Lee, Spike (Shelton Jackson) (1957- )

US film director, actor, and writer. Much of his work presents the harsh realities of contemporary working-class African-American life in a direct, often controversial manner. Among his most successful films are Do the Right Thing (1989) and Malcolm X (1992).

His films, in which he often appears, also include She's Gotta Have It (1986), Mo' Better Blues (1990), Jungle Fever (1991), Clockers (1995), Get on the Bus (1996, about the Million Man March on Washington, DC), He Got Game (1998), Summer of Sam (1999), and Bamboozled (2000).