It begins with a jolt. A sudden jerk to the body, which constricts with the most primal reaction to what it senses as coming disaster. The rest of the senses quickly follow suit, springing to attention and kicking into overdrive.

The floodgates of the adrenal glands are thrown open and the precious stuff, the body’s version of super-concentrated lightening, pours into the circulatory system. The breathing begins to intensify, sending oxygen in ever-increasing amounts into the bloodstream. Capillaries dilate, widening to allow for the Sig-Alert of now hyper-charged blood cells operating in panic mode. Eyes widen, muscles tense and a godlike sensation begins to take over as surroundings melt into a frenzied, passing blur.

• "I am outrunning everything. I am in control. The world is mine."
• The brain fights back, screaming out a SOS "This is wrong, this is danger!"
• Yet it feels so good…

It’s a meal for the starved, a panacea for the restless, a sure-fire fix for anyone with a predilection for living on the edge. Intoxicating and habit-forming, it leaves burnt-out drivers in its wake, haunted men and women trapped in a life lived in slow motion…hurting for more and clamouring for the next ride.

Speed. It’s easy to get. And it’s as close as the nearest set of high-performance wheels… Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker), now a disgraced cop, fell victim to it…and he’s now paying the price.

As far as his former bosses and FBI brass are concerned, the hothead undercover officer threw one of their largest investigations ever. His loyalties tested while infiltrating the fly-by-night, high-speed world of Los Angeles import street racing, O’Connor blew his own cover and let the ringleader of a big-rig hijacking operation walk—more precisely, motor off in his own custom performance racer. O’Connor’s decision allowed him to keep his honour, but lost him his badge and any chance of redemption in the process.

Now, it’s a different city, a different time and one last chance for O’Connor.

Seems the Feds in Miami have had one helluva time collaring Carter Verone (Cole Hauser), a flashy businessman using his import/export business as cover for an international money-laundering cartel. Customs have had Verone under intense surveillance for more than a year with nothing more to show for it than the kingpin’s link to illegal street racing. Their backs against the wall and time running out, officials put out a call for O’Connor to do what he does best—talk the talk and push the metal.

But the rule-breaking loner has his own demands before taking on the job that may restore him his badge. Unhappy with the list of sorry possibilities presented as potential partners, he insists on recruiting his childhood friend and now ex-con Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), an accomplished criminal with an aptitude for barrier-shattering speed. The Feds on the case, headed by Agent Markham (James Remar), offer Pearce a deal—work with O’Connor and his impressive rap sheet will disappear.

Now, it’s a last chance for both, ex-con and ex-cop, and their ticket out of disgrace is bringing down Verone. But lines become blurred once again for O’Connor with the appearance of undercover agent Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes), the key to entering Verone’s world who may herself be in bed with the shady entrepreneur.

The new models are in. This time, on the hot streets of Miami—guns murderers, crooked police, and sweet wheels. And one fugitive ex-cop with a very bad habit and with very little to lose. This summer, cross the line…one more time.

2 Fast 2 Furious is the highly-anticipated follow-up to the Summer 2001 box office sensation about the super-charged world of street racing. Directed by Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood, Baby Boy) and produced by Neal H. Moritz (The Fast and the Furious, Sweet Home Alabama), 2 Fast 2 Furious also features Chris "Ludacris" Bridges in the cast, as well as a whole new line-up of dazzling, rocket-fast, high-performance vehicles ready to burn up the screen.

Universal Pictures Presents a Neal H. Moritz Production of a John Singleton Film: Paul Walker in 2 Fast 2 Furious, starring Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and James Remar. The music is by David Arnold and the costume designer is Sanja Milkovic Hays. The editors are Bruce Cannon, A.C.E. and Dallas Puett, A.C.E. The production designer is Keith Brian Burns and the director of photography is Matthew F. Leonetti, A.S.C. The executive producers are Lee R. Mayes and Michael Fottrell. 2 Fast 2 Furious is produced by Neal H. Moritz; story by Michael Brandt & Derek Hass and Gary Scott Thompson; screenplay by Michael Brandt & Derek Haas; and directed by John Singleton. 

