Stephanie Allain on John Singleton

"It’s too hard and too amorphous in many ways. You’re conjuring up something from nothing. All the time. And in order to do that, you have to really be into magic. And trust that you can make it so."

-Stephanie Allain

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

This week I sat down with the legendary Stephanie Allain. She is an OG of what she describes as the “true badass bitch era of Hollywood,” power suits and all.

Through her production company Homegrown Pictures, she’s produced Hustle & Flow, Something New, Beyond the Lights, Dear White People, Burning Sands, French Dirty, Leimert Park, Juanita and The Weekend.

Pretty. Impressive.

Consider, however, that even though she grew up near Miracle Mile in LA, she didn’t really know anybody in the business.

Her journey began as a reader/story analyst at CAA, a job she held while also adjusting to life at home with a newborn. An experience that she reflects on very honestly and candidly in our time time together. She mentions feeling like she messed up the first time as a mom by spending too much time working.

After many years as a reader, she realized there were many paths available. It was thanks to her mentor, Amy Pascal, that she chose to follow in her footsteps towards the trajectory of a studio executive. Watching Amy in the room taught her how to go to the next level. She realized quickly, however, that where she was going was not exactly what she thought it was going to be.

And then John Singleton walked into her office at Fox with a script called BOYZ N THE HOOD and changed her life.Making that movie with John taught her how to be a true producer because he was “gangster straight” to protect it. It cemented her desire to work with writer/directors because of their singular, clear vision.

Years later, she found herself at a crossroads in her life. She had the family, the nice house in Hancock Park, the career; she had it all. But she found herself wondering, “is this it?”

And that’s when a little indie film about a pimp with a dream called HUSTLE & FLOW entered her world. Together. her and John decided to finance and produce the film together; prompting her to sell her house. It was a dark time. Her passion and her hustle got me thinking…how far would I go for my dream?

Could I ever bring myself to take similar risks? How far would you go for yours?In our hour together, Stephanie reveals how John Singleton re-introduced blackness into her life, her advice to young producers, and what her legacy will be.

Also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and YouTube.

Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this week’s episode!

Beijos,Caca