Spike Lee
Personal Info
Known for
Directing
Gender
Male
Birthday
1957-03-20 (68 years old)
Place of Birth
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Spike Lee
Biography
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.
Acting
Number 4
as Self
Megadoc
as Self
(2025)
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
as Self (Archive Footage)
(2025)
(2024)
Be A Part of It
as Self
(2023)
(2022)
Seen It All
as Mars Blackmon
(2022)
(2022)
Sidney
as Self
(2022)
(2021)
(2021)
(2020)
Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn
as Self (archive footage)
(2018)
(2018)
Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1
as Self
(2017)
Be Truly Free
as Narrator (voice)
(2017)
Axé: Music of a People
as Self (archive footage)
(2017)
Plankton Salesmen
as Self (archive footage)
(2017)
Birth of a Movement
as Self
(2016)
(2015)
Champs
as Self
(2015)
French Cinema Mon Amour
as Self
(2015)
(2015)
(2014)
(2014)
(2012)
Brooklyn Boheme
as Self
(2012)
Bad 25
as Self
(2012)
(2012)
Red Hook Summer
as Mr. Mookie
(2011)
Guest
as Self
(2011)
A Man's Story
as Self
(2011)
(2010)
(2010)
Four Days in October
as Self (archive footage)
(2009)
PoliWood
as Self
(2009)
(2009)
Kobe Doin' Work
as Self
(2008)
(2008)
(2007)
Pixote In Memoriam
as Self
(2007)
Lights, Action, Music
as Self
(2005)
Street Fight
as Self
(2005)
(2005)
(2005)
(2005)
(2004)
(2004)
(2004)
(2003)
(2002)
New York at the Movies
as Self
(2002)
It's Black Entertainment
as Self
(2002)
(2001)
3 A.M.
as Filmmaker
(2001)
The Making of 'Bamboozled'
as Self
(2000)
Michael Jordan to the Max
as Self
(2000)
Lisa Picard Is Famous
as Spike Lee
(1999)
Summer of Sam
as John Jeffries
(1997)
4 Little Girls
as Interviewer (voice) (uncredited)
(1996)
When We Were Kings
as Self
(1996)
Girl 6
as Jimmy
(1996)
(1996)
The Universal Story
as Self (archive footage)
(1995)
Clockers
as Chucky
(1995)
(1994)
Crooklyn
as Snuffy
(1994)
A Century of Cinema
as Self
(1994)
Hoop Dreams
as Self
(1994)
Drop Squad
as Himself
(1993)
The Last Party
as Self
(1993)
(1993)
Farewell, Babylon!
as Self
(1992)
Malcolm X
as Shorty
(1992)
Our Hollywood Education
as Self
(1991)
Jungle Fever
as Cyrus
(1991)
(1991)
Sous les marches du palais
as Self
(1991)
Branford Marsalis: Steep
as Self
(1990)
Lonely in America
as Spike Lee
(1990)
Mo' Better Blues
as Giant
(1990)
(1989)
Do the Right Thing
as Mookie
(1989)
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
as Self
(1989)
First Works
as Self
(1989)
Decade
as Self
(1989)
(1988)
School Daze
as Darrell 'Half-Pint' Dunlap
(1986)
She's Gotta Have It
as Mars Blackmon
Crew
Boner
Writer, Director, Producer
Da Understudy
Director, Executive Producer
Prince of Cats
Director, Screenplay
Liberty
Producer
(2025)
Highest 2 Lowest
Executive Producer, Director
(2025)
Nervous Energy
Executive Producer
(2025)
In Between Storms
Executive Producer
(2025)
How I Learned to Die
Executive Producer
(2025)
Talk Me
Executive Producer
(2024)
F*ck That Guy
Executive Producer
(2024)
PUNTER
Executive Producer
(2023)
In Freedom
Executive Producer
(2022)
Seen It All
Director
(2022)
You Resemble Me
Executive Producer
(2021)
Son of the South
Executive Producer
(2020)
Da 5 Bloods
Writer, Producer, Director
(2020)
David Byrne's American Utopia
Director, Executive Producer
(2020)
New York New York
Director
(2020)
Tales from the Hood 3
Executive Producer
(2020)
(2019)
Land of the Free
Director
(2019)
See You Yesterday
Producer
(2018)
BlacKkKlansman
Writer, Director, Producer
(2018)
Pass Over
Producer, Director
(2018)
Tales from the Hood 2
Executive Producer
