Notable reaction to the death of “Boyz N the Hood” filmmaker John Singleton:
“With His Passion, His Heart, The Way He Talked About His Love For Cinema And Black Folks I Could See John Would Make It Happen. And He Did. From Day One.” — Spike Lee, via Instagram.
“So sad to hear about John. I met him way before he did ‘Boys in the Hood.’ He had more drive then anybody I’ve ever met.” — Chris Rock, via Instagram.
“Thank you for all that you gave to the world the movies the messages the opportunities to so many people like myself to grace the big screen in a major role with major black actors you were and will allways be black excellence love you for life and beyond.” — Snoop Dogg, via Instagram.
“Rest In Power, my friend. One of the greatest to ever do it. Thank you GOD for blessing us with this gift better known as John Singleton.” — “Boyz N the Hood” actor Regina King, via Instagram.
“Mourning the loss of a collaborator & True Friend John Singleton. He blazed the trail for many young film makers, always remaining true to who he was & where he came from!!! RIP Brother. Gone Way Too Soon! — “Shaft” actor Samuel L. Jackson, via Twitter.
“RIP John Singleton. So sad to hear. John was a brave artist and a true inspiration. His vision changed everything.” — Jordan Peele via Twitter.
“John is admired for putting a lot of people of color to work throughout his career. Our prayers are with his children and family members. He will be sorely missed.” — Magic Johnson, via Twitter.
“The magnitude and world-wide impact that his ground-breaking film would have for society cannot be measured. Helping to bring awareness of what it takes to come to maturity as a black male in the ‘Hood, or die trying…” — “Boyz N the Hood” actor Morris Chestnut, via Instagram.
“Over the course of his illustrious career, John remained steadfast in telling stories that illuminate the daily challenges faced by African Americans, particularly those living in the inner city.” — John Landgraf, chairman of FX Networks and FX Productions, in a statement.
“John didn’t just make his feature film debut in 1991 with Boyz n the Hood, he exploded into Hollywood, our culture and our consciousness with such a powerful cinematic depiction of life in the inner city.” — Directors Guild of America President Thomas Schlamme, in a statement.
“Cruel. Not what I want to say right now. But certainly how I feel. Cruel. Just… so cruel.” — Barry Jenkins, via Twitter.
“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. #RunIntoHisArms” — Ava DuVernay, via Twitter.
“This one cuts deep. You’ll never be forgotten. Cause your work will live on.” — Writer-producer Lena Waithe, via Twitter.