What is Antoine Fuqua's Net Worth?
Antoine Fuqua is an American film director who has a net worth of $60 million. Antoine Fuqua is best known for directing such action and thriller films as "Training Day," "Tears of the Sun," "Shooter," "The Equalizer" and its sequels, and "Southpaw." He also directed the acclaimed documentaries "American Dream/American Knightmare" and "What's My Name: Muhammad Ali," as well as the Hulu docuseries "Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers." Earlier in his career, Fuqua was a prolific director of music videos. As of this writing, Antoine's movies have generated over $1.3 billion at the box office.
Early Life
Antoine Fuqua was born on May 30, 1965 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Mary and Carlos. He grew up in a violent neighborhood, significantly impacting his life and his career trajectory. After he got shot at the age of 15, Fuqua began spending more time at the movies; he also devoted his time and energy to sports.
Career Beginnings
Fuqua began his career in the entertainment industry directing music videos for major artists. His first video was in 1990 for Mr. Lee's song "I Like the Girls." Throughout the decade, he directed music videos for Shanice, Toni Braxton, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Pras, among others. Notably, Fuqua directed the video for Coolio's smash hit "Gangsta's Paradise" in 1995.
Fiction Film Directing
In 1998, Fuqua made his feature film directorial debut with the action film "The Replacement Killers," starring Chow Yun-fat and Mira Sorvino. His next film was the 2000 action comedy "Bait," with Jamie Foxx and David Morse. Fuqua had his breakthrough the following year with the crime thriller "Training Day," which earned its star Denzel Washington the Academy Award for Best Actor. Fuqua subsequently directed the action war thriller "Tears of the Sun," starring Bruce Willis and released in 2003. He followed that with the historical adventure film "King Arthur," starring Clive Owen as the titular medieval legend. After a three-year break, Fuqua returned in 2007 with the Mark Wahlberg-starring action thriller "Shooter," based on Stephen Hunter's novel "Point of Impact." Closing out the decade, Fuqua directed the crime film "Brooklyn's Finest," starring Don Cheadle, Richard Gere, Wesley Snipes, and Ethan Hawke.
Fuqua's first film of the 2010s was the action thriller "Olympus Has Fallen," released in 2013. Focused on a fictional attack on the White House by North Korea, the film spawned two sequels, although neither was directed by Fuqua. The director instead turned to another franchise by directing "The Equalizer," based on the eponymous 1980s television series. Released in 2014, the film reunited Fuqua with Denzel Washington. The pair subsequently reteamed for the sequels "The Equalizer 2" and "The Equalizer 3." Fuqua's other films have included the boxing drama "Southpaw," starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams; the science-fiction action film "Infinite," with Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor; the crime thriller remake "The Guilty," again with Jake Gyllenhaal; and the historical action film "Emancipation," starring Will Smith as the escaped American slave known as "Whipped Peter."
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Documentary Film Directing
Fuqua has also been active as a documentary filmmaker. The first documentary he directed, "Lightning in a Bottle," came out in 2004. Fuqua's next documentary, "American Dream/American Knightmare," didn't come out until 2018. Broadcast on Showtime, the film focuses on the life and career of gangsta rap producer Suge Knight. Fuqua next directed "What's My Name: Muhammad Ali," which came out in 2019 on HBO. He subsequently directed "The Day Sports Stood Still," released in 2021. That was followed in 2022 by Fuqua's ten-episode Hulu docuseries "Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers."
Television Directing
Fuqua has directed some episodes of television. In 2016, he directed the pilot episode of the short-lived crime drama series "Ice," broadcast on the Audience Network. Later, in 2022, he directed the first episode of the action thriller series "The Terminal List," on Amazon Prime Video. The series stars Chris Pratt, Constance Wu, Riley Keough, and Taylor Kitsch, among others.
Netflix and MTV Contracts
In December 2021 Antoine signed a first-look partnership for his film productions with Netflix.
In May 2022 he signed an overall deal with Paramount's MTV Entertainment Studios for television productions.
Personal Life
In 1999, Fuqua married actress Lela Rochon, best known for starring in the romantic drama film "Waiting to Exhale." Together, they have a daughter named Asia and a son named Brando. Fuqua also has a son named Zachary from a prior relationship.
Real Estate
In August 2022 Antoine and Lela paid $10.8 million for a mansion in Hidden Hills, California. The newly built mansion spans 9,000 square feet and features 6 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms on a 1.2 acre lot.
