How am I going to have some punch in of voice?'
I rolled down to my neighborhood where I grew up, and it just came to me.
People were looking at me like I was crazy.
Credit: Everett Collection
I wassoobsessed with what I was writing.
The pair found a producer in frequent Rob Reiner collaborator Steve Nicolaides.
I read it in one sitting.
He said, Because you worked on my favorite movie, [Rob Reiners]Stand by Me.
LAURENCE FISHBURNE [Furious]:When I read the last three pages, I was in tears.
It was a story about the African-American community in South Central L.A. by one of its sons.
NIA LONG [Brandi]:My story is very close to Brandis story.
At the time I wondered, Why are they making a movie about this?
This is just my life.
But for most people, it wasnt.
People who had no concept of how black people live were enlightened.
We all had never seen a movie like that, wed never seen a TV show like that.
He also strove to hire an all-black crew and shot on location.
So I said, Well, thats it, thats done.
Hes gonna play Tre, and the chocolate one is going to be Ricky.
Im hungry, Im going to lunch.
[Laughs]
NICOLAIDES:Laurence Fishburne was the Yoda to all this young cast.
He gave lessons and gave support.
Laurence pulled me aside after I did it one time.
We were rehearsing the scene after Cubas been terrorized by the black cop.
I was like, Woooow.
It became a character and experience I could craft from real people I came into contact with.
I felt no other actor could bring what I could to the role.
STANLEY CLARKE [composer]:Ice Cube was so young.
And he did it.
NICOLAIDES:John went, F!
I wrote this forhim!
GOODING:I remember how nervous Ice Cube was about the emotional weight of that final scene.
He didnt want to disappoint anyone with his inability to cry.
My only advice was to just say the words and the emotion will take care of itself.
Less than a year later I got a call to meet this guy at his office.
SINGLETON:It wasnt a leisurely film schedule; we were supposed to do it in 38 days.
[Laughs]
NICOLAIDES:We had to go fast.
On the first day of shooting, during the first take, John said, Cut!
Then we moved on to another, and he said again, Cut!
I had to go up to him and say, You know, youcando more than one take.
[Laughs] I mean, he was very good to me.
I was just green.
NICOLAIDES:Boyz N the Hoodwasnt just showing another dead boy in an alley.
Ricky was someone who had a life, a backstory.
The movie was very small and very cheap to make, but it packed an insane wallop emotionally.
Dont you know what this is sayin?
CHESTNUT:When Im walking down the street, the thing I hear the most is Ricky!
I dont mind it, because people are still touched.
After all these years, its still extremely relevant.
And I said, You dont get it?
The whole movie was an homage toyourmovie!
[Laughs] Rob was like, Oh my God.
Thats just a humanistic, universal truth.
The film continues to be celebrated as an honest portrait of black urban life.
SINGLETON:The Oscars made me work even harder.
Sidney Poitier told me something very important when I was getting started.
At my age now, Im more pragmatic about that.
FISHBURNE:I was surprised by the nominations.
It was a movie with black people in it!
That s doesnt happen!
That s just happened again withMoonlight.
Itd be nice if that were the norm if the playing field was always level for everybody.
