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How an Infamous ‘Boyz N the Hood’ Cameo Led to Real-Life Murder
After pulling the trigger in Hollywood’s most ominous drive-by, Lloyd Avery II began to mirror the lifestyle of the gangster he portrayed on-screen. But the late actor’s demise is much deeper than life imitating art.
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Based on numbers alone, Lloyd Avery II’s character in Boyz N the Hood is a minor role. Four scenes. About eight lines of dialogue. At most, two minutes of screen time. He’s listed in the credits as Knucklehead #2, but fans of the film know him as the Blood who shot Ricky. He’s best remembered emerging from that cardinal red Hyundai clutching a sawed-off shotgun like he’s death incarnate, set to perpetrate one of the most tragic movie murders of all time. Radiating intensity, Avery’s charisma elevates this nameless henchman into an iconic villain.
“Lloyd had a presence that I think was undeniable,” says Robi Reed, the veteran casting director known for her work with Spike Lee and other Black filmmakers. “When people refer to that ‘it’ factor, it’s really intangible — you just know when you see it.”
