

Once they had built up the proper finances, Francis Scott became a docks manager in Stockton-on-Tees.

The whole family eventually got involved in the business, and their children have fond memories of working on the docks.

Tony Scott describes his mother as firm, but equally respectable and loving.

She served as a constant motivator for her children to do their best in all that they did and gave the Scott brothers the work ethic they needed to succeed.

 

Are Ridley Scott And Tony Scott Related?

 

Yes, Ridley Scott was the older brother of Tony Scott.

Six years older than Tony Scott, Ridley was only the second oldest to his brother, Frank Scott.

Tony and Ridley Scott were always incredibly close, starting their lifelong friendship as small children growing up in financially unstable times.

The two younger Scott brothers were more like their mother, who was creative and always encouraged their artistic skills.

Frank Scott was more like their father, Francis Scott.

He would go on to join the Merchant Marines but would later die of cancer at the age of 45.

Growing up, neither Tony nor Ridley Scott was an excellent student, preferring to focus their time on their hobbies over their academics.

Tony Scott claims that he barely got through school because of all the time he spent painting, drawing, or playing rugby.

It was Ridley Scott who inspired his younger brother to go into the arts as a degree.

Ridley Scott was an amazing photographer and videographer, which inspired Tony Scott to draw.

Although their mother was accepting of their educational choices, their father was confused about why his sons were willing to spend money and time going to art school.

Ridley Scott would go on to attend the Royal College of Art in London, but Tony Scott would fail to get into the school on his first attempt.

To help add to his brother’s portfolio, Ridley Scott gave him a role in a project that the young director was working on.

Tony Scott would later repay the favor when he created a short film based on Ambrose Bierce’s story, One of the Missing.

Throughout their careers and lives, Ridley Scott and Tony Scott would be there for each other.

They cheered each other on through every project.

 

What Is Ridley Scott Best Known For?

 

Ridley Scott is best known for his 1979 science-fiction film Alien, which completely changed how people saw the science-fiction genre and how well it could be mixed with horror.

Scott changed the film industry with his set design and strong lens choices.

Alien starred Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, the lone survivor of a crew who attempted to follow a mysterious distress signal in space.

However, they were instead attacked by one of the most iconic alien creatures in cinematic history, the Xenomorph.

Alien would go to become a franchise that would spawn multiple sequels and other forms of media such as horror video games.

While this may be the film that Ridley Scott is best known for, it is only one of many hit films he would direct.

In 1982, Scott directed another science-fiction film called Blade Runner, which starred Harrison Ford of Star Wars and Indiana Jones fame.

This cult classic film would go on to be loved for decades to come and is considered some of Harrison Ford’s best work.

By 1991, Ridley Scott was ready for a change when he released Thelma & Louise, which followed two best friends, played by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, as they ran away from the police.

While the film still had those familiar action film aspects, it was much more toned down than his previous films.

To start the 2000s off, Scott directed Gladiator, which starred Russell Crowe as the lead character of Maximus.

This was quickly followed up by the Silence of the Lambs sequel Hannibal in 2001.

Russell Crowe would join Ridley Scott for another film in 2007 called American Gangsters, where he would appear alongside Denzel Washington, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Josh Brolin.

Ridley Scott’s most recent hit is the crime-drama film House of Gucci, which starred Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, and Al Pacino.

 

How Tony Scott Followed In His Brother’s Footsteps

 

Tony Scott was always proud of the relationship that he had with his brother Ridley, claiming that Ridley was just as good of a brother as he was a mentor.

Tony Scott always looked up to his brother and looked to him for artistic inspiration.

He even tried to attend the same school his brother graduated from, but he couldn’t quite make the cut for the school and instead studied film in Leeds.

By the time he had finished eight years at art school, Ridley Scott was opening Ridley Scott Associates and Tony was offered a job at the firm creating commercials.

Tony Scott would make commercials 100 days out of the year for the next 15 years, just as his brother had done before him.

Scott would later see his time making commercials as a training ground for directing his hit films later.

The first film that Tony Scott worked on was The Hunger, which starred David Bowie as a vampire.

In 1986, Tony Scott finally got his time to shine as a director when he created Top Gun with Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis.

The movie was a box office hit that made more than $350 worldwide and would continue to inspire generations of fans.

The following year, Scott was handed the sequel to Beverly Hills Cop, which stars legendary comedic actor Eddie Murphy. Beverly Hills Cop II proved that Scott could handle a large range of movies.

In 1990, he directed Revenge with Kevin Costner and Madeleine Stowe.

The story follows a Navy aviator that goes to visit his crime lord friend and catches the attention of his friend’s wife.

Tony Scott would work with Tom Cruise again for the 1990 action film Days of Thunder.

This film would also include a breakout role for Nicole Kidman.

 

How Ridley Scott’s Mother Inspired Him

 

Elizabeth Jean Scott influenced many parts of her children’s lives and gave them a strong childhood to build off of.

Ridley Scott looked to his mother for creating the strong female characters in his films.

Elizabeth Jean Scott was a mother who gave her children plenty of attention and kept on their heels about doing their best work.

Ridley Scott and his siblings knew that their mother would have no messing around, and they were always expected to be on their best behavior, much like little soldiers.

Perhaps the reason that the director’s eldest brother, Frank Scott, went into the Marines and did so well was how strict their upbringing had been.

Although their mother was strict, she was incredibly caring and loved her children so deeply that they never doubted her love for them.

When creating female characters, Ridley Scott thinks back to this mother’s ability to get things done and lead her family through everyday life.

