Do the Right Thing - actors, characters and roles

All actors and their roles in the film "Do the Right Thing"
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Timing: 2:0 (120 min)
Do the Right Thing - TMDB rating
7.763/10
1963
Do the Right Thing - Kinopoisk rating
7.248/10
6463
Do the Right Thing - IMDB rating
8/10
109859

Actors and characters

Photo Ossie Davis #53433Photo Ossie Davis #53434Photo Ossie Davis #53435

Ossie Davis

Ossie Davis
Character Da Mayor
Photo Ruby Dee #50639Photo Ruby Dee #50640Photo Ruby Dee #50641

Ruby Dee

Ruby Dee
Character Mother Sister
Photo Spike Lee #79388Photo Spike Lee #79389Photo Spike Lee #79390Photo Spike Lee #79391

Spike Lee

Spike Lee
Character Mookie
Photo Bill Nunn #21955Photo Bill Nunn #21956

Bill Nunn

Bill Nunn
Character Radio Raheem
Photo Frankie Faison #21480Photo Frankie Faison #21481

Frankie Faison

Frankie Faison
Character Coconut Sid
Photo Robin Harris #75270
Robin Harris
Character Sweet Dick Willie
Photo Joie Lee #109186

Joie Lee

Joie Lee
Character Jade
Photo Miguel Sandoval #37549

Miguel Sandoval

Miguel Sandoval
Character Officer Ponte
Photo Rick Aiello #79540
Rick Aiello
Character Officer Long
Photo John Savage #88582Photo John Savage #88583Photo John Savage #88584Photo John Savage #88585

John Savage

John Savage
Character Clifton
Photo Samuel L. Jackson #65432Photo Samuel L. Jackson #65433Photo Samuel L. Jackson #65434Photo Samuel L. Jackson #65435

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson
Character Mister Señor Love Daddy
Photo Rosie Perez #35028Photo Rosie Perez #35029Photo Rosie Perez #35030Photo Rosie Perez #35031

Rosie Perez

Rosie Perez
Character Tina
Photo Steve White #52081Photo Steve White #52082

Steve White

Steve White
Character Ahmad
Christa Rivers
Character Ella
Photo Frank Vincent #25075Photo Frank Vincent #25076Photo Frank Vincent #25077Photo Frank Vincent #25078

Frank Vincent

Frank Vincent
Character Charlie
Richard Habersham
Character Eddie
Photo Gwen McGee #105112Photo Gwen McGee #105113
Gwen McGee
Character Louise
Photo Steve Park #14885Photo Steve Park #66031Photo Steve Park #327561

Steve Park

Steve Park
Character Sonny
Ginny Yang
Character Kim
Sherwin Park
Character Korean Child
Photo Shawn Elliott #103445

Shawn Elliott

Shawn Elliott
Character Puerto Rican Icee Man
Diva Osorio
Character Carmen
Chris Delaney
Character Stevie's Friend
Angel Ramirez Jr.
Character Stevie's Friend
Photo Sixto Ramos #63600
Sixto Ramos
Character Stevie's Friend
Photo Nelson Vasquez #86381
Nelson Vasquez
Character Stevie's Friend
Travell Lee Toulson
Character Hector
Photo Joel Nagle #109187
Joel Nagle
Character Sergeant
David E. Weinberg
Character Plain Clothes Detective
Yatte Brown
Character Double Dutch Girl
Mecca Brunson
Character Double Dutch Girl
Shawn Stainback
Character Double Dutch Girl
Soquana Wallace
Character Double Dutch Girl
Erik Dellums
Character Customer in Pizzeria (uncredited)
Photo Nicholas Turturro #2655Photo Nicholas Turturro #2656

Nicholas Turturro

Nicholas Turturro
Character Policeman (uncredited)

What's left behind the scenes

  • Filming took place within a single block in Brooklyn. Several residents of that block were even invited for minor roles in the film.
  • In the original script, Spike Lee and Danny Aiello's characters were supposed to reconcile. Spike Lee changed the ending at the very last moment without any explanation.
  • It took 8 hours to film the first scene, featuring the song "Fight the Power" and Rosie Perez dancing. The scene is a reference to a similar scene in "Bye Birdie" (George Sidney, 1963).
  • Danny Aiello later recounted that he almost refused to participate in the project when he saw he was to play a pizzeria owner. Although Italian-Americans do indeed own many pizzerias, the actor felt it was a stereotypical portrayal.
  • The plot was based on a real-life incident where a group of young white people expelled a group of their African American peers from a pizzeria in one of New York City's neighborhoods.
  • The film's title features words spoken by Malcolm X (1925-1965), an American Islamic spiritual leader and civil rights activist.
  • Spike Lee wanted Robert De Niro to play Sal, but he stated that the role was too reminiscent of many of his previous roles and declined. Ultimately, Danny Aiello played the part.
  • Spike Lee wrote the film's screenplay in just two weeks.
  • Ossie Davis, who played the Mayor, and Ruby Dee, who played Mother Sister, were married to each other and frequently appeared together in films until Davis's death in 2005.
  • Smiley wasn't originally in the script. Scenes with this character, played by Roger Guenveur Smith, were added after filming had already begun.
  • The key scene of the conversation between Danny Aiello and John Turturro was half-improvised (everything that happened after the character played by Roger Guenveur Smith approached the window).
Did you like the film?

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