Congratulations to NAACP Image Award-winning filmmaker F. Gary Gray, who has just been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Gray began his career in the 1990s directing music videos including Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day,” and he earned Grammy Award nominations for his work on OutKast’s “Ms. Jackson” and Babyface’s “How Come, How Long.”
On Tuesday, the Straight Outta Compton director received the 2,665th star on the famous walkway. During a heartfelt speech, Gray praised his mother for her strength.
“I want to dedicate this star to my mom, who is in the audience today. It’s nobody on this earth that is stronger than this woman,” he said. “Everything you’ve gone through and all the strength that you’ve shown. I get my mental toughness from you.”
He also extended kind words to Vin Diesel, Jamie Foxx and Tyrese, who were present during the ceremony. Gray gave a special shout-out to Ice Cube for his longtime support.
“Ice Cube, thank you for being there from the start. You really don’t get the credit you deserve. People see my big movies and they don’t know that you looked out for me in the beginning. “It Was a Good Day,” Friday, it all came full circle when you let me tell your life story [in] Straight Outta Compton. We made history.”
Hollywood Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez celebrated Gray’s accomplishment in a statement to NBC Los Angeles. “[Gray] is known as one of the industry’s most prolific and versatile directors known for pushing the envelope and delivering exciting content,” she said.
Gray’s latest work Men in Black: International, is scheduled to hit theaters June 14. Check out his Hollywood Walk of Fame speech below.
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