Trivia / Do the Right Thing

General

• Cast the Runner-Up: Spike Lee originally wanted Bill Nunn to play Mister Señor Love Daddy, but later recast him as Radio Raheem.
• Channel Hop: On both an interview, and the DVD Commentary for The Criterion Collection, Spike Lee says that the project was originally at Paramount, but the studio was worried about the climax and wanted it toned down. Lee refused and, in the same weekend Paramount turned the project down, Universal Pictures picked it up for distribution.
• Creator Couple: The acting couple Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee were friends of Spike Lee's father Bill; they were cast as Mother Sister and Da Mayor.
• Darkhorse Casting: Rosie Perez was cast as Tina after Spike Lee saw her dancing at a Los Angeles dance club. Perez decided to take the part because her sister lived four blocks from the set. She had never been in a film before and became upset during the filming of Radio Raheem's death scene.
• Inspiration for the Work: Spike Lee first got the idea for the film after watching the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode "Shopping for Death," in which the main characters discuss their theory that hot weather increases violent tendencies. He was also inspired by the 1986 Howard Beach racial incident, in which an African-American teenager was killed; and also the shooting of Eleanor Bumpurs by police.
• Irony as She Is Cast: The scene in which Sal and Buggin' Out argue about there being no "brothers" on the wall of the restaurant, only "American Italians", is ironic due to the fact that Giancarlo Esposito is half Italian, being that his father is originally from Napoli.
• Playing Against Type:
  • A retroactive case. John Turturro, an Italian-American frequently cast as Latinos, plays an actual Italian.
  • Who knew Gus Fring was such a retroactive loudmouth?
• Real-Life Relative:
  • Mookie's sister Jade is played by Spike Lee's real-life sister Joie.
  • Rick Aiello, who played Officer Long, is the real life son of Danny Aiello, who played Sal in the film.
• Throw It In!: The three derelicts' conversations were completely ad libbed.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Spike Lee's first choice for Sal was Robert De Niro, who turned it down because he felt the role was too similar to ones he had played in the past. Joe Mantegna and Joe Pesci were also considered.
  • Lee originally wanted Matt Dillon to play Pinto.
  • James Earl Jones was offered to play the role as Da Mayor, but turned it down in favour of Best of the Best.
  • The character Smiley was not originally in the script, but Lee added him after when his actor, Roger Guenveur Smith requested a role in his film.
  • Laurence Fishburne was offered but turned down the role of Love Daddy. He was also considered for Radio Raheem.
  • Wesley Snipes turned down a role in the film in order to star in Major League.
  • Delroy Lindo was offered the chance to audition as one of the "Corner Men" but turned it down.
  • In the original scripted ending, Sal and Mookie reconcile. Sal, although upset, tells Mookie that he understands that Mookie had to do the right thing. Spike Lee changed the ending during filming and has never explained why he did, though it does make the ending more morally ambiguous.

Specific

• Barack Obama and his future first lady Michelle saw this film on their first date.

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