More than twenty-five years ago, Spike Lee released his musical-drama “School Daze.” A semi-autobiographical depiction of Lee’s experiences while at Morehouse College, the movie delved into the complexities of Black identity and Black college life. “School Daze” was released with great success, despite some initial controversial, and went on to become a cult classic.
A lot of much time has passed since the film made its way to theatres. Today the “School Daze” cast is all grown up! Here’s a look at where some of the lead characters are today.
1. Laurence Fishburne – “Dap”
The role of academic revolutionary “Dap” was a smart fit for Laurence Fishburne who Spike Lee hand picked for the performance. Years after his role in “School Daze,” Fishburne is now most widely known for playing “Morpheus,” the brazen and hopeful rogue in the Wachowski smash-hit trilogy “The Matrix.” Performances since also include his characters in “Two Trains Running,” “TriBeCa,” and “Hannibal.”
2. Samuel L. Jackson – “Leed”
Jackson played a minor role as “Leed” in “School Daze.” Following his performance in School Daze, Jackson has been tireless, appearing in everything from “Jurassic Park,” to “Pulp Fiction,” to “Die Hard,” to the “Star Wars” reboot.
3. Kadeem Hardison – “Edge”
After his appearance in “School Daze” as the loved character “Edge,” Kadeem Hardison went on to have many memorable acting roles. Notably, Hardison played “Dwayne Cleophus Wayne” in the 80’s sitcom “A Different World.” Hardison married singer Chante Moore and they had one child, Sophia, but the couple is no longer together.
4. Spike Lee – “Half-Pint”
The award-winning director has largely stayed behind the camera following his performance of “Half-Pint” in School Daze, but he has hardly been out of sight. Lee followed his HBCU screenplay with critically acclaimed films such as “Do The Right Thing,” “Driving Miss Daisy” and “4 little Girls.”
5. Jasmine Guy – “Dina”
Guy made her film debut in “School Daze” as “Dina.” in the 1988 Spike Lee feature “School Daze.” From there, the actress has played has acted in many roles. Most notably, Guy was “Whitley Gilbert” in the Cosby spin-off series “A Different World.” Today, she still acts and lives with her daughter in Atlanta.
6. Tisha Campbell Martin – “Jane Toussaint”
Campbell Martin – a singer, dancer and actress – has landed roles and guest-appearances on shows like “Martin” and “Everybody Hates Chris” since she played “Jane Toussaint.” She otherwise leads a quiet life with her two kids and husband Duane Martin.
7. Giancarlo Esposito – “Julian aka Big Brother Almighty”
Esposito was 30 when he accepted the role of audacious Greek fraternity captain “Big Brother Almighty.” Since then, he’s acted in many other Spike Lee joints and made a splash as the drug lord “Gustavo” in the award-winning AMC TV series Breaking Bad.
