Lee, Shelton

Lee, (Shelton Jackson) “Spike” (1957–  ) movie producer/ director/actor; born in Atlanta, Ga. Growing up in a relatively well-off African-American family, he was making amateur movies by age 20 and went on to graduate from the New York University Film School in 1982. He became a director of promise with She's Gotta Have It (1986) and made a major move forward in both critical and popular reception with Do The Right Thing (1989). No stranger to controversy for certain provocative elements in both his movies and public statements, he stirred up even more than usual with his Malcolm X (1992). From 1992–93 he taught a course in film at Harvard University.