(2018)
The Black 14
Executive Producer
(2018)
Amazing Grace
Producer
(2018)
Time 2 Surrender
Executive Producer
(2018)
Cherish
Executive Producer
(2018)
Nigerian Prince
Executive Producer
(2017)
Be Truly Free
Director
(2017)
Rodney King
Director, Producer
(2016)
(2016)
2 Fists Up
Director, Producer
(2016)
Touched with Fire
Executive Producer
(2015)
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus
Screenplay, Director, Producer
(2015)
The Girl Is in Trouble
Executive Producer
(2015)
Chi-Raq
Writer, Director, Producer
(2015)
Stop
Thanks
(2015)
(2015)
Cronies
Executive Producer
(2014)
Dirty Hands
Executive Producer
(2014)
(2014)
Throw Like A Girl
Director
(2014)
Katt Williams: Priceless: Afterlife
Director, Producer
(2014)
I Can't Breathe
Director, Writer
(2014)
(2014)
Evolution of a Criminal
Executive Producer
(2013)
Oldboy
Director
(2013)
Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth
Director, Executive Producer
(2012)
Red Hook Summer
Director, Screenplay, Producer
(2012)
Bad 25
Director
(2012)
You're Nobody 'til Somebody Kills You
Executive Producer
(2012)
One Night
Presenter
(2011)
Pariah
Executive Producer
(2011)
Doubles with Slight Pepper
Executive Producer
(2010)
Saint John of Las Vegas
Executive Producer
(2009)
Kobe Doin' Work
Producer, Director
(2009)
Passing Strange
Director
(2009)
(2008)
Miracle at St. Anna
Director, Producer
(2008)
Genesis | Come Rain or Shine
Camera Operator
(2006)
Inside Man
Director
(2005)
All the Invisible Children
Director, Producer
(2005)
Jesus Children of America
Director
(2005)
(2004)
She Hate Me
Director, Screenplay, Producer
(2004)
Sucker Free City
Director
(2003)
Good Fences
Executive Producer
(2002)
25th Hour
Producer, Director
(2002)
Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet
Director, Producer
(2002)
Jim Brown: All-American
Director, Producer
(2001)
A Huey P. Newton Story
Director
(2001)
3 A.M.
Producer, Co-Executive Producer
(2001)
Come Rain or Come Shine
Director of Photography, Director
(2001)
The Concert for New York City
Director
(2001)
The Making of 'Bamboozled'
Director
(2001)
Home Invaders
Executive Producer
(2000)
The Original Kings of Comedy
Director, Producer
(2000)
Bamboozled
Director, Screenplay, Producer
(2000)
Love & Basketball
Producer
(2000)
One Morning All Over the World
Director
(2000)
Bernie Mac: Live from Charlotte
Director
(1999)
Summer of Sam
Director, Writer, Producer
(1999)
(1999)
The Best Man
Producer
(1998)
He Got Game
Screenplay, Producer, Director
(1998)
John Leguizamo: Freak
Director
(1998)
(1997)
HIStory on Film, Volume II
Director
(1997)
4 Little Girls
Director, Producer, Writer
(1996)
Girl 6
Director, Producer
(1996)
Get on the Bus
Director, Executive Producer
(1995)
Clockers
Director, Screenplay, Producer
(1995)
Lumière & Company
Director
(1995)
Tales from the Hood
Executive Producer
(1995)
New Jersey Drive
Executive Producer
(1994)
Crooklyn
Director, Producer, Screenplay
(1994)
Drop Squad
Executive Producer
(1992)
Malcolm X
Director, Screenplay, Producer
(1992)
(1991)
Jungle Fever
Producer, Director, Writer
(1991)
Suspect
Thanks
(1990)
Mo' Better Blues
Writer, Director, Producer
(1990)
Spike Lee Presents Mike Tyson
Director
(1989)
Do the Right Thing
Screenplay, Producer, Director
(1988)
School Daze
Writer, Director, Producer
(1986)
She's Gotta Have It
Director, Writer, Producer, Editor
(1986)
Horn of Plenty
Director, Writer
(1983)
Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads
Director, Writer, Editor, Producer
(1981)
Sarah
Director
(1980)
The Answer
Director