Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American filmmaker and actor. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and other political issues. Lee received numerous accolades for his work, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Peabody Awards as well as nominations for three Golden Globe Awards and a Grammy Award. Lee studied filmmaking at both Morehouse College and the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, where he directed his student film Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983), which won a Student Academy Award. He later founded the production company 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, where he has produced more than 35 films. He made his directorial debut with the comedy She's Gotta Have It (1986). He received widespread critical acclaim for the drama Do the Right Thing (1989), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He directed the historical epic Malcolm X (1992), earning the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. With the biographical crime dramedy BlacKkKlansman (2018), he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix Award. He has also written and directed films such as School Daze (1988), Mo' Better Blues (1990), Jungle Fever (1991), Crooklyn (1994), Clockers (1995), Bamboozled (2000), 25th Hour (2002), Inside Man (2006), Chi-Raq (2015), Da 5 Bloods (2020), and Highest 2 Lowest (2025). Lee has also acted in eleven of his feature films. He is also known for directing numerous documentary projects, including 4 Little Girls (1997), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film. He directed the HBO series When the Levees Broke (2006), which won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program and Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. He also directed the HBO documentary If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise (2010) and the David Byrne concert film American Utopia (2020). Lee has received several honours, including the Honorary BAFTA Award in 2002, an Honorary César in 2003, the Academy Honorary Award in 2015, and the National Medal of Arts in 2023. Five of his films have been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". He has received a Gala Tribute from the Film Society of Lincoln Center as well as the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. His films have featured breakthrough performances from actors such as Denzel Washington, Laurence Fishburne, Samuel L. Jackson, Giancarlo Esposito, Rosie Perez, Delroy Lindo, John Turturro, and John David Washington. Description above from the Wikipedia article Spike Lee, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Do the Right Thing
(Mookie)
Jungle Fever
(Cyrus)
When We Were Kings
(Self)
Malcolm X
(Shorty)
Lonely in America
(Spike Lee (Newsstand Customer) (uncredited))
Crooklyn
(Snuffy)
She's Gotta Have It
(Mars Blackmon)
Street Fight
(Self)
Mo' Better Blues
(Giant)
Girl 6
(Jimmy)
Brooklyn Boheme
(Self)
Bad 25
(Self)
The Evolution of an American Filmmaker
(Self)
New York at the Movies
(Self)
Seen It All
(Mars Blackmon)
A Daughter's Tribute to Her Father: Souleymane Cissé
(Self)
Be Truly Free
(Narrator (voice))
Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks
(Self)
Sidney
(Self)
Guest
(Self)
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of 'Malcolm X'
(Self)
School Daze
(Darrell 'Half-Pint' Dunlap)
The Last Party
(Self)
MTV's 10th Anniversary Special
(Self)
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
(Self)
40 x 15: The Forty Years of the Directors' Fortnight
(Self)
Do The Right Thing 25 Year Anniversary A Beats Music Experience
(Spike Lee)
Sous les marches du palais
(Self)
Denzel Washington: A Model American
(Self)
Champs
(Self)
Be A Part of It
(Self)
Red Hook Summer
(Mr. Mookie)
Michael Jordan to the Max
(Self)
French Cinema Mon Amour
(Self)
3 A.M.
(Filmmaker)
4 Little Girls
(Interviewer (voice) (uncredited))
How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
(Self)
Birth of a Movement
(Self)
Life O' The Party: On the Road with Prince and the New Power Generation
(Self)
Lisa Picard Is Famous
(Spike Lee)
The Fine Art of Separating People from Their Money
(Self)
Clockers
(Chucky)
Best Sellers or: Peter Sellers and 'Dr. Strangelove'
(Self)
Pixote In Memoriam
(Self)
Seven Songs for Malcolm X
A Man's Story
(Self)
First Works
(Self)
Summer of Sam
(John Jeffries)
Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists
(Self)
PoliWood
(Self)
It's Black Entertainment
(Self)
Do the Right Thing: 20 Years Later
(Self)
No Fighting in the War Room Or: 'Dr Strangelove' and the Nuclear Threat
(Self)
The Making of 'Bamboozled'
(Self)
Kobe Doin' Work
(Self)
Decade
(Self)
Spike & Co. Do It a-Cappella
(Self)
Farewell, Babylon!
(Self)
Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1
(Self)
Below the Rim
We the People: From Crispus Attucks to President Barack Obama
Director Spike Lee's New York City
(Self)
Through the Fire
Lights, Action, Music
(Self)
Beyond Wiseguys: Italian Americans & the Movies
On the Shoulders of Giants
Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
(Self)
Branford Marsalis: Steep
(Self)
Our Hollywood Education
(Self)
Hoop Dreams
(Self)
A Century of Cinema
(Self)
The Universal Story
(Self (archive footage))
Ray Allen/AKA- Jesus Shuttlesworth
The Making and Meaning of 'We Are Family'
(Self)
Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist
(Self)
A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks
(Self)
Public Enemy: Fight the Power... Live!
