Rosie Perez says Spike Lee made up with her after speaking out against Do the Right Thing’s nude scene: ‘We made up, we hugged and we’re friends to this day’
Rosie Perez says she and Spike Lee have made amends in the decades since she complained about appearing in a nude scene for the director in the 1989 film Do the Right Thing.
Speaking to Variety Wednesday, the Brooklyn, New York native, 58, said she and the filmmaker hit it off after speaking on a roundtable for The New York Times Magazine in 2000 that her “first experience” was Showing flesh in front of the camera ‘was awful.’
Perez played, wrote, directed and acted as Tina in the groundbreaking film Lee, 66.
Perez said in the 2000 round of talks, “Of course, my first experience was doing the right thing. And I had a big problem with that, mostly because I was afraid of what my family would think — that’s what really worried me.”
Perez said the problem wasn’t necessarily getting naked, but she didn’t feel good about it either because the atmosphere wasn’t right.
The Latest: Rosie Perez, 58, says she and Spike Lee, 66, have been making amends in the decades since she complained about appearing in a nude scene for the director in the 1989 film Do the Right Thing . Pictured at Lee’s birthday party in NYC earlier this month
“And when Spike Lee puts ice cubes on my nipples, you don’t see my head because I’m crying. I was like, “I don’t want to do that.”‘
She continued in the 2000 chat: “I felt like Irene Cara in Fame. It was like, “Wait a minute, I feel so weak, I’m not.” So that was my first experience and it was awful.”
The Oscar-nominated actress said in the new interview with Variety that people were upset with both her and Lee after the reveal 23 years ago.
“In our cancellation culture, some people have to be canceled,” she said. “And when I told the story, people were ready to fire Spike Lee and me because I said something. And I said, “You know what? This is getting out of control.”
Perez said Lee apologized to her and the two eventually moved on when she was pictured with the Oscar winner at his birthday bash in New York City earlier this month.
“We talked about it, we made up, we hugged and we’re still friends to this day,” she said. “And sometimes people need a chance to say, ‘I’m sorry.’ Saying “I’m sorry” is enormous for a man of his stature.
“But that’s why I don’t like to talk about it — because people get too crazy.”
In an interview with Variety, Perez revealed that she didn’t know who Lee was when she first met him at a nightclub.
“I didn’t understand who he was,” she said. “And I didn’t care. I threw away the card. My friend Marian went back and got it.
“She used to joke, ‘You owe me your entire career.’ You know, I auditioned for Do the Right Thing. People think Spike just discovered me and gave me the part. No, he made me work for it.’
Perez played the role of Tina in the groundbreaking film that Lee wrote, directed and starred in
Perez said in a 2000 roundtable that she cried while filming a nude scene in the film
Perez said Lee apologized to her and the two eventually moved on when she was pictured with the Oscar winner at his birthday bash in New York City earlier this month