Spike Lee

I think it's important to be kind.

I'm not interested in making films that are just for the box office.

I think it's important to be humble.

I'm not trying to be a legend. I'm just trying to make good films.

I think it's important to be persistent.

I'm not interested in making films that are just for a niche audience.

I think it's important to be courageous.

I'm not trying to be a genius. I'm just trying to tell stories that resonate.

I think it's important to be empathetic.

I'm not interested in making films that are just pretty. I want them to have substance.

Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.

You gotta do what you gotta do, so you do.

The only thing that Jack Nicholson and I have in common is a love of jazz and a desire to make movies.

I graduated from NYU film school in 1978, and I've been making movies ever since.

Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, make no mistake.

A spike heel is a lot of fun. It's like a lollipop, but dangerous.

I am married to the street; I ain't gonna switch over. I ain't gonna go play them pretty roles.

Commercial film is a big world, and you don't have to make revolutionary films to make money.

I have to write in pieces. I can't write 100 pages in a row.

The first time I saw 'Sunset Boulevard,' I thought it was a documentary.