Name: Spike Lee On Denzel Washington, ASAP Rocky and the New York Knicks
Uploaded: 2025-10-20T00:00:00Z
Duration: 9 min 34 s
Description: Spike Lee sits for The Job Interview with WSJ. Magazine to discuss working with ASAP Rocky, the Knicks fandom and why he keeps casting Denzel Washington.

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Spike Lee sits for The Job Interview with WSJ. Magazine to discuss working with ASAP Rocky, the Knicks fandom and why he keeps casting Denzel Washington. Photo: Will Chilton

https://m.wsj.net/video/20251018/74c38e1c-cc50-4d54-b831-9c169b72f035/2/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

Spike Lee sits for The Job Interview with WSJ. Magazine to discuss working with ASAP Rocky, the Knicks fandom and why he keeps casting Denzel Washington.

Spike Lee On Denzel Washington, ASAP Rocky and the New York Knicks 

Interviewer: Denzel has said that you-

What did Denzel say?

Interviewer: I'm gonna tell you. He's your reference for this job interview.

He didn't tell me that.

Is this in frame?

Interviewer: No. Spike, your career has spanned four decades. You've directed dozens of films, you've won numerous awards, including an Academy Award, two Emmys, two Peabodys, a BAFTA, and you're one of the youngest people to ever receive an honorary Oscar. What is next on your list?

The next thing on my list is, do the next Spike Lee Joint.

Interviewer: What does that entail?

Can't talk about it.

Interviewer: All righty. Your recent work, highest to lowest. If you could summarize it in 30 seconds, how would you?

Akira Kurosawa, Toshiro Mifune, Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright Ilfenesh Gadera, A$AP Rocky, Ed McBain, who wrote the novel that was adapted by Kurosawa. I can't name everybody, but that's... I only had 30 seconds.

Interviewer: I'm sure most people are sold. What did you do behind the camera to translate a Japanese classic into the rhythms of the city?

When Kurosawa made that film, that was post-war Tokyo, Japan, 1963. This film takes place currently. So I was not thinking about my mindset about what were they doing in Japan. That was not my thinking at all.

Interviewer: You worked with A$AP Rocky on this film. What did Rocky bring to set?

My wife, Tonya, produced a film called "Monster," so I knew he could act. But for years, people have been saying that there's a resemblance between Denzel and Rocky. We played upon that in the scene where Rocky says, you know, "People say I might be his son." And Denzel play off this, "Yeah, you know, I might be."

Interviewer: Of course, Denzel was also in this film, and you have produced some of your most memorable works with Denzel. Why do you keep casting him?

Are you serious? Is the Pope Catholic? Are the next colors orange and blue? Did Jackie Robinson become the first African American major league baseball? Is Al Green? Is James Brown? Is Barry White? I can go on. In my humble opinion, I think Denzel is the greatest living actor. Martin Scorsese would say if he was asked, he would say De Niro. I would argue that. Marty's never worked with Denzel. I've never worked around with Robert De Niro.

Interviewer: But Denzel has said that you-

What did Denzel say?

Interviewer: I'm gonna tell you. He's your reference for this job interview and he has said that you reignited his excitement. Why do you think he said that?

He didn't tell me that. But here's the thing though, and all jokes aside, you know, us working together, our fifth film brought him some new energy about this great art form. And I'm blessed.

Interviewer: "She's Gotta Have It" was the film that changed everything for you. Do you remember how it felt when you realized it was a breakthrough?

Well, I have to go back to my thesis film. My thesis film was a film called "Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop" and it won the Student Academy Award. And I thought when I got that award that all the studios would be calling me. But then I woke up. My first feature film came out 1986. "She's Gotta Have It" was $175,000. It went on to make $8.5 million at the box office. That was a breakthrough.

Interviewer: I heard that you used to sit in the back of theaters that screened your movie to hear the conversations that ensued in the audience.

I did, that's early on. That was really for "Do the Right Thing." And so the theaters did not like it because there's a line down the block, people coming in the next screening and the people just seen the film were discussing the film in the lobby. Here's the thing though. No black person ever, my mother, father's grave no black person has ever asked me why Mookie threw the garbage can through the window. Only white folks.

