George Tillman, Jr. (born January 26, 1969) is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director.[1]
Tillman is most notable for directing the films Soul Food (1997) and Men of Honor (2000). He is also the producer of the Soul Food: The Series on television and the three films in the Barbershop series: Barbershop, Barbershop 2: Back in Business, and Beauty Shop. He also directed the 2009 biopic Notorious about the New York-born rapper The Notorious B.I.G. He directed Roll Bounce and an action movie with The Rock called Faster.
Tillman was nominated for the Black Film Award for Best Director for Soul Food (1997). Tillman was also nominated for the Black Reel Award for Best Director and Best Screenplay for Notorious (2009).
Tillman was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His father, George Tillman, worked at the American Motors plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and his mother worked as a secretary. Throughout his early childhood, Tillman would borrow his father’s 8mm camera and would start to shoot things with Milwaukee’s Public-access television cable TV channel. By age eight, Tillman got his hands on his very first television script, All My Children, and wrote his first soap opera as well as his first five-minute show. Tillman recalled, years later, to an interviewer in regard to receiving the All My Children’s script,” I told them about a certain plot change that I wanted and I thought I could help the characters out…That was the beginning for me, the writing.”
In 1975, Tillman became inspired to create his own films after seeing the film, Cooley High. Tillman decided he wanted to contribute to that medium, but did not necessarily know if he wanted to become an actor, writer or director. Tillman went to John Marshall High School in Milwaukee and he took Mass Communications Magnet Classes. As a teenager, Tillman made amateur videos and created Splice of Life, which was a program for a local Public-access television. After high school, Tillman attended Columbia College in Chicago and majored in Film and Video. Tillman decided to move to Chicago because he thought a lot was happening there creatively. “There is a lot of theater there, and there are a lot of things happening in Chicago that I wanted to be a part of, so that’s where I went to film school,” according to Tillman. While in film school, he created a 30-minute short, Paula, which was a story of a 17-year-old, single African American mother who works in a diner and motivates the people around her. Paula’s success attributed to numerous awards including the Black Filmmaker’s Hall of Fame Award.
In 1991, Tillman graduated from Columbia College and became a part of a directing and producing partnership with his fellow college, Robert Teitel, and together made their company, Menagerie Films. During that time, Tillman supported himself by being a production assistant. He helped work on various commercials, but he always knew he wanted to direct and produce. Tillman’s only experience of being close to a director was made was when he worked on the film, Mo’ Money. The writer of Mo’ Money, Damon Wayans told the union that he wanted more African Americans to be a part of the crew, which is the major reason why Tillman got hired. Tillman was a set dresser and was able to see how they made the film. At that point, Tillman realized that if he wanted to direct he had to write his own script to make everything happen. “It was going to be a long road from being a PA (production’s assistant) to a director.”
Soul Food
Tillman, disappointed that his film Scenes for the Soul did not make it to screen, went to Chicago and wrote the screenplay to Soul Food. Tillman told the Chicago Tribune, “I wanted to make a movie about a black family in Middle America. I wanted to make a film where everyone can look at them and say, ‘this is my family.'” When Tillman finished his screenplay, he returned to Hollywood. Tillman made sure to focus on female characters and tell a humble story about the importance of family.
When it was time for Tillman’s agents to sell the script, they marketed it as an independently produced and low-budget project and asked the musician, Kenneth Edmonds, if he would want to contribute and record a soundtrack album. At the same time of requesting his musical talents, Edmonds and his wife/business partner, Tracey Edmonds, had recently formed a television and film development company. Both Kenneth and Tracey Edmonds loved Tillman’s screenplay so much that they decided they want to make Soul Food their company’s first production. The Edmonds’ were able to negotiate with Twentieth Century Fox Pictures to underwrite the film for the generous sum of $6.5 million.
On November 6, 1996, the production of Soul Food began on a thirty-day schedule. Tillman finished the film on schedule because he already had so much of the big ideas worked out in advance. Soul Food is originated from Tillman’s passion to make a motivating and straight from the heart story about a modern African American family. Tillman was able to incorporate a lasting impression on the audience while touching on the big ideas of family tradition and bonds.
