Elizabeth Jean Scott: What happened to Ridley Scott’s mother?

Elizabeth Jean Scott is the mother of famous directors Ridley Scott and Tony Scott. Elizabeth Jean Scott’s son Ridley Scott is considered one of the best directors of all time. His best-known films include The Duellists (1977), Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Legend (1985), Thelma & Louise (1991), Gladiator (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), The Martian (2015), The Last Duel (2021), and House of Gucci (2021). Tony Scott is also a highly successful director with films such as  The Hunger,  Top Gun,  Beverly Hills Cop II, and  Days of Thunder under his belt.

Elizabeth Jean Scott: Bio Summary

Who is Ridley Scott and Tony Scott’s mother?

Elizabeth Jean Scott was born in 1906 in the United Kingdom. She is famous for being the mother of celebrated directors Ridley Scott and Tony Scott. She was married to  Francis Percy Scott an army officer. Born two years before World War II began, Ridley Scott was brought up in a military family.

Elizabeth’s husband, an officer in the Royal Engineers, was absent for most of his children’s early lives. Her eldest son, Frank, joined the Merchant Navy when Ridley who was the second oldest was still young and the pair had little contact. Tony Scott was the youngest child of the family.

During this time the family moved around; they lived in Cumberland as well as other areas in England, in addition to Wales and Germany. After the war, the Scott family moved back to County Durham and eventually settled on Teesside. Tony Scott once told interviewers that his mother and father made sure that he and his siblings had a wonderful childhood.

Tony Told the Hollywood reporter-“We had a brilliant upbringing and we never wanted for anything, even though we went through highs and lows of finances,” Tony observed. “Dad was a very gentle, sweet man. Mum was the matriarch and the patriarch of the family. She ran the roost with a steel fist, but at the same time there was respect and love for her. The driving force Ridley and I have comes from Mum, but they were chalk and cheese. There was a real big, sweet heart to her and at the same time a determination and toughness.” He added, “We were a very, very tight family.“

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Elizabeth Jean Scott was an inspiration for her children

If you’ve ever watched Tony Scott’s film, Spy Game with Brad Pitt and Robert Redford, then you’ve most likely seen the loving dedication to Elizabeth Jean Scott in the credits of the movie. The mother of the directors definitely earned the dedication because the movie would have never happened without her.

As a supporter of strong female characters in his work, Ridley Scott credits his mother Elizabeth Jean Scott as his first female role model. Talking about his mother the celebrated director said- “My mum brought three boys up: my dad was in the army and so he was frequently away. During the war and post-war, we tended to travel following him around so my mum was the boss. She laid down the law and the law was God. We just said, ‘Yup, okay’ – we didn’t argue. I think that’s where the respect has come from, because she was tough.“

When creating female characters, The Gladiator director thinks back to this mother’s ability to get things done and lead her family through everyday life. 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 these women are different, they all share the strong lead demonstrated by his mother.

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Elizabeth Jean Scott’s cause of death

Ridley and Tony Scott’s mother Elizabeth Jean Scott passed away in October 2001 during the filming of Spy Game, which is why the director decided to dedicate the movie to her. The cause of her death has not been made public. Radley Scott also dedicated Black Hawk down to his mother.

Are Ridley Scott And Tony Scott Related?

Ridley Scott And Tony Scott are related. They are both the sons of Elizabeth Jean Scott. Ridley Scott was the older brother of Tony Scott. He was six years older than him. The two younger Scott brothers were more like their mother, who was creative and always encouraged their artistic skills while their elder brother Frank Scott was more like their father Francis Percy Scott.

Unfortunately, on 19 August 2012, at approximately 12:30 pm PDT, Tony Scott jumped off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in the San Pedro port district of Los Angeles ending his life. Ridley Scott described his brother’s death as “inexplicable”, saying that Tony had been “fighting a lengthy battle with cancer—a diagnosis the family elected to keep private during his treatments and in the immediate wake of his death”, yet mentioning “his recovery”. He was 68 years.