Lee Daniels(born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. His first producer credit wasMonster's Ball(2001), for whichHalle Berrywon theAcademy Award for Best Actress,making Daniels the first African-American film producer to solely produce an Oscar-winning film. He made his directorial debut withShadowboxerin 2005 and has since then directed the filmsPrecious(2009),The Paperboy(2012, which he co-wrote),The Butler(2013) andThe United States vs. Billie Holiday(2021). Of these,Preciouswas the most critically acclaimed, and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including two nominations for Daniels, forBest DirectorandBest Picture.Other films he has produced includeThe Woodsman(2004),Tennessee(2008),Pimp(2018) andConcrete Cowboy(2020).
Lee Daniels | |
|---|---|
 Daniels in 2015 | |
| Born | Lee Louis Daniels December 24, 1959 |
| Education | Radnor High School;Lindenwood University |
| Occupation(s) | Film and television producer, director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Honey Davenport(cousin) |
| Website | leedanielsentertainment |
Daniels has co-created and co-executive produced the TV seriesEmpire(2015–2020) andStar(2016–2019), both set in the music industry.
Early life
editDaniels was born on December 24, 1959,[1]inWest Philadelphia,the eldest son of Clara May (Watson) and William Louis Daniels.[2]Daniels has four siblings: Cheryl, Lydia (aka Girlie), Maynard and Leah. His younger sister, Leah Daniels-Butler, is a television and film casting director credited with casting many of his projects.[citation needed]When Daniels was a teenager, his mother arranged for a neighbor's family who was a butler for the owner of thePhiladelphia Flyershockey team to use that owner's address in Radnor so that Lee could attend the publicRadnor High School.[3]In 1975, when Daniels was 15 years old, his father, who was a police officer, was killed in the line of duty.[2]He graduated from Radnor High School in 1978.
After graduating from Radnor, Daniels attendedLindenwood UniversityinSt. Charles, Missouri.However, he soon realized the liberal arts school was not for him, and he moved toHollywood, Los Angeles,eventually working as a receptionist in a nursing agency. Before long, Daniels started his own nursing agency, specializing in HIV/AIDS treatment. Eventually, he sold his nursing agency and segued into casting.[4]He began his career in entertainment as a casting director and manager after a chance meeting with a Hollywood producer, working on such projects asPurple RainandUnder the Cherry Moon.He continued managing talent. The documentaryMy Big Breakfeatures Daniels early in his career when he was managing actorWes Bentley,who starred as Ricky Fitts inAmerican Beauty.In the documentary, Daniels comments on Bentley's reluctance to capitalize on his newfound celebrity status.[citation needed]
Career
edit
Monster's Ball,the debut production of Lee Daniels Entertainment, was a critical and box office success.Halle Berrywon theAcademy Award for Best Actress;the film was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay.[5]Daniels said he did not attend the Oscars when the film won, citing his challenges with addiction and his struggle over whether he "deserved" to attend, according to an emotional interview on MSNBC in 2019.[6]
His 2004 productionThe Woodsman,starringKevin Bacon,Kyra Sedgwick,andMos Def,premiered at theSundance Film Festival.[7]It went on to garner three nominations at the 2005Independent Spirit Awards,the CICAE Arthouse Prize at theCannes Film Festival,the Jury Prize at the Deauville International Film Festival, and a "Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking" award from theNational Board of Review.[8]Former presidentBill Clintonpersuaded Daniels to produce public service announcements to encourage young people of color to vote. The campaign was launched in March 2004 and featured Grammy winnersLL Cool JandAlicia Keys.[9]
His first directorial effort, 2006'sShadowboxer,debuted at theToronto International Film Festival.It starredHelen Mirren,Cuba Gooding Jr.,Stephen Dorff,Vanessa Ferlito,Mo'Nique,Joseph Gordon-Levitt,andMacy Gray.[10]It was nominated for Best New Director at theSan Sebastian Film Festival.[11]
