F. Gary Gray, director of Friday and The Italian Job now takes on the legend and lore of N.W.A. in the new film Straight Outta Compton. He recently swung by The Sprite Corner to talk about the film and his path as a filmmaker—both how he got here, and where he sees himself going.
That path has not always been easy for Gray, who embodies the old adage that to break into show business you need to beg, borrow, and steal (though he skipped the stealing part). But Gray never let the adversity he faced squeeze the joy out of his journey. "No matter where you came from,” he says, “you can be inspired." Judging by his body of work that inspiration has definitely paid off.
In the end, his advice to young filmmakers is simple: “Stay in your lane…but don't force yourself into someone else's vision.” In other words: to thine own self be true.
To hear more from F. Gary Gray and N.W.A. fans on Straight Outta Compton, click on the video above.
