“Do the Right Thing” starring Spike Lee and Rosie Perez played a pivotal role in the early love story of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.
Barack, 63, first met Michelle, 60, in 1989, the same year “Do the Right Thing” hit American theaters.
The future First Family’s first date included seeing the Universal Pictures-distributed film.
Perez, 60, played Tina in the critically acclaimed comedy-drama that the former first family saw on their very first date. Lee, 67, starred as Mookie in the lead role. He also served as the director, screenwriter, and producer.
During a recent appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Perez spoke about having an awkward conversation with Barack about her debut film-acting performance.
The ex-choreographer for “In Living Color” initially met the Democratic politician when he was still a U.S. senator from Illinois between 2004-2008.
“I was like, ‘Senator, senator, senator, hi. I’m a big fan of yours.’ And he goes, ‘I’m a big fan of yours, too.’ I said, ‘You know who I am?’ He goes, ‘Yeah, Michelle and I, our first date we saw ‘Do the Right Thing,’” Perez recalled.
The Brooklyn, New York, native continued, “I went, ‘Oh my god, you saw my tits?!’ I was so embarrassed. He was like, ‘Yeah, we did.’ And then he asked me to campaign for him. It was wonderful.”
Rosie and Barack’s first interaction took place when the actress received the Medallion of Excellence for Leadership and Community Service from the Hispanic Congressional Caucus in 2008.
In 2015, Perez also told the story of meeting Obama for the first time while being interviewed for the PBS documentary, “American Masters: The Women’s List.” Perez explained how she secured a part in the “Do the Right Thing” movie as well.
“I met Spike Lee at a nightclub, and we got into an argument because he was having a butt contest to see which Black woman had the biggest a– in the nightclub,” Perez said in an outtake from the documentary.
“I found it appalling,” she continued. “So what I did was I jumped on the stage, just to make a mockery of the whole situation. And a bouncer came and took me off and brought me over to Spike Lee.”
According to Perez, her soon-to-be co-star saw that moment in the club as “fate” and expressed wanting to cast her in one of his movies. She credited the filmmaker with helping to change the perception of her destiny.
The Obamas also acknowledged how Lee’s third feature film shaped their future. In 2014, Barack and Michelle praised the director in a video message during a 25th-anniversary celebration for “Do the Right Thing” held at the County Museum of Art in Los Angeles.
“He was trying to show me his sophisticated side by selecting an independent filmmaker, and it ended up being a pretty good movie — really great!” Michelle said about Barack taking her to see the movie, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Barack chimed in, “So Spike, thank you for helping me impress Michelle, and thank you for telling a powerful story. Today, I’ve got a few more grey hairs than I did back in 1989. You don’t look like Mookie anymore. But ‘Do the Right Thing’ still holds up a mirror to our society, and it makes us laugh, and think and challenges all of us to see ourselves in one another.”
“Do the Right Thing” earned two Oscar nominations. Lee scored a Best Original Screenplay nod, and Danny Aiello made it into the Best Supporting Actor category for his portrayal of Sal.
In addition to Lee, Perez and Aiello, the “Do the Right Thing” cast also featured Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, John Turturro, Samuel L. Jackson, and Martin Lawrence.
Perez endorsed Obama in the 2008 presidential race against his Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain. She also campaigned for him in Florida. Obama won the state’s 27 Electoral College votes and the presidency.
After Obama won in 2008, Perez served on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. PACHA members provided advice, information, and recommendations on domestic and global HIV/AIDS policy issues to the Obama administration.
“Today, I’m pleased to have a new group of experts joining PACHA; and I look forward to hearing from the council about our continued efforts to prevent the spread of HIV infections in the United States and to provide care and treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS around the world,” President Obama stated in response to the creation of PACHA.
Perez later became a political pundit on television as a permanent co-host on “The View” for season 18 of the program. She referred to leaving the ABC daytime talk show in 2015 as “bittersweet.”