His 2008 productionTennesseewas written by Russell Schaumberg and directed byAaron Woodley(Rhinoceros Eyes); the film is about two brothers, played by Adam Rothenberg and Ethan Peck, who travel from New Mexico to Tennessee to search for their estranged father. Along the way they meet Krystal (Mariah Carey), an aspiring singer who flees her controlling husband (Lance Reddick) to join them on their journey.[12]
His 2009 filmPrecioustold the story of an obese, illiterate, 16-year-old girl (Gabourey Sidibe) who lives in aSection 8tenementinHarlem.She has been impregnated twice by her father, Carl, and suffers long-term physical, sexual, and emotional abuse from her unemployed mother, Mary (Mo'Nique). Carey appeared as a social worker. The film screened at the2009 Sundance Film Festivaland went on to garner widespread acclaim.[13]Mo'Nique won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress,Daniels was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Directorand the film received aBest Picturenomination. It was a financial success grossing $63 million worldwide against a budget of $10 million.[14]
Daniels directedThe Paperboy(2012), based on the1995 novelbyPete Dexterwho penned the original script which was further developed by Daniels; it starredMatthew McConaughey,Zac Efron,John Cusack,andNicole Kidman.The film competed for thePalme d'Orat the2012 Cannes Film Festival.[15][16]
He directed the historical drama filmThe Butler(2013), starringForest Whitaker,John Cusack,Jane Fonda,Mariah Carey,Terrence Howard,Alan Rickman,andOprah Winfrey.The Butlerreceived positive reviews from critics and grossed over $100 million in the United States against a budget of $30 million.[17]
Empire,a television series created by Daniels, premiered on January 7, 2015. Daniels directed the first episode and co-wrote it withThe ButlerscreenwriterDanny Strong.The series starsTerrence HowardandTaraji P. Henson,and is about a family's music empire.[18] In May 2021, Daniels and his production company Lee Daniels Entertainment had extended its overall deal with20th Television.[19][20]
In January 2022, Netflix won a bidding war for an exorcism styled horror thriller film directed by Daniels for upwards of 65 million dollars.[21]In April 2022, it was announced thatTasha Smithwill star in the film.[22]In April 2022, it was announced that Daniels will develop and direct a limited series based onSammy Davis Jr.for20th TelevisionandHulu,withElijah Kelleystarring as Davis.[23]
Activism
editIn June 2016, theHuman Rights Campaignreleased a video in tribute to the victims of theOrlando nightclub shooting;in the video, Daniels and others told the stories of the people killed there.[24][25]
Awards and honors
editIn 2010,Grace Hightower De Niro,who appeared inPrecious,presented Daniels with thePratt Institute's Creative Spirit Award.[26]
In 2015, Daniels was listed as one of the nine runners-up forThe Advocate's Person of the Year.[27]
On December 2, 2016, Daniels received a star on theHollywood Walk of Famefor his contributions to the television industry.[28]
On February 8, 2018,amfAR(The Foundation for AIDS Research) paid tribute to Daniels at the 20th annual amfAR Gala New York. Actress and musicianQueen Latifahpresented him the amfAR Award of Courage, describing his past work with HIV/AIDS patients. She also stated that as a gifted creative force, he creates "unfailingly human" characters, who are "often striving to rise above difficult circumstances". In his acceptance speech, he spoke about a generation lost to AIDS and said that the crisis had taken at least 40 of his personal friends. In the fight against AIDS, he said it is important to "step up when it matters".[29]
Controversy
editOn September 16, 2015, in aRolling Stoneinterview,[30]Daniels was asked about actorTerrence Howardwho said that his first wife "was talking to him real strong, that he lost his mind and slapped her in front of their kids" and that he got physical with his second wife too. Daniels excused the domestic violence and called Howard a "poor boy", saying that Howard "ain't done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn".[31]A week later, Daniels was sued by Penn in a $10-million-dollar defamation lawsuit. The lawsuit stated that "Daniels falsely equated Penn with Howard and that Penn unlike Howard had never been arrested, much less convicted, for domestic violence, as his ex-wives including Madonna would have confirmed and attested."[32][33][34]Penn dropped the lawsuit in May 2016 after Daniels retracted his statement and apologized.[35]
