Shelton Jackson “Spike” Lee is a renowned American feature and documentary film director, actor, writer and producer. Lee is best known for his films that feature the topics of racial relations and bias in the African-American community. His films focus on topics such as the media’s role in contemporary life viz a viz the black community, poverty and urban crime and several other political issues.
Lee debuted as a director in 1986 with the film ‘She’s Gotta Have It’. He is known for his directing several acclaimed films like ‘Do the Right Thing’, ‘Malcolm X’, ‘The Original Kings of Comedy’, ’25th Hour’, ‘Inside Man’ and ‘Chi-Raq’, and has also acted in a few films. Additionally, he has produced more than 35 films since 1983. Lee has been honoured with two Academy Award nominations, winning 1 Academy Honorary Award, 2 Emmy Awards and 1 honorary BAFTA Award among several other accolades.
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Early Life and Education
Lee was born on 20 March 1957 in Atlanta Georgia as the son of jazz musician and composer William James Edward Lee III and his wife, Arts and black literature teacher Jacqueline Carroll (née Shelton) and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Lee was given the nickname “Spike” by his mother. Lee has five siblings; brothers David, Cinqué, Chris and Arnold and one sister named Joie. Most of his siblings have served on various positions on his films.
Lee graduated from John Dewey High School, Brooklyn and later attended the historically black college, Morehouse College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in mass Communication. He later enrolled into Clark Atlanta University from where he completed several film courses. He enrolled at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University to do graduate work from where he graduated with a Master Degree in Fine Arts in film & television.
Career Rise
Lee made his feature film directorial and acting debut with the 1986 comedy-drama ‘She’s Gotta Have It’, an independent film which portrayed African Americans as successful, independent individuals and became a precursor of the African American cinema era. His 1988 musical drama ‘School Daze’ dealt with racism he himself experienced at College and University. Lee’s next big film was the 1992 biopic on Malcolm X, the African American activist. The film, titled ‘Malcolm X’ featured Denzel Washington in the titular role and became a huge success. Lee then produced and directed several films in 1995 which include ‘Clockers’, ‘Tales from the Hood’ and ‘New Jersey Drive’.
In 1997, Lee directed the historical documentary ‘‘4 Little Girls’, which was based on the murder of four young African-American girls at the Baptist Church bombing of September 1963. The film went on to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary. Lee’s 2000 film ‘Bamboozled’ was a satire on televised minstrel shows that featured black actors donning blackface makeup. He also produced films like ‘Love & Basketball’ and ‘The Original Kings of Comedy’. In 2006, Lee directed a documentary film titled ‘When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts’ which focused on Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of New Orleans. His recent films include ‘Pariah’ in 2011, ‘Bad 25’ in 2012, and ‘The Best Man Holiday’ in 2013.
Personal Life
Let started dating attorney Tonya Lewis after meeting her in 1992 and the couple tied the knot in New York, within a year of courtship. Together they have two children, a daughter named Satchel and a son named Jackson, born in 1994 and 1997 respectively.
An avid sports fan, Lee supports the New York Yankees in American Baseball, The New York Knicks in Basketball and Arsenal, the English football team.
Spike Lee – Net Worth
Lee has an estimated net worth of approximately $40 Million.