Spike Lee

IMDB profile

Add to favorites

Edit page

Search at Amazon

Stats

Birth Name: Shelton Jackson Lee

Age: 68, born 20 March 1957

Country of origin: United States

Currently Residing In: United States

Height: 5' 7"

Relationship Status: Married

Partner: Tonya Lewis Lee

Lists

168 votes

Celebrity Insults (179 items)
list by Agent Kermit D. Fonz

Published 13 years, 7 months ago

21 comments

155 votes

A Change of Names (77 items)
list by tartan_skirt

Published 16 years, 7 months ago

23 comments

134 votes

Directors:The Filmography of... (207 items)
list by propelas

Published 14 years, 1 month ago

21 comments

109 votes

Directors' Favorite Actors/Actresses (94 items)
list by Stehako

Published 7 years, 6 months ago

14 comments

65 votes

Top20 Directors who frequently cast actors/actress (20 items)
list by cigaretteburn

Published 16 years, 5 months ago

12 comments

View all Spike Lee lists

Spike Lee Videos

Spike Lee - The Dolly Shot

96 Views, 1 votes

Added 10 years ago

View all Spike Lee videos

Photos

3 votes

1 vote

View all Spike Lee pictures

Description: Spike Lee was born Shelton Jackson Lee on March 20, 1957, in Atlanta, Georgia. At a very young age, he moved from pre-civil rights Georgia, to Brooklyn, New York. Lee came from artistic, education-grounded background; his father was a jazz musician, and his mother, a schoolteacher. He attended school in Morehouse College in Atlanta and developed his film making skills at Clark Atlanta University. After graduating from Morehouse, Lee attended 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 Spike Lee was born Shelton Jackson Lee on March 20, 1957, in Atlanta, Georgia. At a very young age, he moved from pre-civil rights Georgia, to Brooklyn, New York. Lee came from artistic, education-grounded background; his father was a jazz musician, and his mother, a schoolteacher. He attended school in Morehouse College in Atlanta and developed his film making skills at Clark Atlanta University. After graduating from Morehouse, Lee attended 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. 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, and earned $7 million at the box office, which launched his career and allowed him to found his own production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. His next movie was School Daze (1988), which was set at a historically black school, 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. With his School Daze (1988) profits, Lee went on to make his landmark film, Do the Right Thing (1989), a movie based specifically his own neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. The movie portrayed the racial tensions that emerge in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood on one very hot day. The movie garnered Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay, for Danny Aiello for supporting actor, and sparked a debate on racial relations. Lee went on to produce and direct the jazz biopic Mo' Better Blues (1990), the first of many Spike Lee films to feature Denzel Washington, including the biography of Malcolm X (1992), in which Washington portrayed the civil rights leader. The movie was a success, and garnered an Oscar nomination for Washington. The pair would work together again on He Got Game (1998), an excursion into the collegiate world showing the darker side of college athletic recruiting, as well as the 2006 film Inside Man (2006). Spike Lee's role as a documentarian has expanded over the years, highlighted by his participation in Lumière and Company (1995), the Oscar-nominated 4 Little Girls (1997), to his Peabody Award-winning biographical adaptation of Black Panther leader in A Huey P. Newton Story (2001), through his 2005 Emmy Award-winning examination of post-Katrina New Orleans in When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006) and its follow-up five years later If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise (2010). Through his production company 40 Acres and A Mule Filmworks, Lee continues to create and direct both independent films and projects for major studios, as well as working on story development, creating an internship program for aspiring filmmakers, releasing music, and community outreach and support. He is married to Tonya Lewis Lee, and they have two sons, Satchel and Jackson. ... (more)

Tags: Racist (5), Actor (4), American (3), Director (3), Garbage (2), Born 1957 (2), Creepy (2), Untalented (2), Producer (2), Hack (2), Black (2), Oscar Winner (2), Not Racist (2), Mookie (1), 40 Acres And A Mule (1), Film Professor (1), Basketball Fan (1), Do The Right Thing (1), Honorary Oscar Winner (1), Hollywood Liberal (1)

My tags:

Add tags

Movies directed by

Most popular

Top rated

Most recent

1. Inside Man

Rating:

7.3

1782 Watched

2. 25th Hour (2002)

Rating:

7.4

1190 Watched

3. Do the Right Thing (1989)

Rating:

7.5

846 Watched

4. Malcolm X (1992)

Rating:

