I’m connected to a Wesley Snipes, and I’m connected to Giancarlo Esposito because of the history of films that we’ve all been a part of with Spike Lee.
The thing about Spike Lee… that’s a deep experience to work with someone who is that intense and knows their vision that well. The character I play in ‘Red Hook Summer’ is super country and super loud. I suppose he is some version of myself.
‘Rent’ was a special project for me. It was my first notable screenplay job. I worked with two wonderful directors on it, starting with Spike Lee in the summer of 2001. I wrote a draft for Spike and he was really good to me.
I like Spike Lee a lot. He’s incredibly gifted and I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves as a filmmaker.
Sometimes I’ve done small parts, like with Spike Lee, but it doesn’t matter because you want to work with the director.
Spike Lee is not the first name you would probably think about redoing ‘Oldboy.’
It’s been a twisty-turny path for me. I was studying to be a history professor, and then I left that, went to film school, and tried to be like my heroes, like, Spike Lee and Hal Hartly.
I like movies made by Spike Lee – doing those films out of the U.S., that is really daring.
Spike Lee is not the first name you would probably think about redoing ‘Oldboy.’
Spike Lee gave me the greatest reaction to the fact that I was this athlete-meets-artist, because I think he saw that I was different. I learned that oftentimes, Spike directs in a sense that he might just stare at you and look at you in a telepathic way of communicating.
I’d like to state that Spike Lee is not saying that African American culture is just for black people alone to enjoy and cherish. Culture is for everybody.
The first black girl book I fell in love with was most likely ‘Please, Puppy, Please’ by Spike Lee and Tonya Lee.
I’m such a fan of actors and also enjoy watching them work so that I can help their acting in any way I can. Sometimes it walks a tricky line because you want to be entertaining to some degree. But honesty is always entertaining to me. I’m a big Woody Allen and Spike Lee fan, and I find their films to be very honest.
I look at the stories that Spike Lee tells… Great stories. Great director, great storyteller.
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