John Singleton was the first African American and youngest ever Oscar nominee for Best Director for his 1991 debut film
John Singleton, the Oscar-nominated director of “Boyz N the Hood,” the 2000 remake of “Shaft” and “2 Fast 2 Furious,” has died. He was 51.
Singleton suffered a stroke 13 days ago. He passed away on Monday after a decision was made to remove him from life support. A statement from his rep says the director “passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends.”
Singleton was the first ever African American and the youngest person to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, which he earned for his 1991 debut film “Boyz N the Hood.” Singleton’s stark and intimate portrait of life on the streets in the Crenshaw neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles helped make movie stars out of Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, Ice Cube and Angela Bassett. The story also netted Singleton an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
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The film was a commercial success, grossing $57.5 million at the box office and falling just outside the top 20 grossing movies of 1991.
