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Shelton JacksonΒ "Spike"Β LeeΒ (born March 20, 1957) is an American filmmaker and actor. His work has continually exploredΒ race relations, issues within theΒ blackΒ community, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and other political issues. Lee receivedΒ numerous accoladesΒ for his work, including anΒ Academy Award, aΒ British Academy Film Award, twoΒ Primetime Emmy Awards, and twoΒ Peabody AwardsΒ as well as nominations for threeΒ Golden Globe AwardsΒ and aΒ Grammy Award.
Lee studied filmmaking at bothΒ Morehouse College and theΒ New York University Tisch School of the Arts, where he directed his student filmΒ Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut HeadsΒ (1983), which won aΒ Student Academy Award. He later founded the production company Β 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, where he has produced more than 35 films. He made hisΒ directorial debutΒ with the comedyΒ She's Gotta Have ItΒ (1986). He received widespread critical acclaim for the dramaΒ Do the Right ThingΒ (1989), for which he was nominated for theΒ Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He directed the historical epicΒ Malcolm XΒ (1992), earning theΒ Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. With the biographical crime dramedyΒ BlacKkKlansmanΒ (2018), he won theΒ Academy Award for Best Adapted ScreenplayΒ and theΒ Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix Award.
He has also written and directed films such asΒ School DazeΒ (1988),Β Mo' Better BluesΒ (1990),Β Jungle FeverΒ (1991),Β CrooklynΒ (1994),Β Clockers (1995),Β BamboozledΒ (2000),Β 25th HourΒ (2002),Β Inside ManΒ (2006),Β Chi-RaqΒ (2015),Β Da 5 Bloods (2020), andΒ Highest 2 LowestΒ (2025). Lee has also acted in eleven of his feature films. He is also known for directing numerous documentary projects, includingΒ 4 Little GirlsΒ (1997), which was nominated for theΒ Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film. He directed theΒ HBOΒ seriesΒ When the Levees BrokeΒ (2006), which won twoΒ Primetime Emmy AwardsΒ forΒ Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction ProgramΒ andΒ Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. He also directed the HBO documentaryΒ If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't RiseΒ (2010) and theΒ David ByrneΒ concert filmΒ American UtopiaΒ (2020).
Lee has received several honours, including theΒ Honorary BAFTA AwardΒ in 2002, anΒ Honorary CΓ©sarΒ in 2003, theΒ Academy Honorary AwardΒ in 2015, and theΒ National Medal of ArtsΒ in 2023. Five of his films have been selected by theΒ Library of CongressΒ for preservation in theΒ National Film RegistryΒ for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".Β He has received a Gala Tribute from theΒ Film Society of Lincoln CenterΒ as well as theΒ Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize.Β His films have featured breakthrough performances from actors such asΒ Denzel Washington,Β Laurence Fishburne,Β Samuel L. Jackson,Β Giancarlo Esposito,Β Rosie Perez,Β Delroy Lindo,Β John Turturro, andΒ John David Washington.
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