Five reasons why I'm not a Spike Lee fan - Part III

This is Part III of a five-part series, Five reasons why I’m not a Spike Lee fan.

Read:

Five Reasons why I'm not a Spike Lee Fan - Part I
Five Reasons why I'm not a Spike Lee Fan - Part II

   
Same Old Actors    

 
Early on, he kept using the same actors over and over and over and over and over and over again, without giving other actors a chance – despite the fact that he had the power to give this chance. I’ve always wondered why he did this. Some might say I’m nitpicking about this. Admittedly, this is likely more a pet peeve than a justifiable complaint… maybe. Nevertheless, I’ve always been annoyed by it. For instance, there were other senior actors (besides Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis) who were not given opportunities. I suppose Ossie Davis was seen as the best actor to deliver the requisite soliloquies in the Spike Lee joints in which he appeared.

Does John Turturro have something on Spike Lee or what? Turturro shows up in most Spike Lee films, as does Michael Imperioli… and Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Isaiah Washington, Roger Guenveur Smith… and of course, Joie Lee.

 

For more on Spike Lee, visit the SPIKE LEE category on this blog.

Comments

[Kimi]

That part never bothered me. I figured they were probably either good friends with him, or cheap labor since they weren't famous yet. & we all know Spike's story of paying for his early flick via credit cards cuz he didn't have no loot.

As time went on, he started to branch out a bit. & he's definitely hooked up a few actors & helped to put some on the map.

But I digress, I can't think of one older actor at this moment who could pull off Spike's "soliloquies" a la Ossie Davis. Heck at times I could barely listen to em LOL

[Shion]

Co-sign with Kimi, I believed Spike gave actors who he thought had great acting ability the exposure they otherwise wouldn't have gotten on other films. Halle Berry,Denzel,Sam Jax, Danny Aiello have all been nomiating/or won an Academy award.Scorcese/De Niro, Coppola/Pacino are legendary collaborations.Clooney works with Cheadle by choice.
This is nothing new

[theblackactor.com]

Okay, guys. I'm prolly the only one who was bugged by this. I know. LOL.

[James Nelson]

This is also a non issue, as many directors have actors that they like to work with. Coppolla doesn't get flack for using Robert Deniro, Rodriquez doesn't get flack for having Danny Trello in all his films. Especially when you consider that in Hollywood most Black actors can be in a successful film and never heard from again, it's good that someone out there is looking out for their friends.

[theblackactor.com]

That's certainly one way to look at it, James. I don't know if those individuals get flack about it or not. In any case, Coppolla's significance to the black community is markedly different from what Spike Lee's is. With that said, I believe our expectations of say, Spike Lee or Tyler Perry are not the same they are from from Coppolla or Steven Spielberg.

I do agree that it's good that Spike Lee is looking out for them.