Hollywood mourns John Singleton’s death

Los Angeles (IANS) – “Boyz n the Hood” director John Singleton’s death at 51 has left Hollywood mourning the loss of a director who was kind, trailblazing and brave.

Singleton suffered a stroke earlier this month, and went into coma. He died here on Monday night, reported CNN.

At 24, Singleton had become the youngest director nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, which also made him the first African American to have ever been nominated for that award.

The versatile director who made a splash with “Boyz n the Hood” and went on to do a variety of projects including “2 Fast 2 Furious”.

Film bodies and Singleton’s friends and colleagues took to social media to pay him a heartfelt tribute. Here’s what they wrote:

The Academy: The youngest-ever Best Director nominee and an inspiration to us all. John Singleton, you will be greatly missed.

Samuel L. Jackson: Mourning the loss of a collaborator and true friend John Singleton. He blazed the trail for many young filmmakers, always remaining true to who he was and where he came from! RIP Brother. Gone way too soon.

John Carpenter: John Singleton was a talented director and a kind man. He died too young. He will be missed.

Ron Howard: Sad sad news. Such a good director and so well regarded everywhere he went. We will miss his work and his storytelling voice. RIP John Singleton.

Ava DuVernay: There aren’t many of us out here doing this. It’s a small tribe in the grand scheme of things. He was a giant among us. Kind. Committed. And immensely talented. His films broke ground. His films mattered. He will be missed. And long remembered. Thank you, John.

Jordan Peele: RIP John Singleton. So sad to hear. John was a brave artist and a true inspiration. His vision changed everything.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP): John Singleton was a great director and storyteller who was never afraid to show African Americans in complex, multidimensional roles. We hope that his legacy will inspire a new generation of filmmakers to turn a positive and progressive lens toward minorities in this country.

Neil deGrasse Tyson: Stars in the universe that burn the brightest, live shorter lives than others. And with their high-energy light, they transform all that basks in their luminosity. Farewell John Singleton (1968-2019).

–IANS
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