Michael Ealy Talks John Singleton’s Life and Legacy: “He Had A Voice. He Had an Original Voice”

On Monday, legendary film director John Singleton passed away, after succumbing to complications of a stroke. But, in the wake of his untimely death, several celebrities have opened up and expressed their appreciation for the legendary director and his iconic impact in Hollywood. 

On Tuesday, actor Michael Ealy followed suit, revealing his own special memories of Singleton, who gave Ealy a good break into the industry with his film, “2 Fast 2 Furious.” 

“To me he was the first filmmaker to kinda show what L.A. was like during that time,” Ealy said. “As somebody who grew up on the East Coast, that was my first exposure to L.A. culture. For sure. I’ll never forget it, just like Spike was my first exposure to New York culture. So I hold John in a very dear place.” 

But when it comes to Singleton’s craft, Ealy said the legend was simply one of one. 

“He was a trained filmmaker,” Ealy continued. “And he had a voice. He had an original voice because no filmmaker had come out of Los Angeles at that point with the same point of view that he had. Growing up where he grew up, he saw the disenfranchised people that wanted a better life and he put that perspective out there.” 

“John did a lot, I’m really gonna miss him,” he concluded.