Personal life
edit
Daniels lives inManhattan.He isgay.[36]He and his then-partner, casting director Billy Hopkins, adopted Daniels' biological niece and nephew, Clara and Liam.[37][38]
Hopkins and Daniels later separated.[39]
In 2015, Daniels clarified his sexuality by stating that despite being gay men, both he andEmpireactorJussie Smollettaresexually fluid.[40]
Jussie and I both share the same feeling that, yes, even though we are gay, we're sexual human beings...And we do occasionally want to sleep with a woman. [Laughs] Maybe once every 10 or 15 years, but it happens! And there are a lot of people who don't want to hear about that. It's such a complicated conversation. It's not necessarily the body one is attracted to. You can be sexually attracted to the spirit, the energy, the life force in another person. We're showing life onEmpire,and I won't apologize for it.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Credited as | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Producer | Actor | ||
| 1986 | A Little Off Mark | Yes | |||
| 2001 | Monster's Ball | Yes | |||
| 2004 | The Woodsman | Yes | |||
| Agnes und seine Brüder | Yes | ||||
| 2005 | Shadowboxer | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2008 | Tennessee | Yes | |||
| 2009 | Precious | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2012 | The Paperboy | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2013 | Lee Daniels' The Butler | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2018 | Pimp | Executive | |||
| 2020 | Concrete Cowboy | Yes | |||
| 2021 | The United States vs. Billie Holiday | Yes | Yes | ||
| 2023 | The Reading | Executive | |||
| 2024 | The Deliverance | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2015–2020 | Empire | Co-creator, executive producer, director, writer |
| 2016–2019 | Star | Co-creator, executive producer, director, writer |
| 2021—present | The Ms. Pat Show | Executive producer |
| 2021—2023 | The Wonder Years | Executive producer |
| TBA | The Spook Who Sat by the Door | Executive producer |
| UntitledSammy Davis Jr.limited series | Creator, director |
As himself
edit| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2009 | My Big Break |
| 2010 | The Black List: Volume 3 |
| 2022 | Finding Your Roots[41] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"Lee Daniels biography".TV Guide.RetrievedMarch 17,2014.
- ^abStated onFinding Your Roots,January 4, 2022
- ^"Lee Daniels' other butler".inquirer.com.RetrievedJanuary 13,2011.
- ^Fresh Air from WHYY."A Director's 'Precious' Project".NPR.org.NPR.RetrievedAugust 21,2012.
- ^"Exclusive: Precious Director Lee Daniels".comingsoon.ne.October 30, 2009.RetrievedSeptember 20,2013.
- ^"Lee Daniels gets emotional over historic Oscar".MSN.RetrievedSeptember 23,2019.
- ^"The Woodsman".boxoffice.com.December 24, 2004. Archived fromthe originalon September 21, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 20,2013.
- ^"The Woodsman (2004)".Movies & TV Dept.The New York Times.2013. Archived fromthe originalon September 21, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 20,2013.
- ^Stern, Marlow (August 12, 2013)."Lee Daniels on 'The Butler', Working with Oprah, Trayvon Martin, and Race in America".Daily Beast.RetrievedSeptember 20,2013.
- ^"In 'Shadowboxer,' Murder Runs in the Family (and It's a Turn-On in a Lover)".The New York Times.July 21, 2006.RetrievedSeptember 20,2013.
- ^"ShadowBoxer".sansebastianfestival.com.Archived fromthe originalon September 21, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 20,2013.
- ^"Lee Daniels Explains Why 'Mariah Got The Role Meant for Janet Jackson'".Women For Change.June 14, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon September 21, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 20,2013.
- ^McCarthy, Todd (December 3, 2008)."Sundance unveils competition lineup".Variety.RetrievedNovember 5,2009.
- ^"Precious: Based on the Novel" Push "by Sapphire".Box office mojo.RetrievedSeptember 20,2013.
- ^"2012 Official Selection".Cannes.RetrievedApril 19,2012.
- ^"Cannes Film Festival 2012 line-up announced".Time Out.Archived fromthe originalon April 23, 2012.RetrievedApril 19,2012.
- ^"Lee Daniels' The Butler".Metacritic.RetrievedSeptember 20,2013.
