Director John Singleton passes at 51

john-singleton-passes

Oscar-nominated director John Singleton, who helmed the ground-breaking “Boyz N the Hood” died on April 28 after suffering a massive stroke. He was 51.

Sad news from Los Angeles. Oscar-nominated director John Singleton, who helmed the ground-breaking Boyz N the Hood has died at 51.

The director suffered a massive stroke 13 days ago and had been on life support since. According to a representative, the family chose to take him off this morning at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills.

Singleton was the first ever African American (and youngest person) to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director. He earned the nomination, along with a Best Screenplay nomination for his 1991 debut film Boyz N the Hood.

The film also represented breakout star roles for Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut and Ice Cube. The film which portrayed a realistic and powerful look at life in South Central LA also starred Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett.

After grossing $57.5 million at the box office, Singleton went on to direct Michael Jackson’s Remember the Time music video as well as films 1993’s Poetic Justice with Tupac and Janet Jackson, the 2000 Shaft reboot with Samuel L. Jackson and 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious starring Paul Walker and Tyrese Gibson.

Recently, the USC Film School alum had turned to TV, directing episodes of Empire, American Crime Story and Billions. Singleton also co-created Snowfall for FX in 2017. The show was recently renewed for a third season.

Singleton’s peers were quick to respond on Twitter and Instagram. Shaft star Sam Jackson said, “Mourning the loss of a collaborator & True Friend John Singleton. He blazed the trail for many young film makers, always remaining true to who he was & where he came from!!! RIP Brother. Gone Way Too Soon!”

Read the full statement from Singleton’s family, which was published in The Wrap, below:

“It is with heavy hearts we announce that our beloved son, father and friend, John Daniel Singleton passed away today due to complications from a stroke he suffered last Wednesday

This was an agonizing decision, one that our family made, over a number of days, with the careful counsel of John’s doctors.

John Singleton is a prolific, ground-breaking director who changed the game and opened doors in Hollywood, a world that was just a few miles away, yet worlds away, from the neighborhood in which he grew up.

John grew up in South Central L.A with a love of cinema that showed itself early on. He went on to become one of the most lauded graduates of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Within months of graduating, John returned to South Central to shoot his debut feature, Boyz N the Hood. The movie, which was unusually shot in sequence, masterfully captured a story of friendship, youth and the peril of hard choices in a community marred by gang violence. The film earned special honors at its debut at Cannes and Singleton went onto become the youngest director and first African-American writer-director nominated for the Academy Award. Two decades later, the film was placed in the Library of Congress, a marker of its cultural and historical significance.

John loved nothing more than giving opportunities to new talent and his films came to be known for career -making roles with actors who the industry would come to embrace; talents such as Tupac Shakur, Regina King, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Ice Cube, Tyrese and Taraji P. Henson.

Singleton’s work spanned genres and showcased his curiosity and creativity: the remake of Shaft, was a homage to his mentor, Gordon Parks. He also made historical films such as Rosewood and action films such as 2 Fast 2 Furious. Films like Baby Boy and Four Brothers were prescient in the questions they posed about men and the crisis in American masculinity. As streaming platforms created new opportunities in television, Singleton took his talents to shows such as Billions, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and Empire. Most recently, he co-created and executive produced the current FX hit drama series Snowfall, in which he engaged such writing talents as Walter Mosley.

John was such a supernova in his youth that we forget that he was only beginning to fully assert his gifts as a director. Kurosawa was 52 when he directed High Low. Hitchcock was 56 when he directed To Catch a Thief. As much as we will treasure his body of work, we were looking forward to the films John would have made in the years ahead.

In his private life, John is a loving and supporting father, son, brother, and friend who believed in higher education, black culture, old school music and the power of film.

John’s confidence in his place in Hollywood was only matched for his passion for the sea. John kayaked in Marina Del Rey every morning. His greatest joy, when not on set, was sailing his boat, J’s Dream, up and down the Pacific Coast. The American writer Willa Cather once said, “There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in the storm.” We who have grown up with John, made movies with him, sailed with John and laughed with John, know the universe of calm and creativity he created for so many. Now in the wake of his death, we must navigate the storm without him. It is, for us, heartbreaking.

Like many African Americans, Singleton quietly struggled with hypertension. More than 40% of African American men and women have high blood pressure, which also develops earlier in life and is usually more severe. His family wants to share the message with all to please recognize the symptoms by going to Heart.org

We are grateful to his fans, friends and colleagues for the outpour of love and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. We want to thank all the doctors at Cedars Sinai for the impeccable care he received.

John Daniel Singleton will be survived by his extraordinary mother, Sheila Ward, his father, Danny Singleton and his children Justice, Maasai, Hadar, Cleopatra, Selenesol, Isis, and Seven.

Details about memorial services will be provided at a later date.

Personally, I grew up in the suburbs of Philly and had never really been exposed to the black life Singleton portrayed in Boyz. However, the film hit me hard forcing me to realize that life was extremely hard for a whole other group of African Americans. I never tire of watching the film as it makes me realize how lucky I was growing up.

The film world will miss John Singleton. He was the definition of a trailblazer.