The film is distributed worldwide by Universal Pictures. © 2003 Universal Studios.

About the Production

The explosive performance of Summer 2001 blockbuster The Fast and the Furious may have surprised some in the motion picture industry, but for successful filmmaker Neal H. Moritz, it was no surprise at all. The producer felt that the film had allowed thrill-seeking moviegoers a one-of-a-kind ride—a flashy combination of a fast-moving plot, super-charged vehicles, amazingly hot actors and slick, cutting edge filmmaking techniques. That summer’s moviegoers wholeheartedly embraced The Fast and the Furious—the film’s outstanding performance at the box office (not to mention being acclaimed by such lauded critics as Ebert & Roeper) primed it for a follow-up.

Moritz says, "Because of the incredible response to The Fast and the Furious, we knew we had struck a chord with young audiences. I believe we had tapped into a culture—the very urban world of street racing. It really resonated with our fans, who continued to support the film when it hit the streets on DVD and video—I mean, it really just exploded again, allowing even more people a chance to take the ride. We knew they were ready for another film, but only if we delivered one with the same authenticity and edge as the first. Well, we’ve done just that."

And as if Moritz and the team behind those fast and furious projects needed any more evidence that the youth culture was hungry for more, studies conducted by Teen Research Unlimited or TRU (a marketing research firm specialising exclusively in teenagers) confirmed the phenomenon: in both TRU’s Fall 2002 and Spring 2003 study results, The Fast and the Furious was ranked as teens’ all-time favourite movie.

For Oscar®-nominated director John Singleton, watching the original film gave him an eerie sense of déjà vu. Singleton explains, "When I saw The Fast and the Furious, I was like, ‘Damn, why didn’t I think of that?’ Growing up in South Central L.A., we had street races all the time. We sort of had car shows along Crenshaw Boulevard, people lining up their cars with the snazzy wheel rims and hydraulics. And late at night, they’d race between Crenshaw and Florence, and into Inglewood and around Centinela Park. I referenced it in Boyz N the Hood."

The director sides with Moritz on the fact that the world of street racing is one that most young audiences either want to see or be a part of. He feels that speed is endemic to the urban lifestyle and, as such, perfect subject matter for seat-of-your-pants moviegoing. He happily signed on to helm 2 Fast 2 Furious.

As production got underway, the filmmakers were again reminded that they were capturing a popular way of life that is continuing to burgeon—which began clearly evident during a particular weekend during pre-production.

Singleton, Moritz and the screenwriters were in total agreement that the original’s success was due mostly to its freshness…in everything from the visuals of it to the wheels driving in it. So, they turned to custom race enthusiasts themselves to get a look at what was scoring with drivers and turning heads with on-lookers.

Singleton reflects, "We put a casting call out on the West Coast for owners to submit their cars for use in the film. We made a couple of contacts and put out a notice on the Internet for drivers to convene in a parking lot in Santa Monica. There was only about a 36-hour notice, so we expected about 100 cars or so. On the day of the call, there were traffic jams in the area because drivers with more than 700 cars showed up, some from as far away as Seattle. There is definitely a car culture out there, and by doing this, we were able to pick up on what is contemporary now and project what’s coming—and what’s coming is what’s in the film. I want people to come to this film and then emulate the cars onscreen."

Much like building their four-wheeled stars, the filmmakers gave a great deal of attention to creating the onscreen characters who drive the vehicles and are they themselves driven by them. The locations and situations depicted in the original Los Angeles-set film had been covered. It was decided that the conflicted character of the disgraced (now fugitive) cop O’Connor (as played by Paul Walker) would be the through line to the next high-octane story; his driving prowess would provide him with the opportunity to restore his name. And this would take him to another city, where the night time streets come alive with the roaring of engines—the humid, gritty streets of Miami.

Another lure to filmmakers, particularly Singleton, was that there were no colour limitations, within the cars or the cast. The setting of Miami is itself a character of mixed heritage, resulting in everything from pastel-tinged architecture, stunning beach vistas and pricey real estate to urban sprawl, multi-generational families and varied, vibrant neighbourhoods populated literally by citizens from around the globe—all exciting opportunities to add to the excitement in the film.

