Born in Atlanta, Georgia, his family moved to Brooklyn, New York when he was still very young. He developed his film skills at Morehouse College, Atlanta and the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 1982.
In Paris, France, in 2003, Mr. Lee received an honorary Cesar Award for Lifetime Achievement in the film industry.
In 2003 Lee sued the Spike TV television network claiming that they were capitalizing on his fame by using his name for their network. The claim was settled out of court.
His production company is 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks.
Selected filmography