 
Contact Colin Costello at colin@reelchicago.com.

john-singleton-passes

Oscar-nominated director John Singleton, who helmed the ground-breaking “Boyz N the Hood” died on April 28 after suffering a massive stroke. He was 51.

Sad news from Los Angeles. Oscar-nominated director John Singleton, who helmed the ground-breaking Boyz N the Hood has died at 51.

The director suffered a massive stroke 13 days ago and had been on life support since. According to a representative, the family chose to take him off this morning at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Beverly Hills.

Singleton was the first ever African American (and youngest person) to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director. He earned the nomination, along with a Best Screenplay nomination for his 1991 debut film Boyz N the Hood.

The film also represented breakout star roles for Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut and Ice Cube. The film which portrayed a realistic and powerful look at life in South Central LA also starred Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett.

After grossing $57.5 million at the box office, Singleton went on to direct Michael Jackson’s Remember the Time music video as well as films 1993’s Poetic Justice with Tupac and Janet Jackson, the 2000 Shaft reboot with Samuel L. Jackson and 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious starring Paul Walker and Tyrese Gibson.

Recently, the USC Film School alum had turned to TV, directing episodes of Empire, American Crime Story and Billions. Singleton also co-created Snowfall for FX in 2017. The show was recently renewed for a third season.

Singleton’s peers were quick to respond on Twitter and Instagram. Shaft star Sam Jackson said, “Mourning the loss of a collaborator & True Friend John Singleton. He blazed the trail for many young film makers, always remaining true to who he was & where he came from!!! RIP Brother. Gone Way Too Soon!”

Read the full statement from Singleton’s family, which was published in The Wrap, below:

“It is with heavy hearts we announce that our beloved son, father and friend, John Daniel Singleton passed away today due to complications from a stroke he suffered last Wednesday

This was an agonizing decision, one that our family made, over a number of days, with the careful counsel of John’s doctors.

John Singleton is a prolific, ground-breaking director who changed the game and opened doors in Hollywood, a world that was just a few miles away, yet worlds away, from the neighborhood in which he grew up.

John grew up in South Central L.A with a love of cinema that showed itself early on. He went on to become one of the most lauded graduates of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Within months of graduating, John returned to South Central to shoot his debut feature, Boyz N the Hood. The movie, which was unusually shot in sequence, masterfully captured a story of friendship, youth and the peril of hard choices in a community marred by gang violence. The film earned special honors at its debut at Cannes and Singleton went onto become the youngest director and first African-American writer-director nominated for the Academy Award. Two decades later, the film was placed in the Library of Congress, a marker of its cultural and historical significance.

John loved nothing more than giving opportunities to new talent and his films came to be known for career -making roles with actors who the industry would come to embrace; talents such as Tupac Shakur, Regina King, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Ice Cube, Tyrese and Taraji P. Henson.

Singleton’s work spanned genres and showcased his curiosity and creativity: the remake of Shaft, was a homage to his mentor, Gordon Parks. He also made historical films such as Rosewood and action films such as 2 Fast 2 Furious. Films like Baby Boy and Four Brothers were prescient in the questions they posed about men and the crisis in American masculinity. As streaming platforms created new opportunities in television, Singleton took his talents to shows such as Billions, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and Empire. Most recently, he co-created and executive produced the current FX hit drama series Snowfall, in which he engaged such writing talents as Walter Mosley.

John was such a supernova in his youth that we forget that he was only beginning to fully assert his gifts as a director. Kurosawa was 52 when he directed High Low. Hitchcock was 56 when he directed To Catch a Thief. As much as we will treasure his body of work, we were looking forward to the films John would have made in the years ahead.

In his private life, John is a loving and supporting father, son, brother, and friend who believed in higher education, black culture, old school music and the power of film.

John’s confidence in his place in Hollywood was only matched for his passion for the sea. John kayaked in Marina Del Rey every morning. His greatest joy, when not on set, was sailing his boat, J’s Dream, up and down the Pacific Coast. The American writer Willa Cather once said, “There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in the storm.” We who have grown up with John, made movies with him, sailed with John and laughed with John, know the universe of calm and creativity he created for so many. Now in the wake of his death, we must navigate the storm without him. It is, for us, heartbreaking.

Like many African Americans, Singleton quietly struggled with hypertension. More than 40% of African American men and women have high blood pressure, which also develops earlier in life and is usually more severe. His family wants to share the message with all to please recognize the symptoms by going to Heart.org

We are grateful to his fans, friends and colleagues for the outpour of love and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. We want to thank all the doctors at Cedars Sinai for the impeccable care he received.

John Daniel Singleton will be survived by his extraordinary mother, Sheila Ward, his father, Danny Singleton and his children Justice, Maasai, Hadar, Cleopatra, Selenesol, Isis, and Seven.

Details about memorial services will be provided at a later date.

Personally, I grew up in the suburbs of Philly and had never really been exposed to the black life Singleton portrayed in Boyz. However, the film hit me hard forcing me to realize that life was extremely hard for a whole other group of African Americans. I never tire of watching the film as it makes me realize how lucky I was growing up.

The film world will miss John Singleton. He was the definition of a trailblazer.

 
Contact Colin Costello at colin@reelchicago.com.