Life imitates art, from aspiring actor to gang member.

You might not know this actor’s name, but you’ll definitely remember his most memorable scene in John Singleton’s Boyz N The Hood. The scene I’m talking about is when Ricky, played by Morris Chestnut, gets gunned down by a Crenshaw Mafia Gangsters Bloods member, played by Lloyd Fernandez Avery II. If it’s still not clear, the actor turned gang member, I'm talking about is Lloyd. If you haven’t seen this Oscar-nominated classic, about growing up in South Central Los Angeles, during the late 80s/early 90s. I’d suggest you watch it.

Lloyd was born on June 21st, 1969 in Los Angeles, CA to parents Lloyd Sr. and Linda Avery. He’s of African and Mexican descent and grew up in View Park, an area locally known as Black Beverly Hills, with brothers Ché, and Zanjay and sister Tikco. Lloyd had a comfortable childhood; his parents were considered middle class, they lived in a home with a swimming pool. Ché said in interviews “We were silver spoon kids. We never needed for nothing.”

Lloyd went to Beverly Hills High School, where he became friends with the kids of several famous Hollywood musicians and songwriters. Like Quincy Jones III known as QDIII, the son of record producer Quincy Jones, Berry Robinson, the son of singer Smokey Robinson, and Alexander Devore Avant, the son of music executive, and film producer Clarence Avant. Lloyd was known as the class clown, and despite being shy sometimes, the girls in his class liked him for his pretty boy looks.

Lloyd didn’t do drugs nor did he drink, he liked to play a game called “party and pouch”, Lloyd’s friend Doran Reed described it as “steal sh*t at parties just to steal sh*t.” During this time of his life Lloyd was described as an attention seeker, and a troublemaker, but he wasn’t a gang member or a gang affiliate.

Did he get in trouble with the police, sure. Some time in 1988, Lloyd and several friends attended a party at UCLA in Westwood, CA, when they left the party they were approached by members of a frat. Lloyd cracked a joke, some words were exchanged, and a fight broke out between Llyod’s group and the Frat guys. Someone pulled out a gun, and shots were fired. Unfortunately for Lloyd police were around the corner and heard the shots. Lloyd wasn’t the one that fired the shots, but he was carrying a fake I.D., and spent 3 days in jail. Lloyd’s reaction after spending 3 days in jail concerned his friends. Lloyd’s friend Keith Davis said “He told me that he really liked jail. It’s like, how the hell do you get locked up and you just enjoy it? He was so flippant.”

Lloyd always had a passion for music, but after he dropped out of Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, he worked alongside his dad as a handyman. In June 1990, Lloyd was arrested for stealing studio equipment from Guitar Center. It was also during this time that his friend John Singleton casted Lloyd for a minor role, in John’s first feature film Boyz N the Hood.

Boyz N the Hood, made Llyod an instant celebrity in Los Angeles after the movie came out. At 6’1 Lloyd was easy to spot and recognize, this happened all the time at L.A. nightclubs. Lloyd enjoyed the fame and was determined to capitalize on his success. The success of Boyz N the Hood also started Lloyd’s music career, he produced Tish Campbell’s single “Push.”

In 1992, Lloyd played Red on an episode of Doogie Howser, M.D. The episode is called “Dangerous Reunions.”

In 1993, John casted Lloyd again, this time for the movie Poetic Justice starring Tupac Shakur and Janet Jackson. At the premiere of the movie during the closing credits, Lloyd yelled out to John “That sh*t was wack, John” everyone in attendance could hear Llyod yelling. This didn’t end Lloyd and John’ s friendship, but over time their relationship soured.

By this time, Lloyd was no longer living in a nice part of L.A. He had moved in with his friend QDIII, shortly after Boyz N the Hood was released, they were living in Baldwin Village, a neighborhood of L.A. known as “the Jungle,” and home to the Black P. Stones, a Blood gang. Lloyd’s friend Baldwin C. Sykes has said ”He probably got a pass for the fact that he killed someone as a Blood on film.” Some time after moving to the Jungle Lloyd became an affiliate of the Black P. Stones.

Lloyd’s friend Keith remembers the first time Lloyd claimed Blood. “We were shopping at the Slauson Swap Meet,” Keith said. “Some Rollin’ 60s came up and were like, ‘‘You’re the guy from Boyz N the Hood?’ ‘Yeah, that was me.’ ‘You shot Ricky, right?’ ‘Yeah, that was me.’ Hey cuz, you really a Blood?’ ‘Yeah, what’s up, Blood?’ I was looking at him like, ‘What?’ Lloyd just kinda laughed. The Rollin’ 60s asked Lloyd if he was a Blood, and it clicked."

It makes no sense that Llyod became a Black P. Stone, because his brother Ché was a member of the Rollin’ 60s, and he had a promising career ahead of him. Lloyd even saw Ché get arrested in March 1991, and spent 7 months in Los Angeles County Central Jail, before he pled guilty and was transferred to prison. Ché was released from prison in March 1996, and changed his life around. The same can be said for Lloyd, but in the opposite direction.

When Ché was released from prison, Lloyd added a burglary and weapon possession charge to his rap sheet. The relationships Lloyd had with people in Hollywood deteriorated, most of the time when he had an audition Lloyd wouldn’t show up, and if he did get casted for a role, he thought he was the star, or he would fight with other actors on the project. His music career also stalled, all these things combined made Lloyd double down on the street life.

By 1999, Lloyd was living out of an office building at Santa Barbara Plaza, now known as Marlton Square in Baldwin Hills, a neighborhood in South Central L.A. Lloyd washed cars for $5 and would get residual checks to support himself. Police believe he also sold crack. In April 1999, Lloyd had an altercation with members of the Nation of Islam, after the altercation he moved in with his grandmother.