Familiar landmarks such as the Seven-Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys, Homestead Air Force Base with its U.S. Customs headquarters, as well as the former Coral Gables mansion of actor Sylvester Stallone are among the many locations used by the production.

"Because of the sleeper success of The Fast and the Furious, we needed to repeat the excitement created by the first film, but also turn it up a few notches," observes producer Moritz. "By having an accomplished director such as John Singleton shoot the next film, he has brought a gritty realism to the story. Combine that with exciting stunts and the attractive, talented cast, and the film delivers on many levels."

Paul Walker’s return as Brian O’Connor is not just another turn in a familiar role. Singleton asked even more of the tough, blond Californian—which included Walker continuing and increasing his high-speed driving training in order to include him in even more racing scenes. (This allowed Singleton to bring the camera along for more of the ride, staying with O’Connor inside the vehicles he controls—more on that below.)

Himself a car enthusiast (and a self-confessed pedal-to-the-metal driver), Walker comments, "I was glad to come back because I knew that the fans would want to see it. Rarely do you have the luxury of going into a movie that you know a lot of people want to see. This film is going to be bigger and better, especially the driving sequences. We are just taking it one step further. This time around, we went for more exotic cars. We have a Nissan Skyline R-34, which isn’t even available in the States, and a Mitsubishi Evolution 7, just out this year. That is what makes it fun for the car enthusiasts."

About working with John Singleton, Walker says, "We had a blast together. His enthusiasm really kept me going. John’s a guy who really loves movies, so when he sets up a shot, everything is an analogy, he’s not telling you how to do it. He is genuinely excited."

The young star heaps equal high praise on his onscreen partner, the singer/actor Tyrese Gibson, stepping into the role of fast-talking ex-con Roman Pearse. Walker elaborates, "Tyrese said to me, ‘Hey, man, I’m a singer, not an actor!’ And I told him he’s kidding himself. He’s a natural. What’s great is that he brings an amazing amount of credibility, street credibility—you hear actors talking about coming from tough neighbourhoods, that sort of thing. Tyrese is the real deal, and he feels it’s his duty to bring that history and honesty to the screen. He’s also a dynamic, funny man."

When asked about stepping into a role in a film with such high expectations, Tyrese explains that he did not feel any pressure. "When you are given the opportunity such as this, you just need to bring yourself to the film. After seeing my performance in Baby Boy, Universal approached me about the role. And like I was thrilled to take it," he adds.

Gibson found the car culture depicted in the screenplay different from the one he was familiar with growing up in Los Angeles. He comments, "The story depicts a lot more detail than I ever knew about. It’s a brand new experience for me. In the film, they race for pink slips. We kind of do it another way…"

About the partnership between O’Connor and Pearse, Gibson jokes, "I think Paul and I have a lot of chemistry because, basically, I am from the ‘hood and he is this white boy from Huntington Beach."

Cast as O’Connor’s entrée into Verone’s world is Eva Mendes, portraying undercover agent Monica Fuentes…who may herself have wavering loyalties. But it was Mendes’ loyalty to filmmaker Singleton that led her to the role. She says, "What really attracted me to the role was John Singleton, I’ve always liked his work—where he’s come from and what he says about it in his films."

The talented newcomer also had other motives behind taking on the role. Mendes offers, "I have a lead foot. My first car was a ‘66 Mustang, and I love fast, muscle cars. And I have it out for [producer] Neal Moritz, because my character doesn’t even get to drive!"

Actor Cole Hauser, who plays the film’s heavy, Carter Verone, previously worked with director Singleton on his film Higher Learning. Hauser relishes getting to step into the expensive shoes of Verone who, he says, "has a bunch of different colours—he’s charming, he’s the kind of guy that everyone’s after, plus he’s got his hands in everything in Miami…legitimate businesses like clubs and real estate, but also drugs and money laundering."

Playing villains is something the actor admits he enjoys, explaining, "There are no walls. If you play a hero, you have to act a certain way, but being a bad guy, it’s up to your imagination—you can do as you please. And working with John [Singleton] is a gift. He keeps instilling confidence in you, which allows you go further out on a limb and deliver the goods."

