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IMDbPro

Lee Daniels(I)

  • Producer
  • Writer
  • Director
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Lee Daniels in Precious (2009)
The Butler tells the story of a White House butler who served eight American presidents over three decades. The film traces the dramatic changes that swept American society during this time, from the civil rights movement to Vietnam and beyond, and how those changes affected this manÂ’s life and family.
Play trailer2:32
The Butler (2013)
8 Videos
99+ Photos
Lee Daniels gave his parents an early Christmas present when he entered the world on December 24, 1959; unfortunately, the Philadelphia native was to have a difficult relationship with his police officer father who later reacted violently to his son's sexuality. Despite the brutality of his childhood, Lee completed high school and attended Lindenwood University in St.Charles, Missouri for two years.

Daniels's career took an interesting and profitable turn. He moved to Los Angeles and started a nursing agency of his own. He later sold the agency for a substantial sum then began his career in entertainment, first as a casting director and later as a manager. By his mid-twenties, he was working with Prince on Purple Rain (1984) and Under the Cherry Moon (1986). Despite being involved in film production, Lee continued to manage talent and grew a roster of clients that included several Academy Award nominees and winners.

He created his own production company, Lee Daniels Entertainment, and its first film was the acclaimed Monster's Ball (2001), which starred Billy Bob Thornton, the late Heath Ledger and Halle Berry, who went on to win the Best Actress Oscar. Monster's Ball was a critical and financial success and as its producer, Daniels became a force to be reckoned with.

In 2004, Lee used skills honed as a filmmaker to produce a series of public service announcements aimed at inspiring young people of color to vote. He worked with former President, Bill Clinton and was able to enlist actor/rap artist LL Cool J and actor/singer Alicia Keys. Lee's next production, The Woodsman (2004), was another edgy tale about a pedophile trying to reform after being released from prison and starred Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick and Yasiin Bey. While The Woodsman (2004) was not the critical success that Monster's Ball (2001) was, it attracted a great deal of critical attention and earned its star, Kevin Bacon, raves for his performance.

Daniels made his directorial debut with his next project, Shadowboxer (2005), a provocative drama with an intriguing cast that included Helen Mirren, Cuba Gooding Jr., Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Stephen Dorff. Shadowboxer (2005) was also the first time Lee worked with Mo'Nique; unfortunately, despite an interesting cast, Shadowboxer (2005) received mixed reviews and failed at the box office. Lee's next production, Tennessee (2008) was not a critical or financial success but allowed Lee to help singer 'Mariah Carey' gain acting credentials after the failure of her first film, Glitter (2001).

Daniels hit the mother lode with his next effort, Precious (2009), which he directed and produced. The film won at the Sundance Film Festival and has garnered every imaginable accolade under the sun. The film stars newcomer Gabourey Sidibe in the title role as a Harlem teen who is the victim of unimaginable abuse from her father, mother and society. The film allowed Daniels to re-team with both Mariah Carey and Mo'Nique, who has been a revelation to both critics and audiences as Precious's abusive mother. Daniels has said that he felt compelled to bring this story of child abuse to the screen to help heal the scars from his relationship with his abusive father.
BornDecember 24, 1959
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BornDecember 24, 1959
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  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Nominated for 2 Oscars

Photos152

Lee Daniels, Gabourey Sidibe, and Xosha Roquemore in Precious (2009)
Lee Daniels in Shadowboxer (2005)
Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels in The Butler (2013)
Lee Daniels in The Butler (2013)
Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels and Andra Day
Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels and Gabourey Sidibe at an event for Precious (2009)

Known for

Precious (2009)
Precious
7.3
  • Producer
  • 2009
Forest Whitaker in The Butler (2013)
The Butler
7.2
  • Producer(produced by)
  • 2013
John Cusack, Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, and Zac Efron in The Paperboy (2012)
The Paperboy
5.7
  • Producer
  • 2012
Kevin Bacon in The Woodsman (2004)
The Woodsman
7.2
  • Producer
  • 2004

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Producer

  • The Reading
    • Completed
  • The Deliverance
    • Post-production
  • Terms of Endearment
    • In Development
  • The Spook Who Sat by the Door
    • Pre-production
  • Tami Roman, Briyana Guadalupe, J. Bernard Calloway, Patricia Williams, Brittany Inge, Theodore Barnes, and Vince Swann in The Ms. Pat Show (2021)
    The Ms. Pat Show
  • The Wonder Years (2021)
    The Wonder Years
  • Our Kind of People (2021)
    Our Kind of People
  • Empire Spin-Off
  • Andra Day in The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021)
    The United States vs. Billie Holiday
    • (produced by, p.g.a.)
  • Good People
  • Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin in Concrete Cowboy (2020)
    Concrete Cowboy
  • Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson in Empire (2015)
    Empire
  • Queen Latifah, Ryan Destiny, Jude Demorest, and Brittany O'Grady in Star (2016)
    Star
  • Culture Clash
  • Keke Palmer in Pimp (2018)
    Pimp
  • Forest Whitaker in The Butler (2013)
    The Butler
    • (produced by)
  • John Cusack, Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, and Zac Efron in The Paperboy (2012)
    The Paperboy
  • Precious (2009)
    Precious
  • Tennessee (2008)
    Tennessee

Writer

  • The Deliverance
    • Post-production
  • Good People
  • Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson in Empire (2015)
    Empire
    • (creator)
  • Queen Latifah, Ryan Destiny, Jude Demorest, and Brittany O'Grady in Star (2016)
    Star
    • (creator)
  • John Cusack, Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, and Zac Efron in The Paperboy (2012)
    The Paperboy

Director

  • The Deliverance
    • Post-production
  • Terms of Endearment
    • In Development
  • Andra Day in The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021)
    The United States vs. Billie Holiday
    • (directed by)
  • Good People
  • Queen Latifah, Ryan Destiny, Jude Demorest, and Brittany O'Grady in Star (2016)
    Star
  • Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson in Empire (2015)
    Empire
  • Forest Whitaker in The Butler (2013)
    The Butler
    • (directed by)
  • John Cusack, Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, and Zac Efron in The Paperboy (2012)
    The Paperboy
  • Precious (2009)
    Precious
  • Cuba Gooding Jr., Helen Mirren, Stephen Dorff, Macy Gray, and Mo'Nique in Shadowboxer (2005)
    Shadowboxer
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos8

Andra Day and 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday' Might Ruffle Some Feathers
Clip 4:08
Andra Day and 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday' Might Ruffle Some Feathers
Lee Daniels Interview for Precious
Interview 0:09
Lee Daniels Interview for Precious
Tennessee
Trailer 2:09
Tennessee
Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire -- Trailer #1
Trailer 2:31
Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire -- Trailer #1
The Butler
Trailer 2:32
The Butler
My Big Break
Trailer 0:50
My Big Break
Exclusive Featurette
Featurette 3:07
Exclusive Featurette
Best of the American Black Film Festival Awards
Video 30:26
Best of the American Black Film Festival Awards

Personal details

Edit
    • Lee Daniels Entertainment
    • December 24, 1959
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
    • Leah Daniels Butler(Sibling)
  • Publicity listings
    • 3 Interviews
    • 6 Articles
    • 1 Pictorial

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Revealed that his father was physically abusive and that he did not approve of Daniels' homosexuality.
  • Quotes
    My roots, my DNA, what I know is what it's like to live as an African-American and as a gay man. And I think trying to marry myself, ad stories that speak to me, to the studio world has been hard. They want Precious (2009), they want another something like that, but they're afraid.
    • Often casts musicians

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