April turned out to be a good month, Lloyd got booked for the movie Lockdown. Filming for the movie started on July 14th, and took place at the Penitentiary of New Mexico, Santa Fe. Lloyd kept to himself, and mostly stayed in his hotel room.

One of the times did he hang out with the crew, he got in a fight with fellow actor De’Aundre Bonds. A tattoo artist named Chris broke up the fight, this made Lloyd start a feud with the movie’s hair and make-up department. “He said he was going to find me and my family when we got back to L.A.,” said makeup artist Melanie Mills, “and that he was going to murder us.” Lloyd also fought with actor Gabriel Casseus after filming their fight scene, and Lloyd threw a tantrum after finishing a scene where his character Nate was thrown in a freezer. Lloyd also continuously riled up producer and fellow actor Master P. It was inevitable that Lloyd would get fired from the movie.

The day Lloyd got fired from Lockdown was a wild one, frist Lloyd was caught smoking sherm and blasting music from a boombox. Lloyd was asked to turn the music down, this caused him to storm into the make up department, and lunged toward Melanie. Chris intercepted Lloyd by punching him in the face. Master P’s entourage chased Lloyd off the movie set, Lloyd still wearing his prisoner wardrobe, climbed the fence of the working prison across the street. Lockdown’s line producer had to plead with the prison guards and snipers to stand down. He had to explain that Lloyd was an actor on the set next door, and not an actual inmate. Lloyd was ordered to leave the state of New Mexico.

When Lloyd got back to L.A. he had auditions and wrote G in a Bottle. Lloyd moved in with aspiring model Sean Sparker, the son of Christine Chapman his agent at Privilege Talent and Models, the agency that represented Lloyd.

Lloyd auditioned for the role of G-ride, a gangster in the indie movie Shot. He got the part, again it was anything but smooth sailing, but the role of G-ride was made for Lloyd. He could be himself on camera, a gang member. Roger Roth, the movie’s writer and director, made Lloyd a technical advisor due to his knowledge on gang life. Roger said in an interview “I asked him if he was ever involved in killing. He just gave a smirk, I even thought it was kind of cool. It didn’t register, the heaviness of having to kill someone.”

During the making of Shot Lloyd threatened Roger life multiple times, Roger doesn’t really like to talk about the details.

Lloyd had a falling out with his roommate Sean, after Lloyd maced Sean’s mom Christine, during an argument at Privilege Talent and Models. The LAPD received a tip from Sean about a crime that Lloyd had committed.

On December 8th, 1999, Lloyd was arrested close to his grandmother’s house. Lloyd was on his Mongoose bike when he pulled up to an LAPD cruiser and said “What’s up?” before fleeing. The chase was short lived cause Lloyd collided with another LAPD cruiser, and was placed under arrest for a double homicide. Lloyd considered his arrest fate.

The double homicide Lloyd was arrested for happened on July 1st, 1999, in the Jungle around 4:00 p.m. Lloyd allegedly approached Annette Lewis and Percy Branch near Santa Barbara Plaza, an argument ensued, allegedly over a drug debt. Next, Lloyd allegedly pulled out his .45 caliber gun and shot Annette before shooting Percy. Annette died later that day, and Percy 3 weeks later from complications of the gunshot wound.

Lloyd became a devout christian while awaiting trial at North County Correctional Facility in Castaic, CA. It appears that Knucklehead #2, Lloyd’s character in Boyz N the Hood was on trial, not the devout christian other inmates at North County Correctional Facility nicknamed Baby Jesus.

The case against Lloyd was weak, a witness stated the shooter was 5'7” and dark-skinned on the stand, and Percy told police before he died that Lloyd wasn’t the person that shot him. The prosecution's star witness had credibility issues, and asked to be paid for his testimony. Even Judge Robert J. Perry said “It is shoddy police work, unquestionably.” and “It’s an embarrassment, certainly,” Lloyd took the stand himself and testified that he was “Somewhere in Hollywood,” at the time of the murders.

Despite the case against him being weak, nearly a year after his arrest, in December 2000, Lloyd was sentenced to life in prison for 2 counts of 1st degree murder.

In March 2001, Lloyd arrived at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, CA. He kept mostly to himself, and spread the word of God to other inmates.

In August 2005, Lloyd was paired up in a double cell with Kevin Roby. Kevin a paranoid schizophrenic, serving life in prison for the horrific rape and murder of his own sister. While incarcerated Kevin turned to Satanism.

Kevin said that Lloyd tried to convert him, from Satanism to Christianity. Kevin didn’t like this and warned Lloyd to stop. According to Kevin it all came to a head on September 4th, 2005, Kevin said "He was pushing his agenda to convert me to Christianity, which led to us fighting.” Kevin choked Lloyd unconscious, this led to Lloyd bleeding into his lungs, and dying.

Kevin didn’t want to alert guards that he killed Lloyd, and put Lloyd’s body under the covers on his bed. For the next day and a half during count, Lloyd was accounted for all 11 times, it wasn’t until Kevin placed Lloyd’s body in a pentagram, he had drawn on the floor of their cell, and used Lloyd’s blood to paint the cell’s walls, as part of a satanic ritual, that guards discovered Lloyd was dead. Kevin fooled the guards during the counts by using strings to pull Lloyd’s limbs, giving the impression Lloyd was alive.

If Lloyd killed Annette and Percy he absolutely should be sentenced to life in prison, but Lloyd didn’t deserve to go out like this. His role as a gang member in Boyz N the Hood caught up to him, it blurred the line of fiction and reality. By all accounts he was trying to better his life in jail and prison. Lloyd was 36 when he got killed by his celly Kevin, Kevin recieved another life sentence for Lloyd's murder.