She was relentless in the way that she ensured that her children were never slackers.

Throughout Ridley Scott’s movies, you can see heroines like Ripley, Thelma and Louise, Jordan O’Neill, Marguerite de Carrouges, and most recently Patrizia Reggiani.

Although they may all be different, each character shares an aspect of the woman that’s known Ridley Scott since he was born.

Whenever any of Ridley Scott’s characters reach what would be a breaking point for most, they thrive under the additional pressure.

Scott watched his mother keep the family afloat after the world around her had been torn apart by war.

Elizabeth Jean Scott would spend the rest of her life cheering her sons on as they became legends in the film industry.

Without her parenting, the Scott brothers might never have had the inspiration to create their iconic films.

 

How Did Tony Scott Pass Away?

 

On August 12th of 2012, a random bystander called the police after watching a man plummeting to his death off of the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, California at 12:30 p.m.

When the Los Angeles Port Police recovered the body, they discovered that it was legendary director, Tony Scott.

What confirmed the police’s theory of suicide was the note that a friend of his found in his office that was written to his family.

There was also another, written to whoever found his car, which contained the names and phone numbers of his loved ones.

Many of the actors who had worked with Tony Scott took the day that everyone found out about his death to mourn him and praise his talent and who he was as a person.

This was a difficult time for the Scott family, including his wife, children, and brother.

Those who had worked with him before described him as loving, enthusiastic, and had a personality that was larger than life.

When talking to Scott, you could understand how he was able to turn bland plots into uproarious adventures.

The film industry played such a crucial role in his life and was how he kept the memory of his mother alive.

It was also where he met his wife, Days of Thunder actress, Donna Wilson.

Just as his older brother mentored him, Tony Scott had mentored many directors and actors throughout his life in the film industry.

Friends of his say that they will miss his handwritten personal notes that he’d sign with a cartoonish portrait of himself smoking a cigar.

They’ll also miss seeing him sport his old, red baseball cap at every kind of occasion, whether it’s a day of shooting or a red-carpet event.

 

What Ridley Scott Is Doing Now

 

Since the passing of his brother and mother, Ridley Scott has not said much about his siblings or parents.

He is the last member of his family alive and keeps himself busy by working, despite being in his 80s.

Ridley Scott’s most recent works are The Last Duel and House of Gucci, which have both been received extremely well by audiences.

The Last Duel is a historical drama where King Charles VI, played by Alex Lawther, sends out Sir Jean de Carrouges, played by Matt Damon, to fight squire Jacques Le Gris.

The cast is made up of stars who have worked with Ridley Scott multiple times like Adam Driver and other stars including Ben Affleck, Jodie Comer, Harriet Walter, Oliver Cotton, and William Houston.

Part of the film was shot in France, where it takes place, and other scenes were moved to Ireland to offer more scenic views.

The year 2021 has been a busy one for Ridley Scott, who also released his controversial drama House of Gucci, which also stars Adam Driver alongside another all-star cast.

The story follows the tale of when Patrizia Reggiani married into the Gucci family.

When Reggiani’s ambitious nature begins to change the narrative around the Gucci family and everything they had built up, betrayal and revenge begin to unravel the family and eventually lead to murder.

Since the movie’s release, fans have been raving about the plot and the performances of the actors.

This movie has helped Lady Gaga prove to the world that she can do more than sing and produce music.

While fans have loved the film, the real-life Gucci family has been less than pleased with the film.

However, Ridley Scott has proven he could not care less about what they think.

 

Ridley Scott Vs. the Gucci Family

 

The Gucci family was not happy about the way they were portrayed in Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci.

The descendants of Aldo Gucci were so livid that they released a statement directly for Ridley Scott.

The family claims that they were disconcerted by the film, which was completely inaccurate about how the infamous events actually happened.

They also didn’t appreciate the fact that the production team never consulted them to describe what each family member was actually like.

The Gucci family felt that it portrayed their family members as ignorant and insensitive thugs.

When they gave their statement to the Italian news agency ANSA, they went on to remind the public that the real-life Patrizia Reggiani was convicted of facilitating the murder of her husband Maurizio Gucci.

Ridley Scott didn’t even want to begin engaging in any argument with the family because the story he directed was about information that is in the public domain.

Scott isn’t denying that he made some changes to make the film more dramatic.

In the film, Patrizia Reggiani is shown as being poorer than she actually was.

Unlike the film, the real Rodolfo Gucci never thought Reggiani’s family business had anything to do with the Italian Mafia.

Reggiani also didn’t meet her husband while working because she never worked.

When offered a shorter sentence if she found a job, the real Reggiani claimed that she had never worked and had no intention of starting to work now.

Ridley Scott was correct that nobody from Maurizio Gucci’s immediate family appeared at the wedding and his father tried to convince the archbishop from allowing the wedding; the wedding wasn’t completely one-sided.

The Gucci family has stated that they intend to do everything they can to preserve their family’s memory, but no lawsuits have been issued at this time.

 

The Scott Brothers Making Their Mother Proud

 

Without Elizabeth Jean Scott, movies such as Alien, Top Gun, Blade Runner, Crimson Tide, Unstoppable, The Martian, Prometheus, and House of Gucci.

By promoting her sons’ interests in the arts, she was able to raise two of the greatest directors of all time.

Although Ridley Scott is the only person left of his siblings and parents, he continues to better the Scott family legacy in a way that few people will ever be able to for their families.

Ridley Scott may be only 11 years younger than his mother was when she passed away, he shows no signs of slowing down or giving up.

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