Spike Lee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Spike Lee
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Lee in 2024
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| Born |
Shelton Jackson Lee
March 20, 1957 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
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| Education | Morehouse College (BA) New York University (MFA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1977–present |
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Works
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Filmography |
| Board member of | 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks |
| Spouse(s) |
Tonya Lewis
(m. 1993) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) |
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| Relatives |
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| Awards | Full list |
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is a famous American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His movies often explore important topics like race relations, life in the black community, and the power of the media. He also looks at issues like crime and poverty in cities.
Lee has won many awards for his work, including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a BAFTA Award. He has also received special honors for his lifetime of work in film. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has made over 35 films since 1983.
He directed many well-known films, such as Do the Right Thing (1989), Malcolm X (1992), Inside Man (2006), and BlacKkKlansman (2018). Lee often acts in his own movies. He has also directed documentaries, including 4 Little Girls (1997) and the HBO series When the Levees Broke (2006).
Many famous actors, like Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, and Rosie Perez, have given amazing performances in his films. Several of his movies have been chosen by the Library of Congress to be preserved in the National Film Registry. This means they are considered important to American culture and history.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
Spike Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His mother, Jacqueline, was a teacher, and his father, Bill, was a jazz musician. Lee has five younger siblings, and some of them have worked with him on his films. His cousin, Malcolm D. Lee, is also a film director.
When Lee was a child, his family moved to Brooklyn, New York. His mother gave him the nickname "Spike." He went to high school in Brooklyn and later attended Morehouse College in Atlanta. At Morehouse, he made his first student film. After college, he went to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a master's degree in film and television.
Career in Filmmaking
The 1980s: Getting Started
In 1983, Lee's student film, Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads, was shown at a major film festival. It even won a Student Academy Award. This was a big step in his career.
In 1985, Lee made his first feature film, She's Gotta Have It. He made the movie on a small budget in just two weeks. It was a huge success and helped start the independent film movement of the 1980s. It also changed how black people were shown in movies, presenting them as smart and modern.
His next big film was Do the Right Thing in 1989. The movie is about racial tensions in a Brooklyn neighborhood on a very hot day. Many critics, including Roger Ebert, called it one of the best films of the year. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, including one for Lee for Best Original Screenplay.
The 1990s: Major Successes
In the 1990s, Lee continued to make powerful films. He worked with actor Denzel Washington for the first time in Mo' Better Blues (1990). His next film, Jungle Fever (1991), featured a memorable performance by Samuel L. Jackson.
In 1992, Lee directed Malcolm X, a movie about the life of the civil rights leader. Denzel Washington starred as Malcolm X and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance. The film was praised by critics as a great biography.
Throughout the 90s, he also directed Crooklyn (1994), a film based on his own childhood, and Get on the Bus (1996). In 1997, he made the documentary 4 Little Girls, about the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama. The film was nominated for an Academy Award.
The 2000s: Exploring New Genres
In 2002, Lee directed 25th Hour, starring Edward Norton. Many critics have called it one of the best films of the 2000s.
In 2006, Lee directed the crime thriller Inside Man. The film starred Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, and Clive Owen. It was a big box office hit and showed that Lee could direct a major studio movie.
During this time, Lee also directed the documentary When the Levees Broke. It was about the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans. In 2008, he directed the World War II drama Miracle at St. Anna.
The 2010s: Awards and Recognition
In 2015, Lee received an Academy Honorary Award for his contributions to film. This special award was presented to him by his friends and frequent actors, Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson.
Lee's 2018 film, BlacKkKlansman, was a huge success. It tells the true story of a black police officer who went undercover in the Ku Klux Klan. The film won a major prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was praised by critics.
The movie was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Lee. He won his first-ever competitive Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The 2020s: Recent Work
In 2020, Lee released the war film Da 5 Bloods on Netflix. The movie is about a group of Vietnam War veterans who return to Vietnam. The film received excellent reviews, with many praising its energy and powerful story.
Lee continues to work on new projects. He signed a deal with Netflix to make more movies. He is also set to direct Highest 2 Lowest, a new version of the 1963 film High and Low, starring Denzel Washington.
Teaching and Other Work
Spike Lee is not just a filmmaker. Since 1993, he has been a professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. In 2002, he became the artistic director of the graduate film program.
He has also directed many famous TV commercials. He worked with Nike to create the popular Air Jordan commercials starring basketball legend Michael Jordan. Lee appeared in the commercials as his character Mars Blackmon from She's Gotta Have It.
Personal Life
Lee married attorney Tonya Lewis Lee in 1993. They have two children and live in New York City.
Lee is a huge sports fan. He is often seen at games cheering for his favorite New York teams: the New York Knicks (basketball), the New York Yankees (baseball), and the New York Rangers (ice hockey). He also supports the English soccer team Arsenal.
Politics
Lee is known for speaking his mind on political and social issues. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, he questioned if the government could have done more to help the people of New Orleans.
He has supported political candidates, including Bernie Sanders in 2016 and Kamala Harris in 2024. In 2020, he celebrated Joe Biden's presidential election victory on the streets of Brooklyn.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Distributor |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | She's Gotta Have It | Island Pictures |
| 1988 | School Daze | Columbia Pictures |
| 1989 | Do the Right Thing | Universal Pictures |
| 1990 | Mo' Better Blues | |
| 1991 | Jungle Fever | |
| 1992 | Malcolm X | Warner Bros. |
| 1994 | Crooklyn | Universal Pictures |
| 1995 | Clockers | |
| 1996 | Girl 6 | 20th Century Fox |
| Get on the Bus | Columbia Pictures | |
| 1998 | He Got Game | Touchstone Pictures |
| 1999 | Summer of Sam | |
| 2000 | Bamboozled | New Line Cinema |
| 2002 | 25th Hour | Touchstone Pictures |
| 2004 | She Hate Me | Sony Pictures Classics |
| 2006 | Inside Man | Universal Pictures |
| 2008 | Miracle at St. Anna | Touchstone Pictures |
| 2012 | Red Hook Summer | Variance Films |
| 2013 | Oldboy | FilmDistrict |
| 2014 | Da Sweet Blood of Jesus | Gravitas Ventures |
| 2015 | Chi-Raq | Roadside Attractions |
| 2018 | BlacKkKlansman | Focus Features |
| 2020 | Da 5 Bloods | Netflix |
| 2025 | Highest 2 Lowest | A24 Apple TV |
Images for kids
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Lee in September 2011
See also
In Spanish: Spike Lee para niños
