F. Gary Gray
Director, Film Producer, and Actor; Best Known for Directing "Straight Outta Compton" & "The Italian Job"
F. Gary Gray is recognized as one of the industry’s most prolific and versatile directors.
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Full Bio
Known for consistently pushing the envelope, spotting new trends and talent, and delivering innovative and exciting entertainment to a diverse audience, F. Gary Gray is recognized as one of the industry’s most prolific and versatile directors.
Gray is a director, film producer, music video director, and actor. He began his career as a director on numerous critically acclaimed and award-winning music videos, including “It Was a Good Day” by Ice Cube, “Natural Born Killaz” by Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, and “Waterfalls” by TLC.
Gray directed and produced the critically acclaimed biopic Straight Outta Compton, which follows the birth of the gangsta rap group NWA. The film was produced by Gray (PGA), Dr. Dre and Ice Cube and was released on August 14th, 2015 by Universal Pictures.
Gray’s other films include Law Abiding Citizen (Overture Films), starring Gerard Butler and Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx; Be Cool (MGM) based on Elmore Leonard’s best-selling novel starring Academy Award nominees John Travolta and Uma Thurman; The Italian Job (Paramount), a visually arresting thriller with an all-star cast, including Academy Award winner Charlize Theron and Academy Award nominee Mark Wahlberg; A Man Apart (New Line) starring Vin Diesel; The Negotiator (Warner Bros.) starring Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey and Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson; award-winning heist picture Set It Off (New Line) with Jada Pinkett Smith and Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Queen Latifah; and Friday (New Line), which launched the extremely popular Friday film franchise starring rapper-producer Ice Cube and Chris Tucker.
Gray is also a leading member of his community and has been an active supporter of numerous organizations which include the Tom Bradley Youth & Family Center, My Friend’s House Foundation, and Urban Compass, among others. He has received multiple commendations from the city of Los Angeles for his Philanthropic work. Gray is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
In 2017, he directed The Fate of the Furious, the eighth installment in “The Fast and the Furious” series. The film had the second-biggest worldwide film opening since 2002 with a $541,937,239 gross and is the 18th-highest-grossing film of all time.
Gray directed the 2019 film Men in Black: International, the sequel to the popular Men in Black movies. The film starred Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson and Liam Neeson, and was released on June 14, 2019.
Testimonials
Ernie was perfect for our Elders Conference at Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, Michigan. We will definitely be using PDA again!
LITTLE RIVER BAND OF OTTAWA INDIANS
Our speaker was great and the crowd enjoyed her! She was very engaging. Thank you again PDA for the great list of suggestions!
MEDTRONIC
Everything went great! and our speaker was wonderful! Thank you so much for all your help PDA! Looking forward to the next one.
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI – KANSAS CITY
I hope that this message finds you well. We had a phenomenal time with Atsuko this past Thursday. We wanted to just let you know how amazing she was. All those that were in attendance thoroughly enjoyed her and had nothing but amazing things to say about her. Thank you for working with us to make sure this happened!
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
We had a fantastic day with Inge! She was very engaging with all those that attended. Her personal stories about the holocaust were very special and we were moved that she was willing to share them with everyone. Thank you again, PDA for all your hard work and dedication to make this program such a success!
SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Dear PDA Group, Thank you so much for your hard work in scheduling our speaker! From the moment we reached out to you the first time, you worked with us on all details and logistics and kept us up-to-date on the progress. Thank you for all your hard work on making our event such a success! We couldn't have done it without you and your team!
SAP COMPANY
Thank you again, Dr. Kimbrough, for a great presentation, our attendees are still talking about it!
CAMPUS LABS
Dr. Henry Lee's presentation was entertaining, insightful and wise. I, and everyone at Pfizer, especially appreciate the remarks you directed about following your passion and preparing yourself to excel. Thank you, everyone, at PDA for helping to make this happen!
PFIZER
The event was successful! I received many messages expressing how awesome, outstanding and inspiring Ms. Webb-Christburg's speech was."
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL BREAKFAST, BOSTON, MLK SPEAKER
Everything went well. Atsuko was very easy to work with and the students enjoyed her performance! Thank you again for your recommendation and I hope to work with you again in the future!
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Dr. Novello left this morning after a very successful event on our campus! Thank you PDA Group for your help from the first phone to the last you were with us every step of the way.
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
Jordan Carlos was very very entertaining! A majority of students who answered the event survey indicated they really enjoyed Jordan and definitely will bring him back!
WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
On behalf of myself and my organization Entertainment Unlimited the Campus Programming Board of Ferris State University, we thank you PDA and Dan for a successful event!! Dan was magnificent! Students really enjoyed the presentation. I know I did. Can't wait to bring in more programs with PDA Group.
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
It was a great pleasure to work with PDA Group! The communication was always prompt, friendly and helpful. We loved the speakers and events we booked through Mr. Peter Walker (PDA Group).
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Thank you, Peter, for all your help, you'll be happy to know that the event went incredibly well! Aneesa Ferreira was by far one of the best speakers we've ever had!
FURMAN UNIVERSITY
Topics
An Evening with F. Gary Gray
Videos
Summer Talks | Ryan Coogler, "Fruitvale Station"
F. Gary Gray Exclusive THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS Interview (JoBlo.com) 2017
Books
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Testimonials
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