'Do the Right Thing' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Do the Right Thing Cast: Where Are They Now?

Over 25 years and 20 films, Spike Lee has deservedly earned a spot as one of film's most important directors, paving the way for a slew of African-American filmmakers and confronting heady and controversial racial issues.

With 1989's 'Do The Right Thing,' a character-driven film set on a single, sweltering day in Bedford-Stuyvestant, Brooklyn, Lee never shies away from the uncomfortable or polarizing, tackling the bubbling tension and interactions between various ethnicities. We check back in with the neighborhood.

Do the Right Thing Cast: Where Are They Now?

Spike Lee

Played: Mookie

Then: Lee already made the critically acclaimed films 'She's Gotta Have It' and 'School Daze' before writing, directing and starring in what would become his first masterpiece. As Mookie, the delivery man at Sal's Pizza, Lee bridges the divide between the African-American and Italian contingents of the neighborhood.

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Do the Right Thing Cast: Where Are They Now?

Spike Lee

Now: After 'Thing' garnered widespread acclaim and a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination, Lee went on to become one of Hollywood's most prominent and polarizing writer/directors, alternating between racially-tinged movies ('Jungle Fever,' 'Malcolm X,' 'Bamboozled') and action/crime films ('Summer of Sam,' 'Clockers,' 'Inside Man'). In 2006, Lee wrote and directed 'When the Levees Broke,' one of the most powerful and poignant films on the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

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Do the Right Thing Cast: Where Are They Now?

Danny Aiello

Played: Sal

Then: Aiello was an established screen presence at the time of the film's release, having taken prominent roles in 'Purple Rose of Cairo,' 'Once Upon a Time in America' and 'Moonstruck.' In a role originally offered to Robert De Niro, Aiello plays Sal with a convoluted mix of pathos, anger and affection for the community.

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Do the Right Thing Cast: Where Are They Now?

Danny Aiello

Now: Aiello went on to become one of Hollywood's most well-known character actors, equally adept at playing tough-guy thugs and sensitive, gentle giants. In films like 'The Professional' and 'The Last Don,' Aiello's hefty physical stature and gruff, direct voice made him the natural choice to portray Italian crime bosses.

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Do the Right Thing Cast: Where Are They Now?

Ossie Davis

Played: Da Mayor

Then: Veteran actor, playwright and activist Ossie Davis had been acting in TV, film and on stage for nearly 40 years when Spike Lee cast him in 1988's 'School Daze.' On this second collaboration with Lee, Davis puts in a stunning performance as Da Mayor, the town elder who watches over, and comments on, everything and everyone he sees.

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Do the Right Thing Cast: Where Are They Now?

Ossie Davis

Now: Davis would go on to become a regular actor in Lee's troop, starring in 'Jungle Fever,' 'Malcolm X' and 'She Hate Me,' among others. He continued to champion various social causes and remained a devout activist until his death in 2005.

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Do the Right Thing Cast: Where Are They Now?

Ruby Dee

Played: Mother Sister

Then: The real-life wife of Davis, Dee split her time between stage and screen, appearing in such films as 'The Jackie Robinson Story' and 'A Raisin in the Sun' (reprising her stage role). As Mother Sister, the counterpart and foil to Da Mayor, Dee observes the neighborhood with insight and a worldly detachment.

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Do the Right Thing Cast: Where Are They Now?

Ruby Dee

Now: The 85-year old actress and wife of Ossie Davis appeared in a number of smaller films before being nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 2007 for her role as Mama Lucas in Ridley Scott's 'American Gangster.' She continues to work on both feature films and documentaries.

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Do the Right Thing Cast: Where Are They Now?

Richard Edson

Played: Vito

Then: Edson initially set out a career path as a musician, drumming for the original lineup of Sonic Youth in 1981 before going the acting route. While his most prominent role was as Eddie in Jim Jarmusch's indie classic 'Stranger Than Paradise,' he earned Minor Icon status as the valet who went joyriding in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off.'

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Do the Right Thing Cast: Where Are They Now?