Image of Spike Lee

Spike Lee

1957-03-20 Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Image of Spike Lee

Biografia

Spike Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American filmmaker and actor. He was born Shelton Lee in Atlanta, Georgia. At a very young age, he moved from pre-civil rights Georgia, to Brooklyn, New York. His father was a jazz musician, and his mother, a school teacher. His mother dubbed him Spike, due to his tough nature. He attended school in Morehouse College in Atlanta and developed his film making skills at Clark Atlanta University. After graduating, he went to the Tisch School of Arts graduate film program. He made a controversial short, The Answer (1980), a reworking of D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915) -- a ten-minute film. Lee went on to produce a 45-minute film Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983), which won a student academy award. Lee's next film, "The Messenger," in 1984, was somewhat biographical. In 1986, Spike Lee made the film, She's Gotta Have It (1986), a comedy about sexual relationships. The movie was made for 175,000 dollars, and made seven million. Since then, Lee has become a well-known, intelligent, and talented film maker. His next movie was School Daze (1988), which was set in a historically black school and focused mostly on the conflict between the school and the Fraternities, of which he was a strong critic, portraying them as materialistic, irresponsible, and uncaring. Lee went on to do his landmark film, Do the Right Thing (1989), a movie specifically about his own town in Brooklyn, New York. The movie garnered an Oscar nomination, for Danny Aiello, for supporting actor. It also sparked a debate on racial relations. Lee went on to produce the jazz biopic Mo' Better Blues (1990) which showed his talent for directing and acting, and was the first of many Spike Lee films to feature Denzel Washington. His next film, Jungle Fever (1991), was about interracial dating. Lee's handling of the subject proved yet again highly controversial. Lee's next film was the self-titled biography of Malcolm X (1992), which had Denzel Washington portraying the civil rights leader. The movie was a success, and resulted in an Oscar nomination for Washington. His next films were the comparatively light, Crooklyn (1994), and the intense crime drama, Clockers (1995). In 1996, Lee directed two movies: the badly received comedy, Girl 6 (1996), and the politically pointed, Get on the Bus (1996), about a group of men going to the Million Man March. His next film, He Got Game (1998), proved to be another excursion into the collegiate world as he shows the darker side of recruiting college athletes. The movie, in limited release, yet again featured Denzel Washington. In 2000 came Bamboozled which made a mockery out of television and the way African-Americans are perceived by white America and the way African-Americans perceive themselves. The movie, however, was a resounding critical success. Lee also has produced films like New Jersey Drive (1995), Tales from the Hood (1995), and Drop Squad (1994). He also has produced and or directed movies about Huey P. Newton, Jim Brown, and has commented in many documentaries about varied subjects. Lee is an obsessive New York Knicks fan. He and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, have two children.

Películas

Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music Self 2025-01-27
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions Self (archive footage) 2025-01-27
Be A Part of It Self 2024-04-04
Samuel L. Jackson: Did I Stutter? self 2023-07-08
Sidney Self 2022-09-10
Denzel Washington : Un modèle américain Self 2022-10-15
Seen It All Mars Blackmon 2022-05-16
Hommage d’une fille à son père Self 2022-05-17
Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist Self 2021-04-17
A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks Self 2021-06-18
Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn Self (archive footage) 2020-08-12
Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1 Self 2018-04-22
Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists Self 2018-11-15
Be Truly Free Narrator (voice) 2017-03-01
Продавцы планктона Self (archive footage) 2017-10-29
Birth of a Movement Self 2017-02-06
Axé: Canto do Povo de um Lugar Self (archive footage) 2017-01-19
Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall Self 2016-02-06
Ray Allen/AKA- Jesus Shuttlesworth 2015-02-06
French Cinema Mon Amour Self 2015-07-06
Director Spike Lee's New York City Self 2015-04-10
Champs Self 2015-03-13
Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee Self 2014-06-22
We the People: From Crispus Attucks to President Barack Obama 2014-02-11
Brooklyn Boheme Self 2012-02-27
Bad 25 Self 2012-11-22
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ Self 2012-06-07
Red Hook Summer Mr. Mookie 2012-08-10
Guest Self 2011-03-25
A Man's Story Self 2011-10-08
On the Shoulders of Giants 2011-02-11
Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks Self 2010-03-14
Four Days in October Self (archive footage) 2010-10-05
Do the Right Thing: 20 Years Later Self 2009-06-30
Kobe Doin' Work Self 2009-05-16
PoliWood Self 2009-07-03
40 x 15: The Forty Years of the Directors' Fortnight Self 2008-05-18
Beyond Wiseguys: Italian Americans & the Movies 2008-01-20
Lights, Action, Music Self 2007-08-06
Pixote In Memoriam Self 2007-10-30
Through the Fire 2005-01-01
Street Fight Self 2005-04-23
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X' Self 2005-02-08
Life O' The Party: On the Road with Prince and the New Power Generation Self 2005-06-07
How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It) 2005-04-07
No Fighting in the War Room Or: 'Dr Strangelove' and the Nuclear Threat Self 2004-10-28
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove' Self 2004-10-28
Five Directors On The Battle of Algiers Self 2004-08-01
The Evolution of an American Filmmaker Self 2003-05-20
It's Black Entertainment Self 2002-02-08
New York at the Movies Self 2002-07-07
The Making and Meaning of 'We Are Family' Self 2002-01-09
3 A.M. Filmmaker 2001-07-01
The Making of 'Bamboozled' Self 2001-04-17
Lisa Picard Is Famous Spike Lee 2000-05-14
Michael Jordan to the Max Self 2000-05-05
Summer of Sam John Jeffries 1999-06-28
4 Little Girls Interviewer (voice) (uncredited) 1997-07-09
When We Were Kings Self 1996-10-25
Girl 6 Jimmy 1996-03-22
The Universal Story Self (archive footage) 1996-04-21
The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money Self 1996-11-17
Below the Rim 1995-01-01
Clockers Chucky 1995-09-15
Hoop Dreams Self 1994-09-12
A Century of Cinema Self 1994-01-01
Drop Squad Himself 1994-10-28
Crooklyn Snuffy 1994-05-13
Seven Songs for Malcolm X 1993-10-01
The Last Party Self 1993-08-27
Adieu, Babylone! Self 1993-08-28
Our Hollywood Education Self 1992-05-28
Malcolm X Shorty 1992-11-18
Jungle Fever Cyrus 1991-06-07
Branford Marsalis: Steep Self 1991-01-04
Sous les marches du palais Self 1991-09-14
MTV's 10th Anniversary Special Self 1991-06-06
Lonely in America Spike Lee (Newsstand Customer) (uncredited) 1990-09-30
Spike Lee & Company: Do It a Cappella Self 1990-01-01
Mo' Better Blues Giant 1990-08-03
First Works Self 1989-10-10
Decade Self 1989-12-09
Making 'Do the Right Thing' Self 1989-11-03
Do the Right Thing Mookie 1989-06-14
Public Enemy: Fight the Power... Live! 1989-01-01
School Daze Darrell 'Half-Pint' Dunlap 1988-02-12
She's Gotta Have It Mars Blackmon 1986-08-08
Do The Right Thing 25 Year Anniversary A Beats Music Experience Spike Lee
Number 4 Self
Megadoc Self