"I also have to give all props due to my man, John Singleton," adds accomplished recording artist Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, cast in the role of racing ringleader/promoter Tej (the first time the entertainer will have portrayed anyone other than himself onscreen). "He personally asked me to try out for the part. He’d seen my videos, and said he thought I’d be perfect. I nailed it, I mean, I was totally up for the challenge."

Ludacris’ natural personality and presence dovetailed perfectly with a character the performer himself dubs, "the P.T. Barnum in this insane, crazy automobile circus that goes down in this movie."

Rounding out the large cast of characters also participating in the "automobile circus" are such familiar faces James Remar (as Federal Agent Markham) along with relative newcomers, such as popular model Devon Aoki (cast as Suki, the lone female driver in the male-dominated Miami street racing scene depicted) and rapper Jin (as Jimmy).

Prior to filming 2 Fast 2 Furious, Aoki had never driven anything other than a golf cart. The exotic beauty earned her driver’s license and then gamely undertook a "crash" course in professional racing to prepare her for the role where she fearlessly challenges the male drivers on the streets of Miami in her pink Honda.

"Don’t let the paint job fool you," Aoki admonishes. "It may be pink, but it’s a very powerful car. It can really whip around."

The character of Jimmy works as the "go-to" guy for garage owner Tej, and the young star found similarities between his onscreen personae and himself. Of his character, Jin says, "He’s young, energetic and likes to have fun—his life revolves around the races and being Tej’s right hand man. Working with someone like Ludacris, I can totally relate."

A cultural phenomenon in the suburbs of several major cities such as Los Angeles and Miami, street racing combines high-octane action and drama, with pink slips or wads of cash, the prizes of the night.

The popular obsession is fuelled by enthusiasts (as evidenced by the car casting-call turnout prior to the start of filming), who spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars modifying their cars. Singleton, Moritz, the screenwriters, crew and cast were all committed to showcasing these spectacular automobiles and featuring them in pulse-pounding action sequences.

"Street racing has evolved into a culture of its own—a way of life for many young adults," says Singleton. "It brings together a diverse group of kids who share a passion that has become a part of the social fabric as much as online music or MTV."

2 Fast 2 Furious again puts audience members in the passenger seats of these high-performance, high-speed automobiles and adds a contemporary, compelling tale of sky high stakes, honesty, loyalty and romance.

"Miami’s street racing scene has been developing for years," Singleton adds. "This gives the story an added feel. When combined with the colour of the city and its reputation for having some nefarious characters among its citizens, we have all the visual elements for a compelling story."

To again deliver the exciting car sequences that were the hallmarks of the first film, provide the most dazzling vehicles on the road and add credibility to the racing scenes, Craig Lieberman returned as the technical advisor to 2 Fast 2 Furious. A crew of talented and dedicated stunt drivers joined the film along with Lieberman, many of whom worked on the original film; the seasoned experts took over for the actors when sitting behind the wheel of these earthbound rockets became too dangerous. (The drivers included Oakley Lehman, Kevin Jackson and Debbie Evans, who won the World Stunt Award for Best Vehicular Action Sequence by a Woman featured in The Fast and the Furious.)

So necessarily, the vehicles used in the film became another all-important factor (and casting issue) to the filmmakers and the studio. Universal allocated a significant portion of the film’s overall budget to build or acquire nearly 190 vehicles. Additionally, nearly 400 cars would be required to serve as "extras."

Singleton and director of photography Matthew F. Leonetti employed a number of specialised rigs and filming techniques in order to realistically capture the actors behind the wheels of the supercharged automobiles. Created for and utilised in The Fast and the Furious, filmmakers again used a Mick Rogers (or "mick-ray"—basically a truck with a car shell mounted on it); the truck can be driven as fast as required and the realistic force created by sharp turns executed at high speeds is exerted on the "driver" and filmed. Also, a "shifter car" was deployed—a low dune buggy-like vehicle mounted with a camera that can be driven at speeds exceeding 100 mph and can follow, drive alongside or pass a car while filming. Additionally, a "moto-cam" offered the cinematographer even more filming options; it eliminates the vibrations present when filming at high speeds and can be mounted on a variety of mounts, including a steadycam.

