John Singleton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Singleton
Singleton in 2013
Born	John Daniel Singleton (1968-01-06)January 6, 1968 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	April 28, 2019(2019-04-28) (aged 51) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, California, U.S.
Occupation	Director screenwriter producer
Years active	1986–2019
Spouse(s)	Akosua Busia ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 1997)​
Children	7

John Daniel Singleton (born January 6, 1968 – died April 28, 2019) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He became famous for writing and directing his first movie, Boyz n the Hood (1991).

At just 24 years old, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director. This made him the first African American and the youngest person ever to get that nomination.

John Singleton also directed other popular films like Poetic Justice (1993), Shaft (2000), and 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003). He also helped create the TV show Snowfall. His movies often showed the lives of African Americans in cities. He was known for casting famous musicians like Ice Cube and Janet Jackson in his films.

Early Life and Education

John Singleton was born in Los Angeles, California, on January 6, 1968. His mother, Shelia Ward-Johnson, worked in sales for a medicine company. His father, Danny Singleton, was a real estate agent.

John went to several schools, including Eisenhower High School and Blair High School. He later studied at Pasadena City College. He then went to the USC School of Cinematic Arts and graduated from the USC in 1990. He first thought about studying computer science, but he chose to study film writing instead. This program helped students learn how to write and direct movies for Hollywood.

Film Career

1990s: First Films and Big Success

Singleton in 2000

In 1991, John Singleton released his first movie, Boyz n the Hood. It was a drama about three friends growing up in South Central Los Angeles. The film starred actors like Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, and Angela Bassett.

The movie was a huge success with both critics and audiences. It was even shown at the famous Cannes Film Festival. For this film, Singleton was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Original Screenplay and Best Director. He was the youngest person and the first African American to be nominated for Best Director. In 2002, the U.S. Library of Congress chose Boyz n the Hood to be saved in the National Film Registry because it was so important.

In 1992, after his first big hit, Singleton directed the music video for Michael Jackson's song "Remember the Time". This video was very popular and featured stars like Eddie Murphy and Iman.

In 1993, Singleton wrote and directed his second movie, Poetic Justice. It was a romantic drama starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur. Janet Jackson played Justice, a young woman who uses poetry to cope with losing her boyfriend. The film became a cult favorite, especially for the chemistry between Jackson and Shakur.

His next film was Higher Learning (1995), a drama about racial tension on a college campus. In 1997, he directed Rosewood, a historical drama about a real-life event called the 1923 Rosewood massacre. This film received good reviews.

2000s: More Popular Movies

In 2000, Singleton helped write, produce, and direct Shaft. This movie was a new version of the classic 1971 film. It starred Samuel L. Jackson as the new John Shaft. The film was a success at the box office.

In 2001, ten years after Boyz n the Hood, Singleton wrote, produced, and directed Baby Boy. This movie was about a young man named Jody (played by Tyrese Gibson) who is learning to grow up. Many people thought this film was one of Singleton's best.

Singleton then directed 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), which was the second movie in the popular Fast and Furious series. This film made over $236 million worldwide, making it his highest-grossing movie at the time.

In 2005, Singleton helped produce the movie Hustle and Flow. This film won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. That same year, he directed Four Brothers, an action film starring Mark Wahlberg and Tyrese Gibson.

In 2003, John Singleton received a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Later Years and Television Work

After directing the action film Abduction in 2011, Singleton spent his final years working more on television.

He directed episodes for popular TV shows like Empire and American Crime Story. In 2017, he was an executive producer and director for the crime drama series Rebel.

Also in 2017, Snowfall premiered. Singleton co-created and executive produced this crime drama series for FX. He also directed some episodes and helped write the first two. This was one of the last big projects he worked on before he passed away in 2019.

Influences and Themes

Influences

John Singleton said that the original Star Wars movie was a big influence on him. He also found inspiration in the works of filmmaker Steven Spielberg and writer August Wilson. Singleton was also influenced by his friend and fellow filmmaker Spike Lee. They met in 1986, just before Singleton started film school.

Themes

Singleton's films are praised for showing real stories about the black experience in America. His movies often have a hip-hop style and energy. He explored themes like black masculinity, violence, racism, and other important social issues in his work.

Legacy

John Singleton made history as the first African American nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director in 1992. His success opened doors for many other African-American filmmakers. Directors like Jordan Peele, Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay, and Barry Jenkins have followed his path and also received Academy Awards for their work.

Personal Life

John Singleton was a father to seven children. His first daughter, Justice Maya Singleton, was born in 1992. She was named after the main character in his movie Poetic Justice and the poet Maya Angelou.

He had a son named Maasai Singleton and a daughter named Cleopatra Singleton with Vestria Barlow. In 1996, Singleton married Ghanaian actress Akosua Busia. They had a daughter named Hadar Busia-Singleton. Singleton and Busia divorced in 1997. He also had another daughter with Mitzi Andrews and a son named Seven with Rayvon Jones.

Death

On April 17, 2019, John Singleton had a stroke. He was taken to intensive care. On April 28, he was removed from life support and passed away at the age of 51.

Many actors and musicians shared their sadness and paid tribute to him. Ice Cube, who worked with Singleton, said he was sad to lose his "brother, friend & mentor." Cuba Gooding Jr., who got his first major role in Boyz n the Hood, sang a song to honor his friend.

A private funeral was held on May 6, 2019, in Los Angeles. John Singleton was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills. The cause of his death was an acute ischemic stroke and high blood pressure.

Filmography

Film

Acting roles

Other credits

Television

Acting roles

Other credits

Music video

• Remember the Time for Michael Jackson (1992)

Images for kids

• 

  A robot for kids

See Also

• List of youngest Academy Award nominees