Who is don simpson

He ultimately was cast in "Days of Thunder" in a small role as race-car driver Aldo Bennedetti, though he first had to audition for director Tony Scott. When "Days of Thunder" came out, it was a disappointment. Paramount also was embarrassed by the publicity over the cost overruns. Simpson and Bruckheimer blamed the studio, saying they had been rushed and were forced to deliver under an unrealistic schedule.

The two demanded to get out of their new contract, just nine months after the deal had been trumpeted. They soon after made a deal at Walt Disney Co.

Eisner and Katzenberg were running the show. This deal, too, was extremely generous, though it wasn't as extravagant as the Paramount arrangement had been. The hits, however, seemed to dry up. The producers, close friends say, were still reeling from the disappointment of "Days of Thunder" and were struggling to figure out how their formula went wrong.

Friends noticed that Mr. Simpson, who had a weight problem and a penchant for yo-yo dieting, seemed increasingly determined to reinvent himself. He underwent a series of plastic-surgery operations; one friend says that among the procedures he had were a chin implant, several face lifts, and placenta injections. He began disappearing for months at a time, telling friends he was at Canyon Ranch, where most visitors stay only a few days. And he began talking about finding new projects in which he could appear as an actor.

At night, he led a life that a number of people close to him thought was growing increasingly dangerous. He had always been known for his appetite for prostitutes; he was close friends with Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss. Simpson was going beyond sex, sinking deeper into increasingly sadomasochistic and destructive behavior, say people who know him.

His reputation was such that he is the subject of an entire chapter -- titled "Don Simpson: An Education in Pain" -- in a salacious new book penned by four Hollywood prostitutes. James Toback, a screenwriter who may have been the last person to talk with Mr. Simpson before his death, says his friend would frequently regale him with stories of his exploits with women. Toback, a screenwriter of movies such as "Bugsy.

Even if it was a call girl, it was to get into some kind of serious philosophical discussion with her. He wanted to know what she read, what her parents were like, why she did what she did. Toback tells of one conversation with Mr. Simpson: "He said he had met this girl, that she was fascinating and that her favorite philosopher was Kierkegaard.

Toback says that he never saw Mr. Simpson take drugs. Toback says. Last year, Messrs. Simpson and Bruckheimer finally made a comeback, achieving success with the submarine thriller "Crimson Tide," with "Dangerous Minds," a film about a feisty white English teacher who takes on a tough inner-city school, and with "Bad Boys," an action drama.

The producers were considered especially instrumental to the success of "Dangerous Minds," which had a disappointing first screening. The two, assuring Disney that they knew how to fix the picture, made the suggestion that co-star Andy Garcia be cut out of the film entirely. Simpson himself threw out the movie's old title -- "My Posse Don't Do Homework" -- and came up with the new one.

The extravagant ways that seemed to characterize their producing technique in the s seemed to be giving way to a new, more conservative turn. The studio offered to throw a glitzy premiere for "Crimson Tide," but the two turned it down, suggesting that Disney use the money for extra promotion for the picture. But even as the hits were opening, the partnership was quietly crumbling. Disney executives say they began to see less and less of Mr.

Simpson, who was working out of his home or spending time at Canyon Ranch to fight his constant weight problem. Bruckheimer seemed to be carrying the load. Simpson never even visited the set of "Crimson Tide.

Bruckheimer remained loyal to his erratic partner. At studio meetings, Mr. Bruckheimer would sometimes show up alone. But Kathy Nelson, Disney's president of music and a friend of the producing duo, says Mr.

Simpson "would respond in writing or sometimes with a phone call to every single memo I sent him. People at the studio say he emerged in the middle of last summer as Disney's Hollywood Pictures unit was putting together "The Rock," an action picture set on Alcatraz scheduled for release this summer. Executives say Mr. Simpson was very much involved in casting -- he aided in a failed weekend-long chase to sign Tommy Lee Jones, making numerous phone calls to the actor -- and in developing the script.

He would call studio officials after all-night sessions with one of the writers; much of his effort went toward making the movie's villain, played by Ed Harris, a more complicated character.

On Jan. Those drugs, however, represented only a fraction of the 15, sedatives, amphetamines, tranquilizers, antipsychotics, narcotics and other medications provided to Simpson over the last three years by a network of 15 local doctors and eight pharmacies. And those are just the medications that authorities have tracked so far. By visiting multiple doctors and pharmacies, Simpson was able to conceal the vast quantity and array of drugs prescribed to him, as well as the frequency with which he procured them.

In many cases, the famous year-old producer also masked his identity by having prescriptions illegally written for him under a pseudonym. Simpson had no difficulty getting such dangerous and addictive narcotics as morphine sulfate and Percodan, which require federally regulated triplicate prescriptions.

When a triplicate is issued, a copy goes to the doctor, the pharmacy and the state agency that monitors controlled substances. Simpson also had acquired a significant stash of Dexedrine, Seconal, Xanax, lithium and other controlled substances.

When film producer Don Simpson died of heart failure in at the age of 52, no one was particularly surprised. Stories of his exploits were told all over town, tales of hookers and drugs, of plastic surgery and fast cars.

In the months leading up to his death, Simpson was using a pharmacy of prescription drugs, including Valium, Vicodin, Lithium, Xanax, Desyrel and Phenobarbitol. What follows is an excerpt from High Concept , a new book by Weekly columnist Charles Fleming that exposes the excesses of Simpson and the culture in which he thrived.

How can we help you? When the year-old producer was found dead at his Bel Air mansion on Jan. While Simpson appears to have died of natural causes autopsy results are pending , those who knew him had watched for years as he abused drugs and food, plummeting over and over into depression and physical crisis. Each new success seemed only to augment his unhappiness.

At first, he got along by snagging small-time acting gigs and betting on his tennis skills on the neighborhood courts. When he sold a screenplay called Cannonball , he began networking in Hollywood. Simpson got the job and eventually became president of production, earning a reputation for being brilliant and blunt. In , Simpson left Paramount and joined forces with Bruckheimer. Between the two of them, they made one extraordinary producer.