In a moving tribute to his mother and wife, accomplished movie producer and influential Hollywood Christian Devon Franklin says, “To my mother and Meagan, I love you. I appreciate you. You are how I got my magic.”
DeVon Franklin is the President and CEO of Franklin Entertainment, a multi-media company that produces inspirational and commercial content. The company has a first-look film deal with 20th Century Fox. Some of his best-known films are The Pursuit of Happyness, The Karate Kid, Jumping the Broom, and Heaven Is For Real, Miracles From Heaven, and The STAR. Devon Franklin is also a New York Times bestselling author and devoted Christian husband. With his wife, Meagan Good, Devon co-authored The Wait: A Powerful Practice for Finding the Love of Your Life and the Life You Love (about saving sex for marriage).
Devon’s tribute is an example of Proverbs 31:28-29: Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”
In Devon’s video on bet.com, he tells host Taraji P. Henson that his mother, Paulette Franklin, is The Real Wonder Woman.
Devon says he remembers his mom saying “no” a lot. But when she said yes, it really mattered. And what he learned from that is “Yeses have power. Don’t just say yes to everything. Sometimes your no’s help you stay focused on where your no’s should be.”
Devon’s dad, Donald Ray Franklin, dealt with alcoholism and had heart disease. He died at the age of 36 when Devon was only 9 years old.
Devon says the dynamic changed in his father’s absence and his mom became a single parent. But his mom made sure that he and his brothers were surrounded with lots of family and love.
“She really began to rely on my grandmother and her seven sisters…” Devon says. “It was literally a village of people — of women — that came together and surrounded me and my older brother and younger brother to make sure that we had what we needed to try to navigate the bridge between having a father and not having a father.”
Devon gives credit to these strong women in his life because things could’ve turned out otherwise.
“And for so many young black men,” Devon says, “that’s hard. Not having that example in the house is hard. But I do believe that you can make up the difference when you have the right women in your life.”
Devon says that he and his two brothers are examples of what happens when that village of women surrounds you.
More About Devon Franklin
According to Devon’s site
Devon is a recognized authority on spirituality, faith, and the entertainment business, DeVon is one of the youngest executives in Hollywood history. Beliefnet named DeVon one of the “Most Influential Christians Under 40.” Variety Magazine called him one of the “Top 10 Producers to Watch.” Ebony Magazine named him one of the “Top 100 Influential African-Americans in America.” He’s been interviewed by Oprah, Dr. Oz, Steve Harvey, Dr. Phil, CNN, and featured in numerous radio, print, and online appearances.
DeVon got his start in Hollywood as an 18-year-old intern for Will Smith. Today, he is the President & CEO of Franklin Entertainment, a multi-media company that produces inspirational and commercial content. The company currently has a first-look film deal with 20th Century Fox.
Currently, DeVon is working on BREAKTHROUGH, formerly THE IMPOSSIBLE, THE BOY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, and FLAMIN’ HOT CHEETOS with 20th Century Fox, as well as Music to My Ears, a hybrid musical, with 20th Century Fox’s newly created Fox Family division, a reboot of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe franchise with Columbia Pictures, and a remake of the classic film, Cooley High, with Common at MGM. He is also producing a TV show called Spirit of the Law, based on the life of a California Pastor and a Department of Justice agent, Chi-Arts, a music-driven drama at ABC and a reboot of Foxy Brown with Meagan Good.
