Lee Daniels

Lee Daniels
Daniels at the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, January 2010
Born	Lee Louis Daniels (1959-12-24) December 24, 1959 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Occupation	Actor, director, producer
Years active	1979–present
Website
http://www.leedanielsentertainment.com

Lee Louis Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American actor, film producer, and director. He produced Monster's Ball and directed the film Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire, which received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Director; the film won two of the awards.

Early years

Daniels was born on December 24, 1959, in Philadelphia and attended Radnor High School. After graduating, Daniels attended Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. He began his career in entertainment as a casting director and manager after a chance meeting with a Hollywood producer, working on such projects as Under the Cherry Moon and Purple Rain. He continued managing talent, including several Academy Award nominees and winners. The documentary My Big Break features Daniels early in his career when he was managing actor Wes Bentley who starred as Ricky Fitts in American Beauty. In the documentary, a dynamic Daniels animatedly comments on Bentley's reluctance to capitalize on his newfound celebrity status.

Lee has a sister Joyce Daniels Fennell from Philadelphia. Daniels and Joyce's father, Officer William Daniels, is from West Philadelphia. When he arrived in Hollywood, Daniels first worked for a nursing agency, then created his own agency at age 21. He sold his agency for approximately $2 million and went to work as a production assistant. Later, he realized he had not paid taxes on his income but paid them off in time.

Career

Monster's Ball, the debut production of Lee Daniels Entertainment, was a critical and box office success. It was also the first time an African-American was the sole producer on an Academy Award-winning film (Halle Berry took home the Oscar for Best Actress; the film was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay).

Daniels' 2004 production The Woodsman, starring Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick and Mos Def, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. It went on to garner three nominations at the 2005 Independent Spirit Awards, the CICAE Arthouse Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, the Jury Prize at the Deauville International Film Festival and a "Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking" award from the National Board of Review.

Daniels at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.

Daniels' first directorial effort, 2006's Shadowboxer, debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival. It starred Helen Mirren, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Stephen Dorff, Vanessa Ferlito, Mo'Nique, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Macy Gray. It was nominated for Best New Director at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

Mariah Carey, Daniels' close friend, co-starred in his 2008 production Tennessee. Written by Russell Schaumberg and directed by Aaron 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 (Carey), an aspiring singer who flees her controlling husband (Lance Reddick) to join them on their journey.

His 2009 film Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire told the story of an obese, illiterate, 16-year-old girl (Gabourey Sidibe) who lives in a Section 8 tenement in Harlem. 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 also appeared, in the role of a social worker. The film screened at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and went on to garner widespread acclaim. Daniels was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, and the film received a Best Picture nod.

Former president Bill Clinton persuaded Daniels to produce public service announcements to encourage young people of color to vote. The campaign was launched in March 2004 and featured actor/musician LL Cool J and Grammy winner Alicia Keys. In 2010 Grace Hightower De Niro, who appeared in Precious, presented Daniels with the Pratt Institute's Creative Spirit Award.

Daniels' directed The Paperboy (2012), based on the 1995 novel by American author Pete Dexter, and starring Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, John Cusack, and Nicole Kidman. The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.

He is currently directing the upcoming historical drama film The Butler, starring Forrest Whitaker, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Mariah Carey, Terrence Howard, Alan Rickman and Oprah Winfrey.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Daniels with his son and daughter at the 2007 world premiere of Spider-Man 3.

Daniels lives in New York City. He and his then-partner, casting director Billy Hopkins, adopted Daniels' biological niece and nephew, Clara and Liam. Hopkins and Daniels later separated. Since 2009, Daniels has been in a relationship with Andy Sforzini.

Filmography

Producer

• 2001: Monster's Ball
• 2004: The Woodsman
• 2005: Shadowboxer
• 2008: Tennessee
• 2009: Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Director

• 2005: Shadowboxer
• 2009: Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
• 2012: The Paperboy
• 2013: The Butler

Actor

• 1986: A Little Off Mark
• 2004: Agnes und seine Brüder
• 2005: Shadowboxer

Himself

• 2009: My Big Break
• 2010: The Black List: Volume 3

External links

• Lee Daniels Entertainment Website
• Lee Daniels at the Internet Movie Database
• NPR Interview
• Blackfilm.com interview
• independentfilm.com interview
• Gay Life (bio)
• lee daniels interview at UGR