Boyz N the Hoodmarked John Singleton’s feature film directorial debut. It features an all-star ensemble cast, including Angela Bassett, Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Regina King, and Nia Long. The film examines the upbringing and family lives of three friends in South Central Los Angeles as they come of age. Tre Styles, who was raised with the presence and support of his father Furious, comes up as a responsible young man on his way to university. Meanwhile, his friends with less stable home lives find themselves riddled with tragedy as they are sucked into the neighborhood’s pervasive gang and drug culture.
The film was considered ground-breaking as it explored hard-hitting themes that affected the Black community, including poverty, trauma, systemic oppression, and violence. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director, makingJon Singleton the youngest filmmaker at the time, at age 24, to compete for the honor. Over30 years later,Boyz N the Hoodremains one of the most culturally impactful films of its time. Here’s where the cast is today.
Angela Bassett
Boyz N the HoodmarkedAngela Bassett’s first feature film role as Reva Styles. It was after she was featured in the groundbreaking film that her career began skyrocketing. After playing Styles, Bassett starred inWhat’s Love Got to Do With It, playing a young Tina Turner. The role would earn her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Afterward, she starred in other blockbuster movies such asWaiting to Exhale,Strange Days,Contact, andHow Stella Got her Groove Back. More recently the powerhouse actress has had roles on the popular TV series,Bojack Horseman,American Horror Story, and911.
Bassett also joined the MCU with the role of Ramonda in theBlack PantherFilms. Her upcoming projects include a voice role in the animatedWildwoodandDamselopposite Millie Bobby Brown. Bassett found herself in the center of controversy at the 2023 Oscars, losing the Oscar to Jamie Lee Curtis, which has been deemed one of thebiggest Oscar snubsof all time.
Related:Why Boyz N the Hood is an Important Movie For Black Cinema
Besides continuing with his already burgeoning rap career,Ice Cubewent on to write and star in the buddy comedyFriday. The popularity of the film beckoned two sequels. In addition to theFridayfranchise, Ice Cube was also a major player in both theBarbershopfranchise,21 Jump Streetfranchise, andRide Alongfranchise. He also starred inFist FightandThe High Note.
Ice Cube currently has a multitude of projects in development, includingRide Along 3andWar of the Worlds. He recently shared with Mike Tyson’sHotboxinpodcast that he is still hopeful he will be able tomakeLast Friday, the fourth installment of the Friday franchise, but that there were some disputes with the studio over the rights.
Morris Chestnut
AfterBoyz N the Hood,Morris Chestnut’s best-known film roles are as Lance inThe Best Manfranchise films and as Detective Marcus Williams inKick-Ass 2. He has also had numerous TV roles includingRosewood,Legends,Our Kind of People,Nurse Jackie,Goliath, The Resident,andThe Best Man: The Final Chaptersto name a few. More recently, he starred in the psychological thrillerWhen The Bough Breaks.
Cuba Gooding Jr.
After starring as Tre Styles inBoyz N the Hood,Cuba Gooding Jr.hit a career-high point with roles in successful movies such asA Few Good Men,Judgement Night,Jerry Maguire,Outbreak, andAs Good as it Gets. He also took home a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Rod Tidwell inJerry Maguire. More recently, he has starred inAmerican Crime Story: The People Versus O.J. Simpson, andAmerican Horror Story: Roanoke.The actor ran into some personal problems recently when scores of women came out publicly accusing the actor of sexual misconduct (viaNY Times).
Related:Best John Singleton Movies, Ranked
Laurence Fishburne
Since his time as Furious Styles inBoyz N the Hood,Laurence Fishburnereunited with co-star Angela Bassett in the Tina Turner biopicWhat’s Love got to Do With It.He also starred inHigher Learning, and as Morpheus in theMatrixfranchise. More recently, he has starred inJohn Wick 4, the Netflix originalThe School for Good and Evil, and joined the MCU inAntman and the Wasp. His TV roles includeBlackish,CSI, #FreeRayShawn,andMacGruber. Fishburne is set to star in the Francis Ford Coppola dramaMegalopolisand the T.V. movie about a real-life UFO sighting in the U.K.,Rendlesham.
Regina King
Since her time playing Shalika inBoyz N the Hood,Regina Kingjoined many of her former co-stars in movies such asHigher Learning, Jerry Maguire, Friday,andHow Stella Got Her Groove Back. King also had starring roles in several popular television series including24,American Crime,Southland,The Boondocks,The Leftovers, andThe Big Bang Theory.
More recently, she has starred in the Academy Award-winning filmIf Beale Street Could Talk, andThe Harder They Fall. She is next set to star in the upcoming biopicShirley, which is about Shirley Chisholm, America’s first Black congresswoman. Aside from acting, King has also made a name for herself asan accomplished director, directing episodes ofScandal,This is Us,Shameless,andThe Good Doctor, before moving on to her feature film debutOne Night In Miami.
Nia Longwould go on to star in several television series and movies after her time onBoyz N the Hoodcame to an end, includingFriday,In Too Deep,Stigmata,The Best Man,Keanu,Third Watch,Empire,NCIS: Los AngelesandDear White People. More recently, she starred opposite Eddie Murphy and Jonah Hill in the Netflix original movieYou People, and the thrillerMissing.