Singleton offers, "We shot a lot of stuff practically, meaning on the set, that is just so incredible—audiences will think it’s augmented by special effects, but it’s not. These toys enable us to get shots that are unbelievable. We have cars being driven at 80 miles per hour, passing within feet of each other, and it was all shot just like it was on the street. Moviegoers won’t have time wonder how we did it, they’ll just be blown away. We really wanted to raise the bar from the first film and give fans in the car culture something new. This time, it’s about street racing, so we have more manoeuvres, more obstacles, less straight-forward drag racing—stuff like driving backwards down a freeway at 110 miles per hour. The cars are no longer driving in a straight line, and that makes for even more possibilities and dangers."

In The Fast and the Furious, the producers concentrated on the latest craze, import "tuner" cars. In 2 Fast 2 Furious, the focus has been shifted to all cars fast and beautiful—with the script revolving around the Miami street and racing scene in general, a larger sampling of customised automobiles, from home-grown to imports and exotics, are presented onscreen.

In the "automobile ensemble," around 150 vehicles would receive screen time, but around 15 cars were allotted special "leading" roles. These included: the Nissan Skyline GTR, Mitsubishi EVO 7, 1970 Hemi Dodge Challenger, 1969 Yenko Camaro, 1998 BMW M3, 2003 Dodge Viper, Chevy Corvette, 1994 Toyata Supra, 1994 Mazda RX7, 2001 Honda S2000 and 1993 Acura NSX.

The look of these automobiles were mostly dictated by the film’s production designer, Keith Brian Burns, who had a majority of the cars repainted using "House of Kolor" Kandy colours. Because the cars were featured so prominently, each one had to feature high quality elements and craftsmanship, beginning with the body and continuing inside to the interior—everything from tire rims to stereo speakers. (Once chosen, most of the cars were painted in an almost unimaginably short time—shrinking the four-to-six week timeline usually called for to beautifully customise the exterior down to an incredible four-day turnaround.)

To build up the number of background cars found during the Santa Monica casting call, a local call in Florida during September turned up 496 cars, 192 of which were cast on the spot.

The production also utilised the skills of 40 full-time mechanics, body men and auto specialists who built and maintained the fleet of cars. In some cases, those pristine autos gracing the big screen were actually rescued from junkyards, rebuilt and painted in as little as one week. In addition, some of the actors contributed their personal preferences and expertise to the look and operation of their car co-stars.

Tyrese Gibson saw to it that the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder he drives had such options as a specific set of wheels and some interior enhancements. While Paul Walker owns a Nissan Skyline like the one he pilots, the actor ordered an additional, option-loaded Skyline from Tommy Kaira, a top tuner in Japan.

So the fever that propelled The Fast and the Furious to box office history and fuelled a highly-anticipated sequel continues to affect not only movie fans and throngs of car enthusiasts, but the filmmakers and actors lucky enough to sit behind the wheel of these fast and furious beauties…onscreen and off.

About the Cast

With an undeniable screen presence and talent that has enabled him to work on several of the most successful films of the past two years, Paul Walker (Brian O’Connor) has made the leap to leading man status.

Walker completed production on director Richard Donner’s adaptation of the Michael Crichton novel Timeline, which is scheduled for Fall 2003 release. This adventure-thriller also stars Frances O’Connor and Ethan Embry as archaeology students who are searching for their missing professor (Billy Connolly).

Walker starred in Universal’s The Fast and the Furious, which reunited him with director Rob Cohen and co-starred Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Rick Yune. The Fast and the Furious is an action drama about an undercover police officer (Walker) infiltrating street racers to bust a hijacking ring. Walker also co-starred with Steve Zahn and Leelee Sobieski in the critically praised thriller Joy Ride; the film was directed by John Dahl (Rounders).

