Director Michael Shultz wanted authentic characters to fill the gangster roles. He was told by Chicago police of two petty thieves who hung out together, Gibson and Sherman Smith, so Michael sought them out. Smith said in an interview that he and Gibson were just walking down the street when Schultz rolled up on them in a limo, asking them to read for the parts. Gibson was shot to death just one year and three months after Cooley High was released. This occurred in his Chicago neighborhood, where he was reportedly robbed by other stick-up men during a dice game. Smith was later convicted of armed robbery and served eight years in prison, but Cooley High cast mate Jackie Taylor helped him rehabilitate by giving him a job as a janitor at her Black Ensemble Theater in Chicago. He later moved on to acting roles in various productions there.
