Biography
Shelton Jackson Lee (born March 20, 1957), better known as Spike Lee, is an film director, producer, writer, and actor noted for his bold, overtly political films. In addition he is a distinguished documentarian and teaches film at Harvard University.
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, his family moved to Brooklyn, New York when he was very young. He developed his film skills at Morehouse College, Atlanta and the New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 1982.
His distinctive filming style is energetic, colorful, and engaging. At his best, his films are penetrating and energetic portraits of people and places, brilliantly interweaving psychology and context, time and place. Lee's movies have examined diverse and complex issues, ranging from race relations, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and political issues. Many of his films include a distinctive and powerful use of music.
Lee's films have garnered considerable critical acclaim. Noted film critic Roger Ebert has described Spike Lee as one of the greatest filmmakers working in America today. Lee's film Do the Right Thing was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1989. His moving documentary Four Little Girls was nominated for Best Feature Documentary in 1997.
Trivia
In Paris, France, in 2003, Mr Lee received an honorary Cesar Award for Lifetime Achievement in the film industry.
In 2003 Lee sued the Spike TV television network claiming that they were capitalizing on his fame by using his name for their network. The claim was settled out of court.
His production company is 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, named after the "40 acres and a mule." The colloquial term for compensation that was to be awarded to freed American slaves after the Civil War.
Lee is also famous for directing a series of Nike commercials featuring Michael Jordan, which helped establish Jordan as a highly successful commercial pitchman. In several of the commercials, Lee also played his alter ego of Mars Blackmon, a character he created for his first major film, She's Gotta Have It.
Lee received death threats, allegedly from the Nation of Islam over his 1992 biopic of Malcolm X. The threats prompted Lee to remove scenes in which the NOI is depicted as plotting the murder of Malcolm X.
He is a well-known and highly visible fan of the NBA's New York Knicks, a team he has supported since childhood. Lee has courtside seats, and had several famous verbal run-ins with Indiana Pacers star Reggie Miller.
He wrote a Playboy article in 2004 calling NASCAR a racist sport and gained criticism by many NASCAR fans.
Selected filmography (as director)
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