Lary Simpson, who executive produced the 2002 feature Bad Company, which starred Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock and was developed by the famed production company that his late brother, Don Simpson, had launched with Jerry Bruckheimer, has died. He was 77.
Simpson died Jan. 25 at his home in Noank, Connecticut, after a brief battle with cancer, his attorney Tom Hunter announced.
Simpson began his career in entertainment as an attorney in the legal department of TriStar Pictures. He then became an associate attorney at Beverly Hills-based Bloom, Hergott, Diemer and Cook, where he represented producers, writers, actors and directors.
He left the law business in 1995 to become a film producer and initially worked with his older brother, who split with Bruckheimer that year after the pair had worked on blockbusters including Flashdance (1983), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Bad Boys (1995) and Top Gun (1986).
The end of Simpson/Bruckheimer became public in December 1995; a month later, Don Simpson, 52, died of a drug overdose in his Bel-Air home. Lary Simpson then set up his own eponymous production company. (Bruckheimer also was a producer on Bad Company, directed by Joel Schumacher.
Born in Alaska, Simpson earned his bachelor of science and master’s degrees in molecular biology from the University of Oregon and his law degree from California Western School of Law. He also served with the U.S. Army.
He received a still photography credit for his work on the 2004 documentary series Danger Zone: The Making of Top Gun.
In 2003, he and his wife, Sally, moved to Telluride, where he created, funded and directed the Telluride Screenwriters’ Conference and was a Nordic skiing enthusiast. He served as a board member at the La Jolla Playhouse as well.
In addition to this wife, survivors include their children, Tait (and his wife, Frida) and Britt (and her husband, Peter), and grandchildren June, Olive and Penelope.
Mike Barnes
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