Person Details

Birthday: 1957-03-20 00:04:53

Aliases: Спайк Ли , سبايك لي , 스파이크 리 , スパイク・リー , สไปค์ ลี , 史派克·李 , Σπάικ Λι

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 215

TV Involvements: 26


Most Famous Work

Biography

Spike Lee was born Shelton Lee in 1957, in Atlanta, Georgia. At a very young age, he moved from pre-civil rights Georgia, to Brooklyn, New York. Lee came from a proud and intelligent background. 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 portrayed a neighborhood on a very hot day, and the racial tensions that emerge. 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. With pointed political messages, insightful, different and intelligent films, Spike Lee has become a well known political presence. He looks likely to have further success in the film business. Lee is an obsessive New York Knicks fan. He and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, have two children.

Most Famous Work

Shark
Average
7

Shark

(2006) Director
Inside Man
Average
7

Inside Man

(2006) Director
Oldboy
Average
6

Oldboy

(2013) Producer
BlacKkKlansman
Average
8

BlacKkKlansman

(2018) Writer
Malcolm X
Average
8

Malcolm X

(1992) Screenplay
Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall
Average
7
Do the Right Thing
Average
8

Do the Right Thing

(1989) Screenplay
He Got Game
Average
7

He Got Game

(1998) Screenplay

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2022 Self
Self
Mars Blackmon
Self
2021 Self
Self
Self (archive footage)
Self
2020 Self
Self (Archive Footage)
2019 Self - Guest
Self - Illustrious Guest
2018 Self
(archive footage)
Himself
2017 Drum Major
Narrator (voice)
Self
Self (archive footage)
2015 Self
Self
Self
Himself
Self
N/A
2014 Self
Self
N/A
2012 Self
Mr. Mookie
Himself
2011 Self
Self
N/A
2010 Himself
Self
2009 Self
Self
Self
2008 Self
N/A
2007 Self
N/A
2005 Self
Self
Self
N/A
Self
N/A
2004 Self
Self
Self
2003 Self
Self
2002 Self
Self
Self
2001 Filmmaker
Self
2000 Spike Lee
Himself
1999 Self
John Jeffries
1997 Self
Interviewer (voice) (uncredited)
N/A
1996 Self
Self
Self
Self (archive footage)
Jimmy
1995 Chucky
N/A
1994 Self
Self
Snuffy
Self
1993 N/A
Self
Self
1992 Shorty
Special Agent Pete
Special Agent Pete (archive footage)
N/A
1991 Cyrus
Self
N/A
1990 Himself
Giant
N/A
Self
1989 Self
Self
Self
Mookie
N/A
1988 Self
Darrell 'Half-Pint' Dunlap
1986 Mars Blackmon
1975 Mars Blackmon
Self (uncredited)
1971 Self
1953 Self
N/A
Year Character Movie/Tv

Production

Year Role Movie/Tv
2023 Executive Producer
2022 Executive Producer
Executive Producer
2021 Producer
Executive Producer
2020 Executive Producer
Executive Producer
Producer
2019 Producer
2018 Producer
Executive Producer
Producer
Executive Producer
Executive Producer
Executive Producer
Executive Producer
Producer
2017 Producer
2016 Producer
Executive Producer
2015 Producer
Executive Producer
Executive Producer
2014 Producer
Producer
Executive Producer
Executive Producer
2013 Executive Producer
Producer
2012 Executive Producer
2011 Executive Producer
Executive Producer
2010 Producer
Executive Producer
2009 Producer
2008 Producer
2006 Producer
2004 Producer
2003 Executive Producer
2002 Producer
Producer
Producer
2001 Executive Producer
Producer
Co-Executive Producer
2000 Producer
Producer
Producer
1999 Producer
Producer
1998 Producer
1997 Producer
1996 Executive Producer
Producer
1995 Producer
Executive Producer
Executive Producer
1994 Executive Producer
Producer
1992 Producer
1991 Producer
1990 Producer
1989 Producer
1988 Producer
1986 Producer
1983 Producer
Executive Producer
Producer
Producer
Year Role Movie/Tv

Directing

Year Role Movie/Tv
2022 Director
2021 Director
2020 Director
Director
Director
Director
2019 Director
2018 Director
Director
2017 Director
Director
Director
2016 Director
Director
2015 Director
Director
2014 Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
2013 Director
Director
2012 Director
Director
2010 Director
2009 Director
Director
Director
2008 Director
2006 Director
Director
Director
2005 Director
Director
Director
2004 Director
Director
2002 Director
Director
Director
2001 Director
Director
Director
Director
2000 Director
Director
Director
Director
1999 Director
Director
1998 Director
Director
Director
1997 Director
Director
1996 Director
Director
1995 Director
Director
1994 Director
1992 Director
Director
1991 Director
1990 Director
1989 Director
1988 Director
1986 Director
Director
1983 Director
1981 Director
1980 Director
Director
Director
Director
Year Role Movie/Tv

Writing

Creator

Crew

Camera

Year Role Movie/Tv
2008 Camera Operator
Year Role Movie/Tv

Editing


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