 |
Felix Gary GrayAmerican film director, music video director, actor and film producer.
Date of Birth: 17.07.1969
Country:  USA |
Content:
- F. Gary Gray: An American Filmmaker
- Music Video Career
- Transition to Filmmaking
- Critical and Commercial Success
F. Gary Gray: An American Filmmaker
F. Gary Gray is an American film director, music video director, actor, and film producer. He was born in New York City, the nephew of actor Phil Lewis. He was raised in South Los Angeles and Highland Park, Illinois.
Music Video Career
Gary Gray has directed over 30 music videos for artists such as Ice Cube, Queen Latifah, TLC, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and Mary J. Blige. He has won several awards for his work in this field.
Transition to Filmmaking
Gray dropped out of college in Northern California to pursue filmmaking. He made his mark in the film industry with the surprise hit "Friday" (1995), starring his friend and rap artist Ice Cube. He followed this up with the bank heist film "Set It Off" (1996) and "The Negotiator" (1998), which, with a budget of $50 million, became the highest-grossing film by an African American director.
Critical and Commercial Success
Perhaps Gray's most well-known film is "The Italian Job" (2003), starring an ensemble cast including Academy Award winner Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, and Mark Wahlberg. The film grossed over $100 million in the United States alone, and Gray was recognized with the Best Director award at the American Black Film Festival in 2004.
That same year, Gray released the action/drama "A Man Apart," starring Vin Diesel. In 2005, he directed the crime comedy "Be Cool." His more recent film, "Law Abiding Citizen," starring Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler, was released on October 16, 2009.
