Oscar-nominated writer/director told a Los Angeles Film Festival audience that more African American filmmakers and actors need to take more risks.
“Don’t afraid to be black,” writer/director John Singleton told an audience at the Los Angeles Film Festival on Saturday.
The Oscar-nominated filmmaker received nominations for his work on Boyz N the Hood spoke openly about Hollywood and what African American actors and filmmakers should do to succeed.
“Don’t try to be something else.” “Everyone’s gonna copy our shit anyway. I made the blackest Fast and Furious, I made Paul Walker say ‘Cuz‘ in the movie. I elevated it. You can’t front that [black films] don’t make money. I haven’t lost anybody money. People said, ‘Twelve Years a Slave, I don’t want to feel bad, oh, that’s a hard sell — $178 million, so what the f— is commercial, you know?”
Singleton even called out black actors who are too scared to take risks or play violent roles. “They tuck their balls up under their ass to be accepted, you know what I mean?”
“A lot of people were afraid to take that Jamie Foxx part inDjango Unchained, but it’s Quentin’s most profitable movie, $425 million. It has negritude in it.”
Singleton even pointed out that Ice Cube could have had a more succesful acting career, if he decided to take more chances. “Ice Cube didn’t want to play a romantic role in Poetic Justice,” said Singleton. “When I said, ‘Tupac, do you wanna be in a movie with Janet Jackson?’ he said, ‘N—-r, what?'”
John Singleton went on to describe his new TV series on Showtime, Snowfall. “I think they’re gonna take it. It’s set in 1981, before cocaine hit L.A. It’s in the hood, but it’s also in the Valley and East L.A. It’s about a courier for the cartel and a CIA guy who gets the government in the cocaine business. It’s got negritude, but it’s also La Raza, and there’s a Fast Times at Ridgemont Highelement in the Valley. I’m not just in a black bubble, I can tell different stories.”
Singleton even gave advice on how to approach producers and pitch your productions. “Somewhere in the pitch, say, ‘It’s not gonna cost that much.'”
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