Walker also co-starred in the box-office hits The Skulls (directed by Rob Cohen), opposite Joshua Jackson, about a Harvard secret elitist society, and the football dramedy Varsity Blues, opposite James Van Der Beek. He was also seen in the critically acclaimed film Pleasantville. This fantasy drama, from writer/director Gary Ross, is about two 1990s teens (Reese Witherspoon and Tobey McGuire) who get trapped in a 1950s Leave It to Beaver-type television show.

Walker’s other films include She’s All That opposite Freddy Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook, and Brokedown Palace with Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale. When not on location, Walker resides in Los Angeles.

Just entering his twenties, J Records recording artist, actor and model Tyrese (Roman Pearce) has already accomplished more than many people do the entire length of their careers. Born and raised in Watts, California, a section of South Central Los Angeles, Tyrese discovered his love of music at an early age and released his self-titled debut album at 19. In January 2000, he received an American Music Award for "Favourite Soul and R&B New Artist." In addition to his zest for music, he has also found success in the acting and modelling worlds, having appeared in commercials and guest spots on television series, as well as his exclusive contract with Guess?.

Tyrese took his career to another level when he made his feature film debut as the star of Baby Boy, directed by John Singleton.

Tyrese recently released his third album (on J Records), featuring the first single "How You Gonna Act Like That," the biggest urban record of his career. Featuring both solo and collaborative writing efforts, Tyrese’s music melds together the essence of hip-hop and R&B with great energy and style. His dynamic, upbeat hits have appeared on the Blue Streak and Best Man soundtracks, and his debut album reached platinum status. His sophomore album, 2000 WATTS (RCA), was released in May, 2001.

Tyrese was formerly one of MTV’s favourite VJs. His acting roles have included guest-starring appearances in the long-running television series Moesha, Martin and Hanging With Mr. Cooper. Additionally, the actor appeared in a popular, global television commercial for Coca-Cola (the kid in headphones singing on the bus), which put him in the spotlight and helped him gain international recognition.

One of the most sought after African-American male models in the nation, Tyrese has been featured in numerous print and television ad campaigns for such top brands as Tommy Hilfiger. As a top male model, he had an exclusive sponsorship with Guess?, which included everything from advertising and promotions to special guest appearances and performances.

In addition to appearances and performing, Tyrese is a dedicated community activist, focusing his efforts on assisting inner city youth. He founded a non-profit organisation, the Tyrese Gibson Watts Foundation, whose ultimate goal is to build youth community centres in the city of Watts. In the summer of 2000, Tyrese started his own annual charity event, Watts Day, a fundraising performance by a group of artists giving back to the community in which they were raised.

Since arriving in Hollywood, newcomer Eva Mendes (Monica Fuentes) has quickly ascended to stardom and four major studio releases this year (including 2 Fast 2 Furious) will solidify her as a household name.

Mendes received the most recognition for her unforgettable role starring opposite Denzel Washington in the box office hit Training Day for director Antoine Fuqua. The performance also led to the upcoming Carl Franklin-helmed feature Out of Time, once more starring opposite Denzel Washington; in Out of Time, Mendes stars as a detective teamed with a small town police officer (Washington) investigating a missing persons case. The film is slated for a fall 2003 release.

Also this fall, she can be seen in Once Upon a Time in Mexico opposite Antonio Banderas and Johnny Depp. The film is the final chapter of director Robert Rodriguez’s trilogy that started with his debut feature, El Mariachi, and continued with Desperado.

Mendes recently completed filming Stuck on You (slated for a winter 2003 release) for directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly. The story centres on conjoined twins (Greg Kinnear and Matt Damon) who have aspirations to act; she plays Greg Kinnear’s love interest, an actress who encourages his ambitions.

In between her filming projects, Eva has found time to join the elite group of women (including Julianne Moore and Halle Berry) who represent Revlon Cosmetics in print and television commercials.

Mendes hails from Miami, but was discovered in Los Angeles by a photographer who asked to shoot a session with her. The resulting photos began a chain reaction of success, landing her a manager, commercial and film roles, and agency representation. Eva left college and is studying with acting coach Ivana Chubbuck, the mentor to such actors as Elisabeth Shue and Halle Berry.

Mendes was previously seen in the feature All About the Benjamins, starring opposite Ice Cube.

