The film director Spike Lee celebrates 68
His 1989 movie “Do the Right Thing,” which delves into racial tensions in a Brooklyn neighborhood, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and he continued to explore complex social and political issues in films such as “Malcolm X” in 1992
The film director Spike Lee celebrates 68
Shelton Jackson “Spike” Lee, born on March 20, 1957, in Atlanta, Georgia, is an influential American filmmaker, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. At a young age, his family relocated to Brooklyn, New York, where he was raised in a culturally rich environment. His mother, Jacquelyn, was an arts and literature teacher, and his father, William, was a jazz musician and composer. Lee attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, earning a degree in mass communication, and later pursued graduate studies in film production at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he completed his Master of Fine Arts in 1982.
Lee’s directorial debut, “She’s Gotta Have It” (1986), was both a critical and commercial success, marking the emergence of his distinctive storytelling style. He gained further acclaim with “Do the Right Thing” (1989), a film that delves into racial tensions in a Brooklyn neighborhood, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Throughout his career, Lee has continued to explore complex social and political issues in films such as “Malcolm X” (1992), “4 Little Girls” (1997), “25th Hour” (2002), and “BlacKkKlansman” (2018). The latter won him the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Beyond filmmaking, Lee is a tenured professor at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, sharing his expertise with aspiring filmmakers. He is also known for his avid support of sports teams, particularly the New York Knicks and the English football club Arsenal. As of March 2025, Lee celebrated his 68th birthday, with his extensive body of work continuing to influence and inspire audiences worldwide.
Watch Spike Lee and Bradley Cooper in their ‘Directors on Directors’ conversation on Variety
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