Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Spike Lee
How Spike Lee built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Spike Lee is a prominent American filmmaker known for his exploration of race relations, issues within the Black community, and political themes. As a director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author, Lee's work tackles urban crime, poverty, and the role of media in contemporary life. His impactful storytelling has earned him numerous awards, including an Academy Award, Emmy Awards, BAFTA Awards, and Peabody Awards, along with honorary recognition for his contributions to film.
1983: Premiere of 'Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads'
In 1983, Spike Lee premiered his first independent short film, "Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads", as his master's degree thesis at the Tisch School of the Arts. The film won a Student Academy Award.
1983: Student Academy Award
In 1983, Spike Lee won the Student Academy Award for his film Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads.
1983: 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks Production Company Founded
In 1983, Spike Lee's production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, was founded and has since produced more than 35 films.
1985: Began work on 'She's Gotta Have It'
In 1985, Spike Lee began work on his first feature film, "She's Gotta Have It", writing, directing, producing, starring in and editing the film.
1986: Directorial Debut with 'She's Gotta Have It'
In 1986, Spike Lee made his directorial debut with the film "She's Gotta Have It".
1986: Release of 'She's Gotta Have It'
In 1986, Spike Lee's film "She's Gotta Have It" was released. The film grossed over $7 million at the U.S. box office.
1988: Release of 'School Daze'
In 1988, Spike Lee followed up the success of "She's Gotta Have It" with the musical drama "School Daze".
1989: Release of 'Do the Right Thing'
In 1989, Spike Lee released "Do the Right Thing", a film focusing on racial tension in a Brooklyn neighborhood during a hot summer day. The film received widespread critical acclaim.
1989: Do the Right Thing Oscars controversy
In 1989, Spike Lee's film Do the Right Thing did not get a Best Picture nomination and eventually lost to Driving Miss Daisy, sparking controversy.
1990: Collaboration with Denzel Washington and Antisemitism Accusations
In 1990, Spike Lee collaborated with Denzel Washington in "Mo' Better Blues". Following the release, Lee faced accusations of antisemitism for the depiction of Jewish characters, which he denied, asserting his intention was to portray the exploitation faced by Black artists.
1990: Release of 'Mo' Better Blues'
In 1990, Spike Lee wrote and directed the film "Mo' Better Blues".
1990: Commercial Directing
In mid-1990, Levi's hired Spike Lee to direct TV commercials for their 501 button-fly jeans. Nike offered Lee a job directing commercials, pairing his character Mars Blackmon with Michael Jordan for the Air Jordan line. Lee also directed commercials for Converse, Jaguar, Taco Bell, and Ben & Jerry's.
1991: Release of 'Jungle Fever' and Samuel L. Jackson's Acclaim
In 1991, Spike Lee released "Jungle Fever," which garnered Samuel L. Jackson acclaim for his performance as a crack addict.
1991: Teaching at Harvard
In 1991, Spike Lee taught a course about filmmaking at Harvard.
1991: Release of 'Jungle Fever'
In 1991, Spike Lee wrote and directed the film "Jungle Fever".
1992: Release of 'Malcolm X'
In 1992, Spike Lee released his biographical epic film "Malcolm X", starring Denzel Washington. The film received widespread critical acclaim.
1993: Teaching at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts
In 1993, Spike Lee began teaching at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in the Graduate Film Program, where he also received his Master of Fine Arts.
1994: Release of 'Crooklyn'
In 1994, Spike Lee followed up Malcolm X with the release of 'Crooklyn'
1996: Release of 'Girl 6' and 'Get on the Bus'
In 1996, Spike Lee released the films 'Girl 6' and 'Get on the Bus'.
1997: Release of '4 Little Girls'
In 1997, Spike Lee directed the documentary "4 Little Girls".
1998: Release of 'He Got Game'
In 1998, Spike Lee released the sports drama 'He Got Game', marking his third collaboration with Denzel Washington.
1999: Release of 'Summer of Sam'
In 1999, Spike Lee released 'Summer of Sam', based on the Son of Sam murders.
2000: Release of 'Bamboozled'
In 2000, Spike Lee directed 'Bamboozled', a satire about a modern televised minstrel show.
2002: Release of '25th Hour'
In 2002, Spike Lee released '25th Hour', starring Edward Norton and Philip Seymour Hoffman, which opened to positive reviews.
2002: Appointment as Artistic Director at NYU
In 2002, Spike Lee was appointed as artistic director of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
2004: Release of 'She Hate Me'
In 2004, Spike Lee released 'She Hate Me', which received negative reviews.
