Shocking the film industry, Don Simpson was found dead in his bathroom in 1996. Rumors had circulated for years that Simpson had a hard core drug habit and a fondness for cocaine. Stories of supposed kinky sexual escapades with prostitutes were hot topics of gossip among studio insiders. Bruckheimer dedicated The Rock, the last film he co-produced with Simpson, in memory of his late partner.

Moving on from Simpson's untimely death, Bruckheimer produced even bigger hit films including Armageddon, Black Hawk Down, National Treasure and Pirates of the Caribbean.

In the late ‘90's, Bruckheimer found new success on the small screen by translating his flair for fast paced action and cutting edge special effects to several popular television shows, most notably the CSI franchise, Cold Case and Without a Trace.