Shelton Jackson Lee aka Spike Lee was born on March 20, 1957 in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Spike Lee is a known American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and professor. Over the years, his company has produced more than 35 films. Spike Lee has won a number of awards for his contribution to the film industry.
Early Life of Spike Lee
Spike Lee had moved from his birth place Atlanta to Brooklyn, New York during the early days of his childhood. There he was enrolled in John Dewey High School. His mother, Jacqueline Carroll had nicknamed him “Spike”.
Thereafter, he went to Morehouse College, a historically black college. This is here he began his journey in film production. He made his first student film tilted Last Hustle in Brooklyn while studying in Morehouse College alongside his degree in B.A. in mass communication
Spike Lee further enrolled in Clark Atlanta University for film courses. He further obtained his Master of Fine Arts in film and television from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Spike Lee’s Career
“She’s Gotta Do It”, released in 1986 is Spike Lee’s first feature film. His 1989 film, Do the Right Thing, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Spike Lee explores the social and political issues extensively in his later films, including Malcolm X, Mo’ Better Blues, Summer of Sam and She Hate Me. The documentary, 4 Little Girls, was nominated for an Academy Award in 1998.
In 2018, Lee’s BlacKkKlansman which tells the story of an African American detective’s success to infiltrate the KKK in 1970 has garnered six Academy Award nominations, and first Oscar win for Adapted Screenplay.
Personal Life of Spike Lee
Lee married the attorney, Tonya Lewis, in 1993 in New York. He has two children with Lewis. Satchel, his daughter was born in 1994, Jackson his son was born in 1997.
Net Worth of Spike Lee
Spike Lee is estimated to have a net worth of $50 million. At present, he is 63 years old and he has made his way into history with his significantly and socially powerful films. Lee has also acted in 10 of his movies in total. Lee explores the colonial issues and racial problems in his movies. The urban life and poverty, and other socio-political issues form the underlying themes of his movies.
