John Singleton

In his three-hour-and-fifteen-minute interview, John Singleton (1968-2019) shares stories of growing up in Los Angeles, and his early interest in film. He talks about when he knew he wanted to be a filmmaker (around age nine) and his experience attending USC Film School, where he wrote his breakout film Boyz N the Hood. For Boyz N the Hood, he describes the process of writing, selling, and casting the film, tells stories of shooting in his old neighborhood, and explains how he was able to direct the movie (despite never having directed before). Singleton shares his inspiration, research, and stories from the set for his films Poetic Justice, Higher Learning, Rosewood, and Baby Boy. He also talks about his forays into television, starting with an internship on The Arsenio Hall Show and an early job on Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, and then-more recent efforts directing episodes of Empire and American Crime: The People v. O.J. Simpson, as well as his then-upcoming series, Snowfall. He shares his feelings about his Emmy and Academy Award nominations, reflects on hip hop culture’s impact on his work, and concludes by sharing his greatest career achievement and best lessons he’s learned along the way. Jacqueline Stewart conducted the interview in a joint venture with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on September 24, 2016 in New York, NY.