2006: Release of 'Inside Man'
In 2006, Spike Lee directed 'Inside Man', a studio heist thriller starring Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster, and Clive Owen. The film was a critical and financial success.
2006: Release of 'Inside Man' and 'When the Levees Broke'
In 2006, Spike Lee directed the film "Inside Man" and the HBO series "When the Levees Broke".
2008: Spike Lee Receives Wexner Prize and Directs 'Miracle at St. Anna'
In 2008, Spike Lee received the Wexner Prize and directed the World War II drama 'Miracle at St. Anna'.
December 16, 2009: '25th Hour' added to Roger Ebert's Great Movies list
On December 16, 2009, Roger Ebert added Spike Lee's film '25th Hour' to his "Great Movies" list.
2012: Spike Lee Directs 'Red Hook Summer'
In 2012, Spike Lee directed 'Red Hook Summer', in which he reprised his role as Mookie from Do the Right Thing.
2013: Spike Lee wins Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize and directs Oldboy remake
In 2013, Spike Lee won The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize and directed Oldboy, a remake of the Park Chan-wook 2003 film.
2013: Release of Oldboy
In 2013, Spike Lee's film Oldboy, used the traditional "A Spike Lee Film" credit after producers had it re-edited.
2014: Release of 'Da Sweet Blood of Jesus'
In 2014, Spike Lee released 'Da Sweet Blood of Jesus', which was primarily funded on Kickstarter.
November 2015: Academy Honorary Award
In November 2015, Spike Lee was given the Academy Honorary Award for his contributions to filmmaking.
2015: Spike Lee Receives Honorary Academy Award and Directs NBA 2K16 Story Mode
In 2015, Spike Lee received an Academy Honorary Award and directed the MyCareer story mode in the video game NBA 2K16. He also released the musical drama film Chi-Raq.
2015: Release of 'Chi-Raq'
In 2015, Spike Lee wrote and directed the film "Chi-Raq".
2015: Honorary Academy Award
In 2015, at the age of 58, Spike Lee became the youngest person ever to receive an Honorary Academy Award, recognized as "a champion of independent film and an inspiration to young filmmakers."
May 18, 2016: Commencement Address at Johns Hopkins University
On May 18, 2016, Spike Lee delivered the Commencement address for The Johns Hopkins University Class of 2016.
2017: '4 Little Girls' selected for preservation in the National Film Registry
In 2017, Spike Lee's 1997 documentary, '4 Little Girls', was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
2018: Release of 'BlacKkKlansman'
In 2018, Spike Lee wrote and directed the film "BlacKkKlansman".
2018: BlacKkKlansman Premiere and Release
In 2018, Spike Lee's film BlacKkKlansman premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, winning the Grand Prix. The film was released in North America in August 2018 and received widespread critical acclaim.
2018: BlacKkKlansman Wins Grand Prix
In 2018, Spike Lee's film BlacKkKlansman won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.
2019: Academy Award nominations
In 2019, Spike Lee received his first Best Picture and Best Director nominations for the Academy Awards.
May 2020: Release of Short Film NEW YORK NEW YORK
In May 2020, Spike Lee published a three-minute short film, NEW YORK NEW YORK, on Instagram, which was later featured on the city's official website.
June 12, 2020: Release of Da 5 Bloods on Netflix
On June 12, 2020, Spike Lee's Vietnam war film Da 5 Bloods, starring Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Mélanie Thierry, Paul Walter Hauser and Chadwick Boseman, was released worldwide on Netflix and received widespread critical acclaim.
2020: Release of 'Da 5 Bloods' and 'American Utopia'
In 2020, Spike Lee wrote and directed the film "Da 5 Bloods" and the concert film "American Utopia".
2021: Release of 'NYC Epicenters 9/11→2021½'
In 2021, Spike Lee directed the documentary "NYC Epicenters 9/11→2021½".
2023: Ebert Director Award
In 2023, Spike Lee was named the recipient of the Ebert Director Award at the TIFF Tribute Awards for the Toronto International Film Festival.
February 2024: Confirmed Director of Highest 2 Lowest
In February 2024, Spike Lee was confirmed as the director of Highest 2 Lowest, a remake of Akira Kurosawa's High and Low (1963), with Denzel Washington to star.
March 2024: Board of Governors Award
In March 2024, Spike Lee received a Board of Governor's Award from the American Society of Cinematographers.
October 24, 2024: Endorsement of Kamala Harris
On October 24, 2024, Spike Lee endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election and spoke at one of her campaign rallies.
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