Interviewer: Let's talk a little bit about "Malcolm X." It was a big undertaking. What was your biggest challenge in telling that story?

Biggest hurdle was getting the financing we needed to finish it. When Warner Brothers shut the film down, I just knew that it was gonna be a struggle to get this film made. So the phrase, "By any means necessary," is something I took to heart.

Interviewer: BlacKKKlansman won you your first competitive Oscar. Tell me about the moment when they announced you won.

Up to that point, I was not having much love from the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences so I was not... I did not bet the house, let's leave it like that. But here's the thing though. I got a hint. Sam Jackson was one of the people to announce it. Sam and I both went to Morehouse College. We said the house and I didn't know what he was talking about. And then there's a great picture. I leaped up into his arms and luckily he did not drop me or I busted my culo. For those who don't speak Spanish, that's ass. Culo.

Interviewer: Your hats and glasses are almost as iconic as your films. How did they become such a signature part of your look?

It's not something that was a plan or thought out. I mean, my father used to buy me baseball hats, so I blame it on my father. And glasses. I couldn't see. Ladies and gentlemen, these are prescriptions.

Interviewer: Where does your nickname Spike come from?

My late mother gave me the nickname, Spike. She says I was a tough baby.

Interviewer: What made you so tough as a baby?

She didn't answer. She never really told me why.

Interviewer: Having you as their father, your kids have been exposed to, I imagine, great film and music and culture. What have you learned from them?

I can't turn on the TV. I don't know which remote to pick up or stuff on my iPhone, so they just keep me wary on what's happening.

Interviewer: You and Tonya Lewis Lee have been married for more than 30 years.

31 years, 31 years.

Interviewer: How did you know she was the one?

I was in DC for the Black Congressional Caucus and I was there promoting "Malcolm X." And so I know it might sound corny, but that feels like some movie. The music comes in. Life wasn't at 24 frames per second. Went to 48, maybe 72. Slowed down for the filmmakers. We were looking at each other, stopped and went to our respective restrooms. And the rest of the night, I was, you know, looking for her. Our first date, the book party of Madonna's "Sex" book. Right there, she could have said.

Interviewer: As part of this job interview, we had to check your socials.

How you turn on an iPod?

Can you tell us the story behind this?

I fly JetBlue a lot and I saw that they were putting names on the plane. So somehow I got president. I said, "I did a film called "Mo' Better Blues." Why don't you put "Mo' Better Blue" on it?" And he did.

Interviewer: Your father, Bill Lee, scored your early movies. Which artist did he introduce you to that left the biggest mark on you?

My father, he loved John Coltrane. Never played with him, but he... In this picture right here, this is the great Judy Collins. At one time, my father was the top folk bassist. He's on the first album of a Simon and Garfunkel album. Played with Aretha Franklin's first jazz album. My father's on the Bob Dylan song, "It's All Over Now Baby Blue," where it is just Bob Dylan on harmonica. When Bob Dylan went electric, he asked my father to play electric bass, and my father said, "I can't do it." So when Dylan went electric, everybody went electric. There was no work. My mother had to work because we would've starved. 'cause to his dying day, you're not pluck a string on an electric bass. He was a purist and was not gonna do it.

Interviewer: I know you said you don't like to do favorites, so I won't even ask you who your favorite basketball player of all time is.

The post I talked about. You know, what I feel, the senseless diatribe of arguing who's the GOAT? My favorite, I don't think it's news to anybody knows anything about basketball. But for me, it's Michael.

Interviewer: When you're not on set, you're practically a fixture at Madison Square Garden. How do you handle the constant heartbreak of being a Knicks super fan?

This is the year. I know I've been saying that since the '72-'73 season, but New York City's fired up. When I'm walking down the street, people yelling at me across the street, "Knicks!" I go back, "Knicks!" I mean, the authorities are hoping that the Knicks win is on the road. The deciding game is at the world's most famous arena. Call the Marines, the National Guard. Sanitation had the trucks blocked off. That ain't gonna stop us.

Interviewer: What do you hope people will be saying about Spike Lee's films 50 years from now?

If I was to think long and hard about, "Oh, are they gonna like this?" or, you know, I would not be still making films in my fourth decade, you know. Just onto the next, onto the next. That's been my mentality.