John Singleton

John Singleton Headshot

Director • Writer • Producer

Birth Name: John Daniel Singleton

Birth Date: January 6, 1968

Death Date: April 29, 2019

Birth Place: Los Angeles, California

One of the most relevant cinematic voices of his generation, John Singleton entered into the public consciousness with the release of his landmark urban drama "Boyz n the Hood" (1991) in 1991.

Born in Los Angeles, California in 1968, Singleton graduated from the University of Southern California's Filmic Writing program in 1990 and sold the script for the film to Columbia Pictures that same year.

Based largely on his own experiences growing up in South Central Los Angeles, "Boyz n the Hood" explored issues of race, class, and violence with an artistic finesse that caught both audiences and critics by surprise.

It garnered Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and for Best Director-the latter of which made history as Singleton, at 24, was the youngest person ever nominated in the category, as well as the first African-American.

Singleton would continue to deal with similar issues in his following film, "Poetic Justice" (1993), which starred Janet Jackson as a young woman who expresses her emotions regarding the injustices around her through striking poetry, which was provided for the film by Maya Angelou.

Confronting social questions would remain Singleton's focus in the collegiate-set "Higher Learning" (1995), as well as in the historical drama "Rosewood" (1997), which depicted the 1923 massacre of African-Americans in Rosewood, Florida.

Though he would lighten his tone slightly with his rollicking remake of the blaxploitation classic "Shaft" (2000), Singleton remained just as interested in exploring the black experience in film, even inverting many of the hyper-masculine stereotypes about urban men he himself had helped perpetuate in the thought-provoking "Baby Boy" (2001).

Throughout the 2000s, Singleton enjoyed using his position in Hollywood to elevate other voices, taking on a producer role on the films "Hustle & Flow" (2005) and "Black Snake Moan" (2006).

In 2017, he began producing, writing, and directing the acclaimed series "Snowfall" (FX, 2017-), a drama set during the height of the crack epidemic in Los Angeles-a subject Singleton had been peripherally dealing with in much of his work for decades.

Tragically, Singleton died in 2019 following a stroke. He was 51 years old.

Credits

Mosagallu

Executive Producer
Movie
2021

The MoviesStream

Self
Miniseries
2019

SnowfallStream

Creator
Series
2017
92%

SnowfallStream

Director
Series
2017
92%

SnowfallStream

Executive Producer
Series
2017
92%

L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later

Actor
Show
2017

Rebel: Extras

Director
Show
2017

RebelStream

Director
Series
2017
38%

RebelStream

Executive Producer
Series
2017
38%

The Talk -- Race in America

Actor
Show
2017

Drink Champs

Guest
Show
2016

Maya Angelou and Still I Rise

Self
Movie
2016

The Daily Show with Trevor NoahStream

Guest
Talk
2015

Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter

Guest
Show
2015

Fast And Furious Episodic Collection

Director
Show
2015

Hollywood Today Live

Guest
Show
2014

Late Night With Seth MeyersStream

Guest
Talk
2014

Real Husbands of Hollywood: Extras

Actor
Show
2013

The Real

Guest
Talk
2013

Marion Jones

Director
Show
2012

Marion Jones

Guest Star
Himself
Show
2012

On Story

Guest
Show
2011

Abduction

Director
Movie
2011

George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight

Guest
Show
2010

Access Hollywood Live

Guest
Show
2010

Michael Jackson: Remember The Time

Director
Show
2010

30 for 30Stream

Director
Series
2009

The Wendy Williams Show

Guest
Talk
2008

Black Snake MoanStream

Producer
Movie
2007
66%

Illegal Tender

Producer
Movie
2007

The GameStream

Guest Star
Series
2006

Made in Hollywood

Guest
Series
2005

Four BrothersStream

Director
Movie
2005
53%

Hustle & FlowStream

Producer
Movie
2005
82%

2 Fast 2 FuriousStream

Director
Movie
2003
37%

Baadasssss!

Actor
Detroit J
Movie
2003

Baby BoyStream

Director
Movie
2001
71%

Baby BoyStream

Producer
Movie
2001
71%

Baby BoyStream

Writer
Movie
2001
71%

ShaftStream

Director
Movie
2000
67%

ShaftStream

Producer
Movie
2000
67%

ShaftStream

Screenwriter
Movie
2000
67%

ShaftStream

Writer (Story)
Movie
2000
67%

WooStream

Executive Producer
Movie
1998
10%

Rosewood

Director
Movie
1997

Higher LearningStream

Director
Movie
1995
46%

Higher LearningStream

Producer
Movie
1995
46%

Higher LearningStream

Writer
Movie
1995
46%

Poetic JusticeStream

Director
Movie
1993
34%

Poetic JusticeStream

Producer
Movie
1993
34%

Poetic JusticeStream

Writer (Screenplay)
Movie
1993
34%

Boyz n the HoodStream

Director
Movie
1991
96%

Boyz n the HoodStream

Screenwriter
Movie
1991
96%

News aboutJohn Singleton