Nearly nine decades of American history are distilled through the eyes of a domestic servant in Director Lee Daniels’ (Precious) latest feature, Lee Daniels' The Butler.
Based on the true story of a White House staffer named Eugene Allen, The Butler tells the story of a man named Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), who worked as a butler for seven presidential administrations, from Eisenhower to Reagan. During that tenure, he serves as a witness to history and such major events as the assassination John F. Kennedy, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the Watergate scandal that dethroned a president.
Daniels discussed the challenges he faced while making The Butler with Director Jason Reitman (Young Adult) after the DGA screening in Los Angeles on August 11; and Director Julian Schnabel (Miral) following the New York screening on August 21.
In addition to his DGA and Academy Award-nominated film Precious, Daniels’ other feature films include The Paperboy and Shadowboxer. He has been a DGA member since 2009.