Trivia

His favorite movie is El francotirador (1978). It is the movie that inspired him to be a director.

His grandmother, Zimmie Shelton, helped fund his first full-length feature film, She's Gotta Have It (1986).

One of his classmate at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts was director Ang Lee. The Taiwan-born Lee worked on the crew of Spike's thesis film, Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983).

Vied for the director's seat on Ali (2001). Says that he knew he wouldn't get the job after speaking to the movie's star, Will Smith (one of the many financiers on Lee's Sube al autobús (1996)), who wanted Lee to make a film with "a broader appeal".

After the Columbine high school shootings Spike said that National Rifle Association president Charlton Heston should be shot. Heston replied that if Spike wanted to take a shot at him he should go ahead and try it. Lee later apologized for the comments.

The name of his production company, "40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks", came from an unfulfilled promise that many politicians made to freed slaves after the Civil War.

Has directed 3 actors to Oscar-nominated performances: Danny Aiello, Denzel Washington, and Adam Driver.

His grandmother, Zimmie Shelton, an alumna of Spelman College (class of 1929), sent him to Morehouse College, the historically black all-male institution affiliated with the all-female Spelman College.

Is a huge Arsenal fan and personal friend of team captain Thierry Henry. Is often known to wear Arsenal jerseys while on set.

When Norman Jewison was originally hired to direct Malcolm X (1992), Lee met with him and convinced him he needed to "sit this one out". Feeling that only a black director was qualified and would bring the necessary perspective, Lee then stepped in as director with Jewison's blessing.

Endorsed Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential election of the United States.

Serves as a master teacher of film at the Tisch School of the Arts and Harvard University.

Often casts real-life family members in his films. In Haz lo correcto (1989) , for example, he cast Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee (real-life husband and wife), himself and Joie Lee (real-life siblings), and Danny Aiello and Rick Aiello (real-life father and son). Other films he does this in include School Daze (1988), Mo' Better Blues (1990), Fiebre de amor y locura (1991) and Malcolm X (1992).

Graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia in 1979.

Is a big fan of musicals from Hollywood's Golden Age.

Is the first (and so far only) person to receive a Student Academy Award, an Honorary Academy Award, and a regular competitive Academy Award.

Interned at Columbia Pictures the summer between graduating from Morehouse and beginning at NYU/Tisch School of the Arts in 1979.

Has been trying for more than ten years to direct his dream project: a film about the life and times of Jackie Robinson. Says that he personally promised to Robinson's widow, Rachel Isum, to make the film. Another as-of-yet (2003) project he has often spoke of but has yet to do is a film on the boxing match between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling.

Is a fan of Michael Moore's films. Masacre en Columbine (2002) was his favorite film of 2002.

Was a Visiting Lecturer in Afro-American Studies and Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard University in the early 1990s.

He has directed five films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: She's Gotta Have It (1986), Haz lo correcto (1989), Malcolm X (1992), 4 pequeñas niñas (1997) and Bamboozled (2000).

He has two children with his wife, Tonya: daughter, Satchel Lee (born in December 1994); and son, Jackson Lee (born in 1997).

Graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 1982.

Preparing to make a follow-up film to "When the Levees Broke" (enero de 2010)

Cousin of Malcolm D. Lee.

Is now (2002) the Artistic Director of the graduate division of the Kanbar Institute of Film and Television at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. The position gives Lee an advisory position, allowing him to teach and advise third year students, as well as aid with industry networking.

Was friends with Kobe Bryant.

Inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame in 2015.

Member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 2004.

Was voted the 48th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Big New York Knicks fan: Has courtside seats for all games. Partially responsible for the "off colored" baseball caps, as he started wearing a red Yankees cap during the 1996 World Series.

Mentioned in the song "Light My Candle" from Jonathan Larson's musical Rent. He was also considered to direct the movie version of Rent before Chris Colubus was chosen.

His real sister plays his characters sister in the film Do the Right Thing,.

Brother of Joie Lee, Cinqué Lee and David Lee.

Between the making of his award-winning student short, Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983), and his debut feature, She's Gotta Have It (1986), Lee attempted to make a featured called "Messenger". Over $100,000 was raised, but the film never materialized.

His favorite movie of all time is On the Waterfront (1954).

Favorite film is The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre.

Made the introduction of the song "The Church" on De La Soul's album "The Grind Date".

He and producer/director Monty Ross are frequent collaborators and were classmates and graduates of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

In 2019, became one of a select group of filmmakers to receive both a Student Academy Award and an Oscar. Previous filmmakers that have received both honors include Pete Docter, John Lasseter, Luke Matheny, and Robert Zemeckis.

Nephew of Consuela Lee Morehead.

Attended John Dewey High School in Brooklyn, New York. Director Larry Charles also went to Dewey, but graduated one year later.

Grandson of Zimmie Shelton, who helped finance his featurette, Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads (1983). She received a producing credit on the film, which went on to win a Merit Award at the Student Academy Awards.

Nominated for a 2019 Academy Award in the Best Director category for his work on El infiltrado del KKKlan (2018) but lost to Alfonso Cuarón for Roma (2018).

Nephew of Grace Lee Mims, Arnold Lee, Jr, Clarence Lee, and Leonard Lee.

He has directed one film that has been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: El infiltrado del KKKlan (2018).

Son of Bill Lee.

Cousin of Baron Davis.

He was awarded the 2023 National Medal of the Arts in Washington D.C. He is a film maker.