In September 1997, Soul Food reached theaters and earned $11 million during its first weekend. $14 million was earned by the end of its first week, which validated Tillman’s success because the film received twice the amount it originally cost to make. Tillman later told Murray, “the shows were sold out, people were laughing, crying, it was just incredible.” The grand total from Soul Food’s release was $43 million and it also thrived in video sales. Initially, it was hoped that Soul Food would be able to attract white moviegoers, especially after all the success from the first week, but it did not work out that way. The total percent of white Soul Food ticket buyers was twelve. However, even with the lack of white supporters, it proved that African American audiences are able to make a film a commercial success. According to Jack Trout, president of Trout & Partners in regard to black audiences, “this segment is really sizable, and Hollywood is just starting to recognize that.”
Due to Soul Food’s astonishing success, Tillman and Teitel signed a two-year deal with Twentieth Century Fox and changed their production company’s name to State Street Pictures, which was their way of paying tribute to the early film years taken place in Chicago.
Men of Honor
Tillman’s next big hit was his film, Men of Honor, starring Oscar-winning actors Robert De Niro, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. Tillman was inspired to do this film after seeing F. Gary Gray in The Negotiator (1998) because he realized there were little to no opportunities for African American directors to work with big time stars and he wanted to change that.
It was Tillman’s first time experience being an African American director “working in a white film world.” When working with De Niro and Gooding, Tillman felt a bit intimidated because he knew both were big stars. He knew De Niro could take up to fifty takes and knew from his research that he looks to the director to possess all the answers[ “I remember I called him one day and I said, ‘Bob, I wanna know how you like to work on a set because I wanna make it easy for you.’ And he told me, ‘I like what you did with Soul Food, you won’t have any problems with me,'”
Tillman’s transition between Soul Food and Men of Honor was challenging. Tillman was not used to all the visual effects that Men of Honor possessed. He also had a problem dealing with the crew because he felt that he had to prove himself. “Right away you have to let everyone know that you know what you’re doing. That has to be done right away,” Tillman said. The second hardest part for Tillman was shooting everything in a specific amount of days. “There were times when I was shooting four and five scenes a day, because they try to put so much in the schedule.” Tillman knew there was a lot to be done especially since the film cost $32 million to produce. Tillman also had to take into account of shooting under water and on top of the water. However, Tillman prevailed through all the obstacles came out proud with the overall product.
On November 10, 2000, Men of Honor was released in theaters. Men of Honor turned out to be a success especially oversees. The film generated $85 million.
Barbershop
While Tillman was editing Men of Honor, his producing partner Robert Teitel presented him with the Barbershop script, written by Mark Brown. Both Tillman and Teitel instantly knew that Barbershop was going to be comical yet hit an emotional chord with the audience. Barbershop stars Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson, and Cedric the Entertainer, and it is based on the social life of a South Side of Chicago Barbershop. The film also has three original songs by the famous R&B singer, Sherod Lindsey.
Tillman and Teitel took the script to Twentieth Century Fox, but they failed to pass it because they were not satisfied with the script. The same was said with Fox 2000 and Fox Searchlight. A bit discouraged, the two went to MGM due to one of the executive of Men of Honor, Alex Gardner, and they bought it.
In 2001, Barbershop began filming in Chicago. The film was located in the South Chicago community area and what was once a laundromat, was now the set for the barbershop. In comparison to Soul Food, which was made in 1997, Tillman still strived to show African Americans in a more positive outlook. In regard to marketing the film, MGM spent $12 million in marketing alone because the company knew how important and effective it would be.
On September 13, 2002, Barbershop was released in theaters and made a grand total of $77, 063, 924.
Tillman directed the 2015 romantic drama The Longest Ride, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks.
Tillman is married to the actress, Marcia Wright. Both Tillman and Wright have one child together and would like to move back to Chicago in the near future.