Hauser received critical acclaim for his performance as Staff Sergeant Cota in Joel Schumacher’s Tigerland, garnering an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for this role. Hauser also starred in the soccer drama, A Shot at Glory, opposite Academy Award® winner Robert Duvall. Tigerland and A Shot at Glory both screened at the Toronto Film Festival.

His additional film credits include Pitch Black, Stephen Frear’s The Hi-Lo Country, Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting, John Singleton’s Higher Learning, Adam Goldberg’s indie Scotch and Milk, Robert Mandel’s School Ties and Richard Linklater’s cult hit Dazed and Confused.

On the small screen, the actor appeared as a series regular on ABC and Steven Spielberg’s High Incident.

The multi-platinum-selling artist/entertainer, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges (Tej), known to millions as Ludacris, has his largest film role to date in 2 Fast 2 Furious. Most recently, Bridges released his latest project, Golden Grain, a compilation album featuring artists from his own record label, which debuted in the Top 10 on the music charts.

Influenced by the early stars of hip-hop—LL Cool J, Run DMC, Redman and others—Ludacris began rapping competitively as a teen. After finishing high school in Atlanta, he enrolled at Georgia State University and majored in music management. While still in college, he began an internship at Atlanta’s hottest radio station, Hot 97.5. He soaked up the radio and music businesses, and eventually began producing the night show. Noticing his lyrical style, station management gave him one of his first public gigs: rapping on station promos. This brought him local popularity and the attention of such industry giants as Jermaine Dupri (working with Dupri on the soundtrack for the John Madden 2000 videogame) and Timbaland (who produced Ludacris’ first single, Phat Rabbit, which got play on major stations in Atlanta). He then self-produced, self-marketed and self-distributed his first album, Incognegro, moving more than 50,000 units in two months and receiving record-setting radio airtime in southern markets.

Ludacris then signed with Def Jam records who (along with the artist’s own production company, Disturbing Tha Peace) released his debut album, Back for the First Time; it went on to sell three million copies. His sophomore album, Word of Mouf, also sold more than three million units, earning the rapper three Grammy Award and multiple MTV Video Music Award nominations. There have also been sold-out concert tours with Outkast and Eminem.

In addition to being an entrepreneur, Ludacris has established his Atlanta-based youth foundation (The Ludacris Foundation), which provides gifts, grants and scholarships to other organizations and connects with young people through music and the arts to show them that they are the builders of the future. Bridges also serves as a youth advocate, encouraging teens to complete their schooling and pursue their dreams.

The actor recently finished production on a series of projects: the Danny DeVito-directed comedy Duplex, starring Drew Barrymore and Ben Stiller; the independent romantic comedy The Girl Next Door; and Down with the Joneses, directed by John Curry. Next, James can be seen starring opposite John Turturro and Debra Unger in Hubert Selby, Jr.’s (Requiem for a Dream) noir thriller Fear X, co-written and directed by Danish director Nicholas Wynding Refn

James began his career on the New York stage in numerous productions, including the original cast of Bent with Richard Gere, as well as numerous off- and off-off-Broadway plays. He has enjoyed a successful career spanning more than two decades and has appeared in more than 30 feature films. He broke onto the scene in Walter Hill’s The Warriors and then starred opposite Eddie Murphy in 48 Hours. Since then, James has worked steadily with some of the industry’s most celebrated filmmakers, including Gus Van Sant, Penny Marshall, Francis Ford Coppola and Michael Apted.

More recently, James was seen opposite Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer in the hit thriller What Lies Beneath for director Robert Zemeckis. His performance in Boys on the Side, as a rugged, gentle bartender opposite Mary Louise Parker, Drew Barrymore and Whoopi Goldberg garnered him critical acclaim.

Nineteen year-old model/actress Devon Aoki (Suki) began her career in the entertainment industry at the ripe age of 14 years old. Daughter to a Japanese father and a German/English mother, Devon was raised and educated in Malibu, California, and London, England. While living in London, Devon was signed by Storm Models, where she quickly ascended to become on of the fashion industries most sought after models.

