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We're hardwired to give praise to the actors who dominate the screens with their dashing good looks and sculpted physiques, but what about the minds that help shape the movie characters on the screen and give life to them? Although some producers and directors wear the acting hat, like Todd Phillips, they're mostly found in the background delegating their masterpieces from an eagle's eye view. Another director who fits into this category is Spike Lee. Shelton Jackson 'Spike' Lee is a provocatively unorthodox film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor who has brought to life a myriad of timeless films that tackle issues surrounding racism in corporate America, colorism in the black community, crime and classism, and the influences of media on society. His movies have paved the way for countless African-American actors such as Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, and Omar Epps to name a few. Let's delve into how this prodigy of production genius grew his $50 million net worth as of 2022.
A Born Visionary
Born in 1957 Georgia, Spike Lee grew up in the heart of the Civil Rights movement and experienced much of the racial injustices that came with that era. An avid writer and producer, Lee knew his calling was in the entertainment industry and began screenwriting and directing amateur films for the age of 20, according to Biography.com. His inclination to the arts was undoubtedly influenced by his father, William Lee, who was a jazz musician and composer, and his mother, Jacqueline Lee, who worked as a teacher of the arts and black literature. To say he was born with the perfect blend of arts, culture, and literature would be an understatement. Before moving to New York with his parents, he enrolled in the Morehouse College in Atlanta, where his first student film was produced, "Last Hustle in Brooklyn." So it's safe to confirm that the Love and Basketball producer was a filmmaker before he even graduated college.
After the release of his first independent film as a college student, Lee hit the ground running. In 1985, he got to work on his first feature film as a director, She's Gotta Have It, featuring rising actors and actresses like DeWanda Wise, Sydney Morton, and rapper Fat Joe. The film was a massive success for a debut film as a director when it was released in 1986, grossing $7 million at the U.S. box office on a $175,000 budget.
A few years later in 1989, Lee put his artistic genius to work yet again and directed the second film under his own production company, 40 Acres and A Mule, titled Do The Right Thing. The film tackles the issue of racial inequality and cultural differences between Blacks and Italians after an Italian pizzeria in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn owned by Salvatore "Sal" Fragione (Danny Aiello) is criticized for only showcasing Italian actors on the Wall of Fame. When a neighborhood local named Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito) argues that a pizzeria in a black neighborhood ought to include black actors in the Hall of Fame, Salvatore disagrees and the neighborhood erupts in violence, resulting in the death of Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn).
Spike Lee is also shown as one of the main characters in the film named Mookie, and other celebrities featured who were starting out in their careers include Rosie Perez, Samuel L. Jackson, and Martin Lawrence. On a budget of $6 million, the film grossed a whopping $36 million at the box office and was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Lee was already making a statement in Hollywood, and he wasn't shy about it.
New Jack Hollywood
With the ball already rolling, Spike Lee went full throttle with his pedal to the metal with his acting and directing talent. Directly after the success of Do The Right Thing, he focused on the 1990 drama/musical, Mo' Better Blues. The film was an untamed expression of his father's heavy Jazz influence in his younger years. Mo' Better Blues also stood as a launching pad for many of Hollywood's biggest names to showcase their acting prowess, featuring actors such as Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, Samuel L. Jackson, John Turturro, and Robin Harris. Proudly produced by his own production company, the jazzy drama grossed a little over $16 million at the U.S. box office.
The following year in 1991, Wesley Snipes was made the face of Jungle Fever as Flipper, while Spike Lee played his trusted best friend, Cyrus. Exploring the dynamics of social acceptance, cultural awareness, interracial relationships, drugs and poverty, and socio-economic prejudices, the comedy-drama addressed all these in one sweep. Acting roles were also given again to Michael Imperioli, Annabella Sciorra, Michael Imperioli, Ruby Dee, and Halle Berry. Despite its racially charged overtone, the film grossed $43.9 million at the box office. However, Lee was yet to experience his greatest payday.
In 1992, Spike Lee directed the iconic bombshell movie, Malcolm X, played by Denzel Washington. The film was a biographical drama about the legendary black activist and Nation of Islam leader, Malcolm X. Again. depicting graphic scenes of racial injustice, the followed the life and untimely death by assassination of the great leader. In addition to receiving an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture, Malcolm X grossed a total of $73 million at the international box office. The movie featured names such as Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo, Theresa Randle, and Spike Lee himself.
Partnerships And Real Estate
According to Celebrity Net Worth, under his production company, 40 Acres and A Mule, Lee has written, directed, and produced in excess of 35 movies since he began in 1983, including He Got Game and Inside Man, both starring Denzel Washington and grossing over $200 million combined. He has also helped with the production of classic films such as Love and Basketball and The Best Man, starring Sanaa Lathan.
Aside from movie directing and acting as his major source of income, he teaches as a professor at The New York University Tisch School of the Art. He has also directed commercials for renowned brands such as Taco Bell, Converse, and Jaguar. And when it comes to real estate, Lee's townhouse mansion in New York is worth an estimated $30-$40 million today. With a movie-directing resume such as this, it's easy to see how Spike Lee's net worth is at $50 million and climbing!
Sources: Biography, Celebrity Net Worth, The Guardian
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