Spike Lee

Shelton Jackson 'Spike' Lee, born March 20, 1957, is an acclaimed American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. Lee's work intimately explores race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in modern life, urban crime, and poverty, as well as other political issues. His notable career has been decorated with numerous awards, including an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and two Peabody Awards. In 2002, 2003, and 2015, he was honored with an Honorary BAFTA Award, an Honorary César, and the Academy Honorary Award respectively. Lee's production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut with 'She's Gotta Have It' in 1986, and went on to write and direct numerous critically acclaimed films, including 'Do the Right Thing', 'Malcolm X', '25th Hour', 'Inside Man', 'Chi-Raq', 'BlacKkKlansman', and 'Da 5 Bloods' among others. His films catalyzed breakthrough performances from a roster of notable actors including Denzel Washington, Laurence Fishburne, Samuel L. Jackson, and Rosie Perez. The Library of Congress selected several of Lee's films for preservation in the National Film Registry for being 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant'.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Lee's childhood was influenced by his mother, a teacher of arts and black literature, and his musician father. His family relocated from Atlanta to Brooklyn, and Lee went on to attend Morehouse College, where he made his first student film. He later completed his graduate work in film and television at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. In his early career, he won a Student Academy Award for his film 'Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads'. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, Lee continued to make waves in the industry with his thought-provoking and groundbreaking films. Evolving in his career, Lee also directed a series of impactful documentary projects such as '4 Little Girls' and the concert film 'American Utopia'. In the years 2002 and 2006, he directed acclaimed feature films '25th Hour' and 'Inside Man' respectively. Currently a tenured professor at NYU, Lee also manages an office in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Married to Tonya Lewis in 1993, the couple have two children.