Five Directors On The Battle of Algiers
(Self)
Four Days in October
(Self (archive footage))
Samuel L. Jackson: Did I Stutter?
(self)
Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall
(Self)
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
(Self (archive footage))
Drop Squad
(Himself)
Gold Blooded
(Self)
Plankton Salesmen
(Self (archive footage))
Lumière & Company
(Self (segment "Sarah Moon"))
Inside the Actors Studio
(Self)
Pretend It's a City
(Self)
The View
(Self)
Ghostwriter
(Special Agent Pete (archive footage))
Tamron Hall
(Self - Guest)
Ghostwriter
(Special Agent Pete)
The Early Show
(Self)
Real Time with Bill Maher
(Self)
In Living Color
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
(Self)
Dear...
(Self)
Johnny Vaughan Tonight
(Self)
Basketball: A Love Story
(Self (archive footage))
Who Do You Think You Are?
(Self)
This Is Pop
(Self (archive footage))
Saturday Night Live
(Mars Blackmon)
The Daily Show
(Self)
Saturday Night Live
(Self (uncredited))
The Chris Rock Show
(Self)
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
(Self)
They Call Me Magic
(Self)
Yo! MTV Raps
(Self)
It's the Shoes
(Self)
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
(Self)
Desus & Mero
(Self - Illustrious Guest)
She's Gotta Have It
(Drum Major)
The Oscars
(Self)
Great Performances
(Self)
Directors on Directors
(Self)
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
(Self)
Mr. Scorsese
(Self)
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
(Self - Guest)
Late Night with Seth Meyers
(Self - Guest)
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
(Self)
Inside Man
(Director)
Be Truly Free
(Director)
25th Hour
(Producer)
25th Hour
(Director)
Summer of Sam
(Director)
Jungle Fever
(Producer)
Jungle Fever
(Director)
Malcolm X
(Director)
Malcolm X
(Screenplay)
Do the Right Thing
(Screenplay)
Do the Right Thing
(Producer)
Boner
(Director)
Boner
(Writer)
She Hate Me
(Director)
Kobe Doin' Work
(Director)
Kobe Doin' Work
(Producer)
HIStory on Film, Volume II
(Director)
Clockers
(Director)
Clockers
(Screenplay)
The Original Kings of Comedy
(Director)
Passing Strange
(Director)
Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet
(Director)
A Huey P. Newton Story
(Director)
All the Invisible Children
(Director)
Bamboozled
(Director)
Miracle at St. Anna
(Director)
He Got Game
(Screenplay)
He Got Game
(Producer)
He Got Game
(Director)
Jim Brown: All-American
(Director)
Jim Brown: All-American
(Producer)
4 Little Girls
(Director)
4 Little Girls
(Producer)
Crooklyn
(Director)
She's Gotta Have It
(Director)
She's Gotta Have It
(Writer)
Mo' Better Blues
(Director)
Mo' Better Blues
(Writer)
School Daze
(Director)
School Daze
(Writer)
John Leguizamo: Freak
(Director)
Girl 6
(Director)
Sucker Free City
(Director)
Lumière & Company
(Director)
Genesis | Come Rain or Shine
(Camera Operator)
Get on the Bus
(Director)
Red Hook Summer
(Director)
Da 5 Bloods
(Writer)
Oldboy
(Director)
Boner
(Producer)
Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads
(Director)
Bad 25
(Director)
You're Nobody 'til Somebody Kills You
(Executive Producer)
BlacKkKlansman
(Writer)
Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth
(Director)
Seen It All
(Director)
You Resemble Me
(Executive Producer)
In Freedom
(Executive Producer)
Dirty Hands
(Executive Producer)
Miracle at St. Anna
(Producer)
Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth
(Executive Producer)
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus
(Director)
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus
(Screenplay)
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus
(Producer)
Jerrod Carmichael: Love at the Store
(Director)
Throw Like A Girl
(Director)
Drop Squad
(Executive Producer)
Katt Williams: Priceless: Afterlife
(Director)
School Daze
(Producer)
Tales from the Hood
(Executive Producer)
The Girl Is in Trouble
(Executive Producer)
Chi-Raq
(Director)
Chi-Raq
(Writer)
Stop
(Thanks)
Summer of Sam
(Writer)
Summer of Sam
(Producer)
Malcolm X
(Producer)
Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall
(Director)
Love & Basketball
(Producer)
Red Hook Summer
(Screenplay)
