Watch: Spike Lee Shares How He Defines His Film Legacy, From 'She's Gotta Have It' & Beyond (Exclusive)Spike Lee has always strived to do the right thing through moviemaking. As the Jungle Fever director received the Career Achievement Award at the Critics Choice Association's 8th annual Celebration of Black Cinema and Television in Los Angeles, he pointed to his trailblazing filmography as proof of his professional success. "Look at the work," he told E! News in an exclusive interview at the Dec. 9 event. "Look at them joints. Look at them Spike Lee joints." And while the prestigious honor the 68-year-old received at the event, he pointed out that the loyalty of his audiences has been the driving force behind his longevity in Hollywood. "My community's been honoring me by going to my films since She's Gotta Have It way back in 1986," he explained. "Next year's gonna be the 40th anniversary." Spike's success has continued through the decades-most recently with this year's crime thriller Highest 2 Lowest starring Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright and A$AP Rocky-but the Oscar winner still has plenty of stories to tell onscreen.readMichael B. Jordan Shares His Mindset After His First Golden Globe Nomination"There's a lot of films I have not made yet," he continued, "but it'll get done." Aside from shaping his own narratives, Spike has also shared his advice for others hoping to follow in his footsteps-though he certainly did not romanticize the life of an artist.
Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock"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," he told students during a master class at Chapman University in October. "Just straight up lying." But despite Spike's bluntness about the realities of breaking into the industry, he urged aspiring filmmakers not to let their failures consume them. "There's gonna be some rough spots," he went on. "It's okay to mope for one day and feel sorry for yourself, but after that, pick your[self] up and go."For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App Watch: Spike Lee Shares How He Defines His Film Legacy, From 'She's Gotta Have It' & Beyond (Exclusive)Spike Lee has always strived to do the right thing through moviemaking. As the Jungle Fever director received the Career Achievement Award at the Critics Choice Association's 8th annual Celebration of Black Cinema and Television in Los Angeles, he pointed to his trailblazing filmography as proof of his professional success. "Look at the work," he told E! News in an exclusive interview at the Dec. 9 event. "Look at them joints. Look at them Spike Lee joints." And while the prestigious honor the 68-year-old received at the event, he pointed out that the loyalty of his audiences has been the driving force behind his longevity in Hollywood. "My community's been honoring me by going to my films since She's Gotta Have It way back in 1986," he explained. "Next year's gonna be the 40th anniversary." Spike's success has continued through the decades-most recently with this year's crime thriller Highest 2 Lowest starring Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright and A$AP Rocky-but the Oscar winner still has plenty of stories to tell onscreen.readMichael B. Jordan Shares His Mindset After His First Golden Globe Nomination"There's a lot of films I have not made yet," he continued, "but it'll get done." Aside from shaping his own narratives, Spike has also shared his advice for others hoping to follow in his footsteps-though he certainly did not romanticize the life of an artist.
Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock"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," he told students during a master class at Chapman University in October. "Just straight up lying." But despite Spike's bluntness about the realities of breaking into the industry, he urged aspiring filmmakers not to let their failures consume them. "There's gonna be some rough spots," he went on. "It's okay to mope for one day and feel sorry for yourself, but after that, pick your[self] up and go."For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App