7.3

657 Watched

5. BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Rating:

7.2

403 Watched

View all Spike Lee movies (25 more)

TV

Most popular

Top rated

Most recent

1. Saturday Night Live (1975)

Rating:

7.6

1166 Watched

2. The Daily Show (1996)

Rating:

7.6

1142 Watched

3. The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003)

Rating:

6.1

849 Watched

4. Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993)

Rating:

7.5

672 Watched

5. The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986)

Rating:

5.2

483 Watched

View all Spike Lee TV (52 more)

Movies

Most popular

Top rated

Most recent

1. Do the Right Thing (1989)

Rating:

7.5

846 Watched

2. Malcolm X (1992)

Rating:

7.3

657 Watched

3. Summer of Sam

Rating:

6.5

309 Watched

4. Jungle Fever (1991)

Rating:

6.6

228 Watched

5. Hoop Dreams (1994)

Rating:

8.1

181 Watched

View all Spike Lee movies (32 more)

Movies written by

Most popular

Top rated

Most recent

1. Do the Right Thing (1989)

Rating:

7.5

846 Watched

2. Malcolm X (1992)

Rating:

7.3

657 Watched

3. Summer of Sam

Rating:

6.5

309 Watched

4. He Got Game

Rating:

243 Watched

5. Jungle Fever (1991)

Rating:

6.6

228 Watched

View all Spike Lee movies (9 more)

TV directed by

Most popular

Top rated

Most recent

1. Shark (2006)

Rating:

6.3

159 Watched

2. When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006- )

Rating:

8.4

18 Watched

3. Great Performances (1971)

Rating:

9.1

15 Watched

4. She's Gotta Have It

Rating:

9 Watched

5. Kobe Doin' Work

Rating:

7.1

8 Watched

View all Spike Lee TV (10 more)

Music

1. Do It A Cappella (1990 Television Show) (2013)

Rating:

2 own

Books

1. By Any Means Necessary: The Trials and Tribulations of the Making of Malcolm X

Rating:

8.3

2 own

2. Fight the Power: Rap, Race, and Reality (1998)

Rating:

6.5

1 own

3. Please, Puppy, Please (2005)

Rating:

0 want this

TV written by

1. She's Gotta Have It

Rating:

9 Watched

Update feed

Arizona posted a image 6 months, 2 weeks ago

Arizona posted a image 8 months, 3 weeks ago

Stehako added this to a list 1 year ago

Most Accomplished Active Directors - 2024 (100 person items)

" Upcoming: Da Understudy (2025) Boner (2026) "

Emi posted a image 1 year, 5 months ago

A.M.A posted a image 1 year, 7 months ago

Agent Kermit D. Fonz added this to a list 1 year, 7 months ago

Favourite Directors (98 person items)

"Favourite films: Inside Man, Malcolm X, Black KKKlansman, Do the Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Mo’ Better Blues, She’s Gotta Have It, and School Daze, Clocker, and Crooklyn "

Agent Kermit D. Fonz added this to a list 1 year, 7 months ago

Iconic People and Celebrities (1031 person items)

Stehako added this to a list 1 year, 9 months ago

Most Accomplished Active Directors - 2023 (101 person items)

" Upcoming: Da Understudy (2024) Boner (2025) "

Agent Kermit D. Fonz added this to a list 2 years, 6 months ago

My Favourite Celebrities (433 person items)

samira voted for an image 2 years, 11 months ago

djprojexion added this to a list 3 years, 3 months ago

The 90's, Best Decade For Movies? (58 person items)

"1. Mo' Better Blues (1990) 2. Jungle Fever (1991) 3. Malcolm X (1992) 4. Crooklyn (1994) 5. Clockers (1995) 6. Girl 6 (1996) 7. He Got Game (1998) 8. Summer of Sam (1999)"

A.M.A posted a image 3 years, 5 months ago

Brandon Carreon added this to a list 3 years, 5 months ago

Mis Directores De Cine Favoritos (10 person items)

L90 added this to a list 3 years, 8 months ago

Maybe There's Still Hope for Love in Hollywood (305 person items)

"♥ Spike Lee & Tonya Lewis ♥ Together since September 1992, married since October 1993. "

Stehako added this to a list 3 years, 9 months ago

Most-accomplished Active Directors (2021 Edition) (50 person items)

