Photo: Getty Images
A formerly homeless artist is in talks with filmmakers after his artwork went viral. Details about Richard Hutchins, a Los Angeles-based artist, and his chance meeting with 2 Chainz’s former manager in a grocery store parking lot on Easter Sunday landed him more A-list customers and also inspired filmmakers to write scripts about the artist's life.
“I went into Target, and I’ve never seen Target closed before, Walmart, Target, they’re just always open,” Charlie Rocket, former manager for the Atlanta rapper, told TMZ Live on Monday (June 28). “So I was like, you know what, let’s go over to Ralphs, we pull up to Ralphs, and this guy is sitting on a shopping cart with amazing energy. [Richard] said, ‘Nephew, I like your car, let me drive it.’” From there the two sat down to share a laugh, with Hutchins telling Rocket his life’s story.
“I was like, ‘I like this guy,’” Rocket said. “How I look at it is, God closed down Target just so I could meet Richard and we fell in love with him ever since.”
“He started telling us his story about how he used to be a world-famous artist, like he would win art shows and he painted for Muhammad Ali and you know Richard Pryor and all these different people have his art,” Rocket told the outlet. “He just started showing us his art and that’s what inspired us to make Richard’s dream come true because his dream was simple, ‘I just want people to be inspired by my work.’”
Since their meeting, Hutchins has hosted a show and auction in Beverly Hills, and added 2 Chainz, Steve Harvey, and Oprah to his list of customers. The artist also said he’s been sent multiple scripts from filmmakers interested in turning his life story into a film.
Hutchins continues to inspire with his mission to help support others experiencing homelessness. “I’m going to go back to skid row and see where I can be of use,” Hutchins said. “At this point, I have over $200,000 in gross.”
Check out more of Richard Hutchins work and journey here.
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