3 A.M.
(Producer)
Suspect
(Thanks)
All the Invisible Children
(Producer)
Highest 2 Lowest
(Director)
Highest 2 Lowest
(Executive Producer)
3 A.M.
(Co-Executive Producer)
Red Hook Summer
(Producer)
Pass Over
(Producer)
She's Gotta Have It
(Producer)
She's Gotta Have It
(Editor)
Chi-Raq
(Producer)
F*ck That Guy
(Executive Producer)
Prince and the N.P.G.: Diamonds and Pearls Video Collection
(Director)
Bamboozled
(Screenplay)
Rodney King
(Director)
Rodney King
(Producer)
Bamboozled
(Producer)
Mo' Better Blues
(Producer)
I Can't Breathe
(Director)
BlacKkKlansman
(Director)
She Hate Me
(Screenplay)
Pass Over
(Director)
One Morning All Over the World
(Director)
Clockers
(Producer)
I Can't Breathe
(Writer)
Pariah
(Executive Producer)
BlacKkKlansman
(Producer)
2 Fists Up
(Director)
2 Fists Up
(Producer)
Come Rain or Come Shine
(Director of Photography)
Crooklyn
(Screenplay)
Crooklyn
(Producer)
Tales from the Hood 2
(Executive Producer)
The Black 14
(Executive Producer)
The Concert for New York City
(Director)
PUNTER
(Executive Producer)
Bernie Mac: Live from Charlotte
(Director)
Spike Lee Presents Mike Tyson
(Director)
Land of the Free
(Director)
Da 5 Bloods
(Producer)
Da 5 Bloods
(Director)
4 Little Girls
(Writer)
Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet
(Producer)
Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads
(Writer)
Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads
(Producer)
Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads
(Editor)
See You Yesterday
(Producer)
The Original Kings of Comedy
(Producer)
Girl 6
(Producer)
Amazing Grace
(Producer)
Do the Right Thing: 20 Years Later
(Director)
Saint John of Las Vegas
(Executive Producer)
Come Rain or Come Shine
(Director)
David Byrne's American Utopia
(Director)
David Byrne's American Utopia
(Executive Producer)
Pavarotti & Friends - For the Children of Liberia
(Director)
Pavarotti & Friends 99 for Guatemala and Kosovo
(Director)
Do the Right Thing
(Director)
New York New York
(Director)
She Hate Me
(Producer)
Katt Williams: Priceless: Afterlife
(Producer)
The Answer
(Director)
Sarah
(Director)
Horn of Plenty
(Director)
Horn of Plenty
(Writer)
The Making of 'Bamboozled'
(Director)
Jesus Children of America
(Director)
Amex Unstaged Pharrell Williams Live at the Apollo
(Director)
Time 2 Surrender
(Executive Producer)
Ray Allen/AKA- Jesus Shuttlesworth
(Director)
Cherish
(Executive Producer)
Evolution of a Criminal
(Executive Producer)
Cronies
(Executive Producer)
Doubles with Slight Pepper
(Executive Producer)
Nigerian Prince
(Executive Producer)
Touched with Fire
(Executive Producer)
New Jersey Drive
(Executive Producer)
The Best Man
(Producer)
Home Invaders
(Executive Producer)
Good Fences
(Executive Producer)
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America
(Presenter)
One Night
(Presenter)
Get on the Bus
(Executive Producer)
Jungle Fever
(Writer)
Son of the South
(Executive Producer)
Tales from the Hood 3
(Executive Producer)
3 Brothers: Radio Raheem, Eric Garner and George Floyd
(Director)
Gordon Hemingway & the Realm of Cthulhu
(Producer)
Nervous Energy
(Executive Producer)
Liberty
(Producer)
In Between Storms
(Executive Producer)
How I Learned to Die
(Executive Producer)
Talk Me
(Executive Producer)
The Concert for New York City
(Director of Photography)
Off-Time
(Associate Producer)
Brownies
(Executive Producer)
From Sidney, with Love
(Executive Producer)
The Truck
(Executive Producer)
Megadoc
(Thanks)
The Voice of Hind Rajab
(Executive Producer)
Shark
(Director)
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts
(Producer)
Miracle's Boys
(Director)
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts
(Director)
If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise
(Director)
She's Gotta Have It
(Director)
She's Gotta Have It
(Creator)
If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise
(Producer)
NYC Epicenters 9/11➔2021½
(Director)
NYC Epicenters 9/11➔2021½
(Producer)
The Captain
(Executive Producer)
Katrina: Come Hell and High Water
(Executive Producer)
Katrina: Come Hell and High Water
(Director)
She's Gotta Have It
(Creator)
If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise
(Creator)
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts
(Creator)