Spike Lee Reflects on His Legacy
Spike Lee has always made an effort to use filmmaking to accomplish the right thing. At the Critics Choice Association's 8th annual Celebration of Black Cinema and Television in Los Angeles, the Jungle Fever director accepted the Career Achievement Award, citing his groundbreaking filmography as evidence of his career accomplishment.
“Look at the work,” in an exclusive interview during the event on December 9, he informed news outlets. “Look at them joints. Look at them Spike Lee joints.”
The 68-year-old noted that his longevity in Hollywood has been fueled by his audiences' dedication, despite the prestigious award he received at the ceremony.
Register for Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 19 (Feb 9 – May 2, 2026): big discounts for early bird.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and co-invest in great global startups.
Register for Tekedia AI Lab: From Technical Design to Deployment (next edition begins Jan 24 2026).
“My community’s been honoring me by going to my films since She’s Gotta Have It way back in 1986,” he clarified. “Next year’s gonna be the 40th anniversary.”
The Oscar winner still has a lot of stories to share on screen, but Spike's success has persisted throughout the years, most recently with this year's criminal drama Highest 2 Lowest, starring Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, and A$AP Rocky.
“There’s a lot of films I have not made yet,” he added, “but it’ll get done.”
In addition to crafting his own stories, Spike has offered guidance to people who aspire to be like him—though he most definitely did not romanticize the life of an artist.
“Anybody who’s made it and says that the very minute they decided what they wanted to do, there were no cracks in the sidewalk or this or that, they’re lying,” in October, he informed students in a master's session at Chapman University. “Just straight up lying.”
However, Spike advised budding filmmakers not to let their setbacks define them, despite his candor about the difficulties of breaking into the business.
“There’s gonna be some rough spots,” he continued. “It’s okay to mope for one day and feel sorry for yourself, but after that, pick your[self] up and go.”