"2020 Rank: #43 2019 Rank: #44 2018 Rank: OUT 2017 Rank: OUT 2016 Rank: OUT 2015 Rank: OUT 2014 Rank: #39 2013 Rank: #35 2012 Rank: #35 2011 Rank: #20 2010 Rank: #14 2009 Rank: #17 Do the Right Thing (1989) Malcolm X (1992) Clockers (1995) He Got Game (1998) 25th Hour (2002) Inside Man (2006) Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016) BlacKkKlansman (2018) David Byrne's American Utopia (2020) Da 5 Bloods (2020) Upcoming: Prince of Cats (2022) "

omnivorousrex added this to a list 4 years ago

Tribute...Black directors...Behind the camera (79 person items)

Brandon Carreon added this to a list 4 years, 1 month ago

Mis Directores De Cine Favoritos (10 person items)

A.M.A posted a image 4 years, 1 month ago

Dj Levels added this to a list 4 years, 2 months ago

Notable African Americans who helped pave the way (64 person items)

"On Jan. 12, 2021, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association named Jackson and Satchel Lee -- filmmaker Spike Lee's children with producer Tonya Lewis Lee -- as its 2021 Golden Globe Ambassadors (an honor previously known as Miss or Mr. Golden Globe). Not only are they the first Black siblings named to the position, but Jackson is the first Black male ambassador in Golden Globes history."

Dj Levels added this to a list 4 years, 2 months ago

Behind the camera...Black directors (75 person items)

Dj Levels added this to a list 4 years, 3 months ago

Celeb..Black Actors...Entertainers..Some Modeling (342 person items)

Stehako added this to a list 4 years, 6 months ago

Most-accomplished Active Directors (2020 Edition) (50 person items)

"2019 Rank: #44 2018 Rank: OUT 2017 Rank: OUT 2016 Rank: OUT 2015 Rank: OUT 2014 Rank: #39 2013 Rank: #35 2012 Rank: #35 2011 Rank: #20 2010 Rank: #14 2009 Rank: #17 Do the Right Thing (1989) Malcolm X (1992) Clockers (1995) He Got Game (1998) 25th Hour (2002) Inside Man (2006) Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016) BlacKkKlansman (2018) Upcoming: Da 5 Bloods (2020) "

darthjoker12 added this to a list 4 years, 11 months ago

12 Years a Slave (1983) (10 movies items)

"Director!"

onclelapin posted 2 images 5 years, 1 month ago

Exclusive voted for an image 5 years, 1 month ago

Close the Camps posted a image 5 years, 3 months ago

cyrax36 added this to a list 5 years, 3 months ago

Top Grossing Directors (200 person items)

smithger added this to a list 5 years, 8 months ago

ACTORS WITH MASTERS AND PhD (15 person items)

Stehako added this to a list 6 years ago

Most Accomplished Active Directors (2019 Edition) (50 person items)

" 2018 Rank: OUT 2017 Rank: OUT 2016 Rank: OUT 2015 Rank: OUT 2014 Rank: #39 2013 Rank: #35 2012 Rank: #35 2011 Rank: #20 2010 Rank: #14 2009 Rank: #17 Do the Right Thing (1989) Malcolm X (1992) Clockers (1995) He Got Game (1998) 25th Hour (2002) Inside Man (2006) Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016) BlacKkKlansman (2018) "

darthjoker12 added this to a list 6 years, 2 months ago

Black Panther (1998) (15 movies items)

"Director!"

Leo added this to a list 6 years, 2 months ago

Oscar Best Director Nominees (159 person items)

IsabellaSilentRose posted a image 6 years, 3 months ago

SA-512 posted a image 6 years, 3 months ago

moviebuff added this to a list 6 years, 7 months ago

Moviebuff's Top 15 Most Influential Filmmakers (15 person items)

Stehako added this to a list 7 years, 6 months ago

Directors' Favorite Actors/Actresses (94 person items)

"Denzel Washington - Mo' Better Blues (1990) - Malcolm X (1992) - He Got Game (1998) - Inside Man (2006) John Turturro - Do The Right Thing (1989) - Mo' Better Blues (1990) - Jungle Fever (1991) - Clockers (1995) - Girl 6 (1996) - He Got Game (1998) - Summer of Sam (1999) Samuel L. Jackson - School Daze (1988) - Do the Right Thing (1989) - Mo Better Blues (1990) - Jungle Fever (1991) - Oldboy (2013) - Chiraq (2016)"

darthjoker12 added this to a list 7 years, 8 months ago