Spike Lee is considered one of Hollywood’s most prolific filmmakers, together with his motion pictures having earned acclaim and helped outline Era X and past. Except for his work behind the digital camera, although, Lee can also be recognized for by no means mincing phrases on a given matter. Lee will let individuals know if he likes one thing (like Sinners) or disagrees with one thing (like in Oppenheimer). MLB icon Derek Jeter has been on the incorrect finish of Lee’s shade, as he as soon as obtained some very blunt recommendation after asking to be in one of many director’s movies.
Whereas Derek Jeter is generally recognized for his work on the baseball diamond as a member of the New York Yankees, he’s additionally made a handful of film and TV appearances throughout his profession. Jeter famously appeared as himself on an episode of Seinfeld again within the day, and he cameoed within the movies Anger Administration and The Different Guys. Forward of touchdown these small movie roles, although, the five-time World Collection champion needed to be in a “Spike Lee joint.” With that, he apparently shot his shot throughout a ball sport within the ‘90s:
I met Spike Lee in 1996 at a Yankee sport, and I used to be excited. Everybody is aware of Spike Lee, and he was on the sector, and I mentioned, ‘Hey, Spike, when are you going to let me act in considered one of your motion pictures?’
Truthfully, I can admire simply how assured the seasoned athlete was on the time. I imply, he had nothing to lose and far to achieve, in spite of everything. Because the baseball corridor of famer additional recalled to Folks, although, the Do the Proper Factor helmer responded with a blunt – however hilarious – suggestion:
And he mentioned, ‘Attempt appearing like a shortstop tonight.’ So he put me in my place. And ever since that, I took his recommendation to coronary heart, and I noticed the place my focus ought to be, and that ought to be on the baseball profession.
Derek Jeter skilled a number of accidents over the course of his profession, however that verbal jab from the New York-raised director is especially brutal. Nonetheless, the humorous shot in all probability shouldn’t be too stunning, contemplating the Malcolm X helmer’s usually trustworthy approach of coping with athletes. (Reggie Miller is aware of about that every one too properly.) On the very least, evidently Jeter took that extremely direct piece of recommendation in stride and dedicated to coronary heart. His baseball résumé, in spite of everything, does converse for itself.
One thing that ought to be talked about is that Spike Lee doesn’t have any qualms about working with athletes. He did, in spite of everything, solid basketball participant Ray Allen because the co-lead of his 1996 sports activities drama, He Bought Sport. Lee additionally collaborated with Michael Jordan on a sequence of Nike commercials through which the multihyphenate reprised his function of Mars Blackmon from She’s Gotta Have It. (As a sports activities fan, I’d like to know if Lee ever had the gumption to critique Jordan whereas they have been on set collectively.)
As for Derek Jeter, I’d say the probabilities of him becoming a member of a Spike Lee film now are in all probability slim, although I suppose absolutely anything is feasible. Whereas Jeter is at the moment busy together with his numerous enterprise ventures, Lee is trying in direction of the discharge of his 2025 film launch, Highest 2 Lowest, which opens in theaters on August 22 and can out there to stream with an Apple TV+ subscription on September 5. So, years after Lee and Jeter’s humorous change, I’d say issues labored out properly for each males.