Spike Lee is one of Hollywood’s most prolific filmmakers, with his movies having earned acclaim and helped define Generation X and beyond. Aside from his work behind the camera, though, Lee is also known for never mincing words on a given topic. Lee will let people know if he likes something (like Sinners) or disagrees with something (like in Oppenheimer). MLB icon Derek Jeter has been on the wrong end of Lee’s shade, as he once received some very blunt advice after asking to be in one of the director’s films.
While Derek Jeter is mostly known for his work on the baseball diamond as a member of the New York Yankees, he’s also made a handful of movie and TV appearances during his career. Jeter famously appeared as himself on an episode of Seinfeld back in the day, and he cameoed in the films Anger Management and The Other Guys. Ahead of landing those small film roles, though, the five-time World Series champion wanted to be in a “Spike Lee joint.” With that, he apparently shot his shot during a ball game in the ‘90s:
I met Spike Lee in 1996 at a Yankee game, and I was excited. Everyone knows Spike Lee, and he was on the field, and I said, 'Hey, Spike, when are you going to let me act in one of your movies?'
Honestly, I can appreciate just how confident the seasoned athlete was at the time. I mean, he had nothing to lose and much to gain, after all. As the baseball hall of famer further recalled to People, though, the Do the Right Thing helmer responded with a blunt – but hilarious – suggestion:
And he said, 'Try acting like a shortstop tonight.' So he put me in my place. And ever since that, I took his advice to heart, and I realized where my focus should be, and that should be on the baseball career.
Derek Jeter experienced a few injuries over the course of his career, but that verbal jab from the New York-raised director is particularly brutal. However, the funny shot probably shouldn’t be too surprising, considering the Malcolm X helmer’s typically honest way of dealing with athletes. (Reggie Miller knows about that all too well.) At the very least, it seems that Jeter took that incredibly direct piece of advice in stride and committed to heart. His baseball résumé, after all, does speak for itself.
Something that should be mentioned is that Spike Lee doesn’t have any qualms about working with athletes. He did, after all, cast basketball player Ray Allen as the co-lead of his 1996 sports drama, He Got Game. Lee also collaborated with Michael Jordan on a series of Nike commercials in which the multihyphenate reprised his role of Mars Blackmon from She’s Gotta Have It. (As a sports fan, I’d love to know if Lee ever had the gumption to critique Jordan while they were on set together.)
As for Derek Jeter, I’d say the chances of him joining a Spike Lee movie now are probably slim, though I guess just about anything is possible. While Jeter is currently busy with his various business ventures, Lee is looking towards the release of his 2025 movie release, Highest 2 Lowest, which opens in theaters on August 22 and will available to stream with an Apple TV+ subscription on September 5. So, years after Lee and Jeter’s funny exchange, I’d say things worked out well for both men.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
