The Hughes Brothers
Happy Friday Everyone! This week’s famous Friday comes in the form of directing and producing duo Albert and Allen Hughes. Known mainly as the Hughes brothers, twins Albert and Allen Hughes were born on April 1st, 1971 in Detroit Michigan. Their father, Albert, is of African American descent while their mother, Aida, is Armenian. After moving to California at the age of nine, the twins quickly became interested in film after their mother bought them their first video recorder. Using the camera to make short films for class projects, Albert and Allen were able to build the chemistry used in their future hit films.
As teenagers, the Hughes brothers decided to drop out of high school to focus solely on production. Their first professional work included directing videos for musical artists such as Tupac Shakur and Tone Loc. After gaining moderate fame and credibility, the twins were tasked with directing and producing their first film. With Allen helping develop the actors’ personas and Albert focusing on the statistical aspects, their first film was a great success. Menace II Society was released in 1993, and told the story of urban violence, specifically among African Americans. Menace II Society allowed both Albert and Allen to work alongside A-list actors such as Samuel L. Jackson and Jada Pinkett. Menace II Society is also noteworthy as it won MTV Movie and TV Award for Best Movie in 1994. Together, the Hughes brothers also directed mainstream films such as Dead Presidents and From Hell. Their most recent work together came in 2010 in the form of The Book of Eli. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, actor Denzel Washington narrates his journey through the desolate landscape of the post-nuclear United States.
In 2004, the brothers split for a substantial time to develop their films independently. Allen Hughes is most known for directing New York, I Love You, and Broken City. His career has allowed him to make connections with big names such as Bradley Cooper and Mark Wahlberg. For Albert, his most notable achievement was directing his first solo feature film entitled Alpha. Both brothers possess unique skills, and it has been great to see them work together to create classic films.
Matheson Bossick
Project Race Teens Vice President
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2014/02/11/living/gallery/famous-biracial-people/index.html
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/albert_hughes
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/hughes-allen-and-albert-1972/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menace_II_Society
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Eli
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hughes_brothers
Picture From:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hughes_brothers