- ^Empire (2015),retrievedOctober 5,2020
- ^White, Peter (May 24, 2021)."Lee Daniels Extends Overall Deal With 20th Television".Deadline Hollywood.
- ^Goldberg, Lesley (May 24, 2021)."Lee Daniels Renews Overall Deal With Disney's 20th Television".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedMay 26,2021.
- ^Fleming, Mike (January 24, 2022)."Lee Daniels-Directed Exorcism Thriller With Andra Day, Octavia Spencer, Glenn Close, Rob Morgan, Caleb McLaughlin, Aunjanue Ellis Scares Up $65M+ Netflix Deal After Head-Spinning 7-Bidder Battle".Deadline.
- ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 15, 2022)."Tasha Smith Reteams With Lee Daniels On His Untitled Horror Netflix Pic".Deadline.RetrievedApril 15,2022.
- ^Rice, Lynette (April 14, 2022)."Hulu Orders Sammy Davis Jr. Limited Series From Lee Daniels, Elijah Kelley To Star".Deadline.RetrievedApril 15,2022.
- ^"49 Celebrities Honor 49 Victims of Orlando Tragedy".Hrc.org. Archived fromthe originalon August 23, 2016.RetrievedJune 30,2016.
- ^Rothaus, Steve (June 12, 2016)."Pulse Orlando shooting scene a popular LGBT club where employees, patrons 'like family'".The Miami Herald.RetrievedJune 15,2016.
- ^20th Anniversary of Black Alumni of Pratt: A Celebration of the Creative Spirit,Events,Black Tie International,May 26, 2010.
- ^"Person of the Year: The Finalists".Advocate.com. November 5, 2015.RetrievedNovember 6,2015.
- ^"'Empire' producer Lee Daniels receives Hollywood Walk of Fame star ".Los Angeles Daily News.December 2, 2016.RetrievedDecember 7,2016.
- ^"Lee Daniels And Stefano Tonchi Honored At Annual Fashion Week amfAR Gala New York".amfar.org(Press release). amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.RetrievedFebruary 13,2024.
- ^Hedegaard, Erik (September 14, 2015)."Page 5 of Terrence Howard's Dangerous Mind".Rolling Stone.Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.RetrievedOctober 6,2015.
- ^"'Empire's' "Batshit Crazy" Behind-the-Scenes Drama: On the Set of TV's Hottest Show ".The Hollywood Reporter.September 16, 2015.RetrievedOctober 6,2015.
- ^"Sean Penn files $10 million suit against Lee Daniels".CNN. September 23, 2015.RetrievedOctober 6,2015.
- ^Eriq Gardner (September 22, 2015)."Sean Penn Files $10 Million Defamation Lawsuit Against 'Empire' Co-Creator Lee Daniels".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedOctober 6,2015.
- ^"Sean Penn".Documentcloud.org.RetrievedOctober 6,2015.
- ^Gardner, Eriq (May 4, 2016)."Sean Penn Wins Apology from Lee Daniels in Defamation Settlement".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedSeptember 28,2016.
- ^"Lee Daniels came out as gay man 'because I loathed my dad so much'".Daily News.New York. November 14, 2013.RetrievedNovember 6,2015.
- ^Boykin, Keith (March 29, 2006)."Shadowboxing with Lee Daniels".keithboykin.com. Archived fromthe originalon August 5, 2007.RetrievedAugust 2,2007.
- ^Lynn Hirschberg (October 21, 2009)."The Audacity of 'Precious'".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 5,2009.
- ^"The Love Issue - Love and Protection - Lee Daniels, Filmmaker and Jahil Fisher, Stylist".Out.com.January 12, 2015.RetrievedDecember 30,2016.
- ^"Empire Sex Scandal: Lee Daniels and Jussie Smollett Defend That Shocking Hook-Up".TV Insider. December 2, 2015.RetrievedJuly 28,2017.
- ^"Hidden in the Genes".Finding Your Roots.WETA-TV.Archivedfrom the original on January 5, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 10,2022.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps Rebecca Hall and Lee Daniels solve family mysteries through DNA detective work, illuminating both history and their own identities.
External links
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