F. Gary Gray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
F. Gary Gray
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Gray at San Diego Comic-Con in 2015
|
|
| Born |
Felix Gary Gray
July 17, 1969 New York City, U.S.
|
| Other names | Gary Gray |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1988–present |
Felix Gary Gray (born July 17, 1969) is an American director and producer. He is known for directing many popular movies and music videos.
Gray started his career directing music videos. Some famous ones include "It Was a Good Day" by Ice Cube and "Waterfalls" by TLC. He also directed "Ms. Jackson" by Outkast.
His first movie was the comedy Friday (1995). Since then, he has directed many other films. These include Set It Off (1996), The Italian Job (2003), and Straight Outta Compton (2015). He also directed The Fate of the Furious (2017). This movie is part of the Fast & Furious series and is one of the highest-grossing films ever.
Career as a Director
F. Gary Gray started working in the film industry right after high school. He began as a camera operator for TV shows. His first chance to direct came with music videos. He directed a video for the hip-hop group WC and the Maad Circle.
In 1993, he directed the music video for Ice Cube's song "It Was a Good Day". He continued to direct videos for artists like Ice Cube, Cypress Hill, Outkast, and Queen Latifah.
When he was 26, Gray directed his first movie, Friday. It was a comedy starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker. After that, he directed Set It Off, which starred Jada Pinkett and Queen Latifah. He then directed The Negotiator, a movie with Kevin Spacey and Samuel L. Jackson. This film earned him awards for Best Film and Best Director.
Gray directed The Italian Job in 2003. This action-thriller starred Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg. He won the Best Director award for this film. The movie also made over $100 million at the box office. His next film was A Man Apart, starring Vin Diesel. He later directed Be Cool, which made over $95 million worldwide.
He then directed the thriller Law Abiding Citizen. This movie starred Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. It also made over $100 million around the world. Gray has received several awards for his work. He was named one of the "50 Best and Brightest African Americans Under 40" by Black Enterprise magazine.
In 2015, Gray directed Straight Outta Compton. This movie was about the rap group N.W.A. In 2017, he directed The Fate of the Furious. This was the eighth film in the Fast & Furious series. Both films set records for African-American directors. The Fate of the Furious was the first film directed by an African-American to earn over $1 billion worldwide.
Gray received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May 2019. The next month, his film Men in Black: International was released.
In 2019, it was announced that Gray would direct a movie based on the video game Saints Row. In 2021, he was set to direct the heist film Lift for Netflix, starring Kevin Hart.
Filmography
Films Directed
| Year | Title | Director | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Friday | Yes | No |
| 1996 | Set It Off | Yes | Executive |
| 1998 | The Negotiator | Yes | No |
| 2003 | A Man Apart | Yes | Executive |
| The Italian Job | Yes | No | |
| 2005 | Be Cool | Yes | Executive |
| 2009 | Law Abiding Citizen | Yes | No |
| 2015 | The Sea of Trees | No | Yes |
| Straight Outta Compton | Yes | Yes | |
| 2017 | The Fate of the Furious | Yes | No |
| 2019 | Men in Black: International | Yes | No |
| 2024 | Lift | Yes | Executive |
Selected Music Videos Directed
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "It Was a Good Day" | Ice Cube |
| 1993 | "Call Me a Mack" | Usher |
| 1993 | "Fantastic Voyage" | Coolio |
| 1994 | "Natural Born Killaz" | Dr. Dre Ice Cube |
| 1994 | "Black Hand Side" | Queen Latifah |
| 1995 | "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" | Dr. Dre |
| 1995 | "Waterfalls" | TLC |
| 1999 | "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" | R. Kelly |
| 2000 | "Ms. Jackson" | OutKast |
| 2006 | "Show Me What You Got" | Jay-Z |
See also
In Spanish: F. Gary Gray para niños
