Lee Daniels' The Butler Movie Cast, Plot and Everything to Know

Plot

What's the story about?

Plot

The Butler is inspired by Wil Haygood’s Washington Post article about an African-American man who served as a butler (Forest Whitaker) to eight Presidents in the White House for over thirty years. From this unique vantage point, The Butler traces the dramatic changes that swept American society, from the civil rights movement to Vietnam and beyond, and how those changes affected this man’s life and family.

Cited as official plot version from deadline.com

Biography Drama Historical True Story

Top Cast

The lead cast starring in Lee Daniels' The Butler.

• 
  Oprah Winfrey

  ... Ms. Allen

  The Six Triple Eight, The Star

• 
  David Oyelowo

  ... Louis Gaines

  Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, Don't Let Go

• 
  John Cusack

  ... Richard Nixon

  2012, The Prince

• 
  Forest Whitaker

  ... Eugene Allen

  The King of Kings, Megalopolis

• J
  Jane Fonda

  ... Nancy Reagan

  Book Club, 80 For Brady

• 
  Terrence Howard

  ... Howard

  Triumph, Prisoners

• A
  Alan Rickman

  ... Ronald Reagan

  Alice Through the Looking Glass, Gambit

• J
  Jesse Williams

  ... Rev. James Lawson

  The Cabin in the Woods, Secret Headquarters

• 
  Colman Domingo

  ... Freddie Fallows

  Michael , Sing Sing

• C
  Cuba Gooding Jr.

  ... Carter Wilson

  Life of a King, Norbit

• L
  Lenny Kravitz

  ... James Holloway

  Precious, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

• 
  Alex Pettyfer

  ... Thomas Westfall

  Beastly, In Time

Crew Behind the Film

The Lee Daniels' The Butler behind-the-scenes crew and production team.

The film's director Lee Daniels last directed The Deliverance and The United States vs. Billie Holiday. The film's writer Lee Daniels last wrote The Paperboy and Anna in the Tropics.

Director

Lee Daniels

Screenwriters

Lee Daniels
Danny Strong

Producers

Lee Daniels
Cassian Elwes
Buddy Patrick
Hilary Shor
Pamela Oas Williams

Production Details

What we know about the Lee Daniels' The Butler movie production.

Key Facts

• Based on a Washington Post article. As director Lee Daniels explains, ""What moves me most about this man is his quiet nature, grace and unmatched perspective that comes from being in one place – a very powerful one – during what was arguably the period in American history that saw the most change".

Production Updates for Lee Daniels' The Butler

Jul 2013

Completed

Changed Lee Daniels' The Butler movie production status. The movie is ready for release.

Mar 2012

Pre-Production

Changed the movie production status to Pre-Production. Financing should be figured out shortly with a plan to begin shooting this summer.

Jul 2010

Development

Changed the movie production status to Development. The movie is likely in scripting, budgeting, or stuck in "development hell."

Nov 2008

Announced

Changed the movie production status to Announced. No additional details available for this status.

Dec 2004

Post-Production

Changed the movie production status to Post-Production. The movie is now in the editing and finishing stages.

Have updates about Lee Daniels' The Butler? We'd love to hear from you!

Submit update

Additional Information

All Trailers

Watch official Lee Daniels' The Butler movie trailers and clips.

Questions

Looking for more information on Lee Daniels' The Butler?

Official Page and Social Links

• Official Site

Across the Web

• Get Tickets & Showtimes
• Buy on Amazon
• IMDb