John Singleton, the writer, director and producer behind such influential films as Boyz N The Hood, Higher Learning and Poetic Justice, has died. He was 51.
Born in Los Angeles in 1968, Singleton originally had an idea to work in computer science, but enrolled in the University of Southern California's Film Writing Program, a choice that would shape the rest of his life and helped launch a successful career in film. Within months of his graduation, Singleton returned to the South Central LA of his youth to make Boyz N The Hood, which launched at Cannes and saw Singleton become the youngest – and the first –African-American filmmaker nominated for Academy Awards in both writing and direction.
Singleton’s work spanned genres and showcased his curiosity and creativity, while also encouraging collaboration and productivity in others: 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. Dramas like Baby Boy and Four Brothers were prescient in the questions they posed about men and the crisis in American masculinity. As a producer, he worked on supporting the likes of Hustle & Flow.
As streaming platforms created new opportunities in television, Singleton took his talents to shows such as Billions, The People V. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story and Empire. Most recently, he co-created and executive produced the current hit drama series Snowfall.
After suffering a stroke on 17 April, Singleton had been in a coma on life support, and his family made the heart-wrenching decision to switch off the machines on Monday. "We want to thank the amazing doctors at Cedars-Sinai Hospital for their expert care and kindness and we again want thank all of John’s fans, friends and colleagues for all of the love and support they showed him during this difficult time,” the family said in a statement. He's survived by his mother, Sheila Ward, his father, Danny Singleton and his children Justice, Maasai, Hadar, Cleopatra, Selenesol, Isis, and Seven.
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