Her work within the fashion industry includes editorial pictorials for Harpers Bazaar by Patrick Demarchelier, American Vogue by Steven Meisel, British Vogue by Mario Testino, W Magazine by Paolo Roversi, The Face by Ellen von Unwerth, French Vogue, Russian Vogue, I.D. Magazine and Dutch. Devon also stars on the cover of Interview’s 30^th Anniversary Issue (shot by David La Chapelle).

Devon is a favourite with both designers and photographers and has been featured as the face of numerous advertising campaigns, which have included Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld, Versace by Steven Meisel, Wella by Ellen von Unwerth, Cerruti by Annette Aurell and Moschino.

She has made countless catwalk appearances, including showings of Thierry Mugler, Fendi, Gaultier, Givenchy, Ferretti, Ralph Lauren, Yves St. Laurent, Bella Freud, Anna Molinari and Seraph. A particular favourite of Karl Lagerfeld, Devon was the bride at the Chanel Couture show for Autumn / Winter ‘99. Her cross-cultural international appeal has established her as a public figure in her family’s homeland of Japan, where she has endorsed products for such companies such as Shisedo, Loreal, Sunsystems, Toyota and Peachtree Juices.

Devon’s natural progression into television and film commenced when she shot the sensational "Primal Scream" video with Kate Moss. Other music video appearances include Duran Duran’s "Electric Barbarella" and Elton John’s "The Way You Look." In addition to 2 Fast 2 Furious, Devon’s feature film work includes Death of a Dynasty from writer/director Damon Dash. She has also appeared in two films for fashion designer Bella Freud, both of which were directed by John Malkovich.

Producer, director and screenwriter John Singleton (Director) exploded onto the scene in 1991 with his first film, Boyz N the Hood, a tough, intelligent, plain-speaking look at a group of friends in gang-ridden South Central Los Angeles. Boyz N the Hood earned Singleton Academy Award® nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director and the honour of being the first African-American (and the youngest filmmaker ever) to receive these simultaneous nominations. The filmmaker also garnered a long list of additional awards for his debut motion picture, including: LAFCA New Generation Award, the MTV Movie Award for Best New Filmmaker (1992), the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best New Director (1991), and the ShoWest Award for Screenwriter of the Year and a Special Award for Directorial Debut of the Year (1992).

The filmmaker next wrote, directed and produced the Janet Jackson starrer Poetic Justice, a sensitive film about a young poet; it also stars Tupac Shakur and Regina King. The university-set educational drama Higher Learning followed (with Singleton again wearing three hats as producer/director/writer), which stars a large ensemble cast featuring Omar Epps, Laurence Fishburne, Ice Cube, Jennifer Connelly, Michael Rappaport, Cole Hauser and Kristy Swanson, among others.

In 1997, Singleton directed the hard-hitting historical drama Rosewood, telling the story of the extinguishing, in 1923, of the predominantly Black town of Rosewood, Florida, because of racial hatred and lies. The film, scripted by Gregory Poirier, stars Ving Rhames, Jon Voight, Don Cheadle and Esther Rolle. In 2000, Singleton re-envisioned a classic hero for the new Millennium, returning Shaft to the screen. Samuel L. Jackson stars as the title character, in a project again produced (with Scott Rudin and Mark Roybal), written (along with Richard Price and Shane Salerno) and directed by Singleton; it also stars Vanessa Williams, Busta Rhymes, Christian Bale and Richard Roundtree.

A decade after his searing filmic exploration of South Central Los Angeles, Singleton returned there as the setting for his most recent film, Baby Boy, on which he served as producer, writer and director. The film stars R&B singer/actor Tyrese, Ving Rhames, Snoop Dogg and newcomer Taraji P. Henson and received four NAACP nominations.

The filmmaker’s career began while attending the Filmic Writing Program at USC, where he won three writing awards (the Jack Nicholson Award in 1989 and 1990 and the Robert Riskin Award in 1989) from the university; this led to representation with Creative Artists Agency during his senior year and the sale of his script, Boyz N the Hood

Singleton has also directed high-profile television commercials (Coca-Cola, AT&T and Burger King) and music videos (Michael Jackson).

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