John Ridley

John Ridley, born in 1965 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a multifaceted American filmmaker, actor, and author. He initially embarked on his career as a stand-up comedian before transitioning to writing for television. Ridley gained recognition for his contributions to popular sitcoms, including *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air* and *Martin*. His literary journey began with his debut novel, *Stray Dogs*, which inspired the 1997 film *U Turn*, directed by Oliver Stone. He also penned the original script for *Three Kings*, featuring stars like George Clooney and Ice Cube, although significant changes made by director David O. Russell led to him receiving only a credit for the original story.

In addition to screenwriting, Ridley ventured into directing with his film *Cold Around the Heart*. He co-founded Urban Entertainment to promote short films and animations by minority creators, highlighting his works such as *Undercover Brother*, which later became a feature film, and the animated short *Those Who Walk in Darkness*, which was adapted into a novel of the same name.

Ridley produced the film *Bobby* and has written for DC Comics, including *The Authority* and *The American Way*. He was also a co-host for MSNBC's *Morning Joe* at its launch in 2007 and hosted *Movie Club with John Ridley* on AMC. His recent projects include developing the Showtime series *Barbershop: The Series* and serving as head writer for *The Wanda Sykes Show*. In 2007, he was hired by George Lucas to write the screenplay for the World War II film *Red Tails*.