Donald Clarence "Don" Simpson (October 29, 1943 – January 19, 1996) was an American film producer, screenwriter, and actor. Simpson, along with his producing partner Jerry Bruckheimer, produced such hit films as Flashdance (1983), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Top Gun (1986), and The Rock (1996). Their films would go on to earn $3 billion. In 1985 and again in 1988, he and his producing partner, Jerry Bruckheimer, were named Producers of the Year by the National Association of Theatre Owners.
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Biography from TMDB.
- October 29, 1943
- January 19, 1996 (aged 52)
- Seattle, Washington, USA
- Producer, actor and writer
- 13 on MovieCove · 14 credits in all
What are Don Simpson's films like?
Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 14
A split, not a type: Light 9 · Serious 3 · Dark 2
A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 5
A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 6 · Intense 7
Steady 4 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 2
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 4
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 5
Casual 8 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 8 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 2
Resolved 13 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy9
- Bittersweet4
- Tragic1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Don Simpson's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).
Subscription and free streaming for Don Simpson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
14 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.
The Rock(1996)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Dangerous Minds(1995)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Crimson Tide(1995)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Bad Boys(1995)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
The Ref(1994)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Days of Thunder(1990)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
The Big Bang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Beverly Hills Cop II(1987)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Top Gun(1986)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Beverly Hills Cop(1984)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Thief of Hearts(1984)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Flashdance(1983)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Cannonball!(1976)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Aloha Bobby and Rose(1975)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 14 titles from 1975 to 1996.
Biggest box office
Top Gun (1986)
Highest rated
Crimson Tide (1995)
Most popular right now
Top Gun (1986)
Film career
- 1990Screen debut· Days of Thunder
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Don Simpson's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 65th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up5
- 50th to 74th6
- 25th to 49th1
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
10 of their 13 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Crowd Pleaser10
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed1
Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Don Simpson's work okay for kids?
Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Don Simpson work with?
People who share at least 2 of Don Simpson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jerry Bruckheimer shares the most, 12.
Directors
- Tony ScottShared titles: Crimson Tide (1995), The Making of 'Crimson Tide' (1995), Days of Thunder (1990), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Top Gun (1986)See all 5 shared titles with Tony Scott
- Michael BayShared titles: The Rock (1996), Bad Boys (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Michael Bay
Writers
- Daniel Petrie Jr.Shared titles: Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Beverly Hills Cop (1984)See all 2 shared titles with Daniel Petrie Jr.
- Danilo BachShared titles: Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Beverly Hills Cop (1984)See all 2 shared titles with Danilo Bach
Actors
- George DzundzaShared titles: Crimson Tide (1995), Dangerous Minds (1995), The Making of 'Crimson Tide' (1995)See all 3 shared titles with George Dzundza
- Denzel WashingtonShared titles: Crimson Tide (1995), The Making of 'Crimson Tide' (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Denzel Washington
- Gene HackmanShared titles: Crimson Tide (1995), The Making of 'Crimson Tide' (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Gene Hackman
- Matt CravenShared titles: Crimson Tide (1995), The Making of 'Crimson Tide' (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Matt Craven
Composers and editors
- Chris LebenzonShared titles: Crimson Tide (1995), Days of Thunder (1990), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Top Gun (1986)See all 4 shared titles with Chris Lebenzon
- Billy WeberShared titles: Days of Thunder (1990), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Top Gun (1986), Beverly Hills Cop (1984)See all 4 shared titles with Billy Weber
- Harold FaltermeyerShared titles: Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Top Gun (1986), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Thief of Hearts (1984)See all 4 shared titles with Harold Faltermeyer
- Hans ZimmerShared titles: The Rock (1996), Crimson Tide (1995), Days of Thunder (1990)See all 3 shared titles with Hans Zimmer
Producers
- Jerry BruckheimerShared titles: The Rock (1996), Bad Boys (1995), Crimson Tide (1995), Dangerous Minds (1995), The Making of 'Crimson Tide' (1995), The Ref (1994), Days of Thunder (1990), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Top Gun (1986), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Thief of Hearts (1984), Flashdance (1983)See all 12 shared titles with Jerry Bruckheimer
- Lucas FosterShared titles: Bad Boys (1995), Crimson Tide (1995), Dangerous Minds (1995)See all 3 shared titles with Lucas Foster
- Mike ModerShared titles: Crimson Tide (1995), Beverly Hills Cop (1984)See all 2 shared titles with Mike Moder
- Tom JacobsonShared titles: Thief of Hearts (1984), Flashdance (1983)See all 2 shared titles with Tom Jacobson
Mixed roles
- Warren SkaarenShared titles: Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Top Gun (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Warren Skaaren