Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels is an Academy Award® nominated filmmaker whose work is trademarked
by authenticity and candor. Daniels' most recent film THE DELIVERANCE debuted on
Netflix on August 30th and quickly became the #1 Top Movie on Netflix in the U.S. and
remained on the top ten list over three weeks after releasing. Daniels wrote, directed
and produced the faith-based horror film inspired by the true story of a family in Indiana
that discovers strange, demonic occurrences in their home. It stars Glenn Close,
Mo'Nique, Andra Day, and Aunjanue Ellis.
In 2001, Daniels founded Lee Daniels Entertainment, a full-service production company
that is home to inclusive storytelling and serves as a platform for diverse and
underrepresented voices to create authentic and original content. LDE made its feature
film debut with MONSTER'S BALL, making Daniels the first African American producer
of an Academy Award®-winning and nominated film. He is best known for his Academy
Award®-winning film PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE,
which was nominated for six Academy Awards®, including nominations for Daniels in
the categories of "Achievement in Directing" and "Best Motion Picture of the Year. In
2013, he released the critically acclaimed box office smash LEE DANIELS’ THE
BUTLER, that tells the story of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), an African American
butler who served at the White House during seven presidential administrations
between 1957 and 1986.
In February 2021, Daniels’ THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY, was released
by Hulu. A drama based around the court case of famed singer Billie Holiday (Andra
Day) after she was arrested at her apartment for the possession of narcotics, Daniels
both directed and produced the film. Daniels' work with Andra on the film yielded her a
Golden Globe Award® for “Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama” and a Best Actress
Academy Award® nomination.
In addition to his work on the big screen, Daniels created the hit television series
EMPIRE, where he wrote and directed the pilot and served as an executive producer on
the series until its season six finale in April 2020. The ground-breaking drama premiered
in January 2015 and broke rating records during its first season.
In May 2021, Daniels signed a new multi-year overall deal with 20th Television,
extending his previous deal with the studio that began in 2014. He continues to create,
develop, write, direct and supervise new projects under his Lee Daniels Entertainment
banner. His recent projects include the critically acclaimed hit series THE WONDER
YEARS, MS. PAT. Following the success of the Grammy-Award® winning soundtrack of
THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY, Daniels unveiled Lee Daniels Music, aglobal joint venture with Warner Recorded Music that encompasses recorded music
projects, including soundtracks, as well as artist signings.
In late 2022, Daniels expanded into theater as the producer of the critically acclaimed
Broadway comedy, AIN’T NO MO’. Written by, and starring, Jordan E. Cooper, the
youngest American playwright in Broadway history, AIN’T NO MO’ dared to ask the
incendiary question, ‘What if the U.S. government offered Black Americans one-way
plane tickets to Africa?’ The answer came in the form of an outrageous and high-octane
comedy about being Black in today’s America. AIN’T NO MO’ received six Tony
nominations for Best Play, Best Direction, Featured Actor, Featured Actress, Costume
Design and Sound Design.
Throughout his career, Daniels has been a trailblazer, using his platform to amplify
underrepresented voices and shed light on pressing societal issues. He sits on
numerous boards, including that of Ghetto Film School, a nonprofit that helps to develop
the next generation of great American storytellers. He is also a longtime LGBTQIA
activist, as well as a strong supporter of many charitable organizations.