A film about a former White House butler who served eight presidents struggled to get financial backers, until director Lee Daniels (Precious) approached wealthy African Americans for financing.The film is inspired by Wil Haygood's Washington Post article about the life of Eugene Allen who served in the White House from 1952 to 1986. This butler was privy to much of the nation's recent history such as JFK's death, the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights Movement.
Now that the film has its financial backers, it also has a list of big-name actors taking lead roles, and many taking reduced pay because they believe in this African American period drama.
Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland, The Great Debators), stars as Cecil Gaines in the role of the butler, and his wife Gloria Gaines is portrayed by Oprah Winfrey (Beloved). Other butlers are played by Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Jerry Maguire) and Lenny Kravitz (Precious).
Robin Williams, John Cusack, Alan Rickman, Liev Shriver, and James Marsden play presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Lyndon B. Johnson, and John F. Kennedy, respectively. Their wives are played by Melissa Leo, Jane Fonda, and Minka Kelly.Mariah Carey (Butterfly), Terrence Howard (Crash), Vanessa Redgrave (Julie), and Yaya DaCosta (America's Next Top Model), play smaller roles. Quincy Jones pens the original music for the film.
Look for the fall 2013 release of 'The Butler.'
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