Timothy Kevin Story is an American film director. He is best known for Barbershop (2002), Fantastic Four (2005), and the Ride Along franchise. He has been nominated for two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film/Television Movie in 2006 and 2013. He is the founder of The Story Company, a production company co-founded with his future wife, Vicky, in 1996. He is the first African-American film director to have grossed over US$1 billion at the box office. Born in Los Angeles on March 13, 1970, Story attended LA's Westchester High School with jazz pianist Eric Reed and actresses Regina King and Nia Long. He was senior class president at Westchester High. He graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 1991. While in high school, Story briefly attempted a career in music. He was part of Ice-T's Rhyme Syndicate and even appeared as a member of the group T.D.F. on the song "T.D.F. Connection" from the 1988 compilation album Rhyme Syndicate Comin' Through. A group member was shot and killed prior to them being signed to Warner Bros. Records. Story later turned his attention to directing feature films. Fantastic Four became, at the time, the highest-grossing superhero movie by an African-American director.
