| Lee Daniels | |
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Daniels at the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, January 2010 |
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| Born | Lee Louis Daniels 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, which received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Director; the film won two of the awards.
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Daniels was born on Christmas Eve, 1959, in Philadelphia and attended Radnor High School. After graduating, Daniels attended Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri.[1] 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 also has a sister Joyce Daniels Fennell of Philadelphia, PA. Daniels and Joyce share the same father, Officer William Daniels of 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 approx $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.[2]
Monster's Ball, the first production of Lee Daniels Entertainment, marked Daniels as the first African-American sole producer of an Academy Award-earning film. It was a critical and box-office success and was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2002: Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress, for which Halle Berry won the Oscar.
In 2004 at the Sundance Film Festival the film The Woodsman premiered, starring Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick and Mos Def. Daniels produced the film, which was nominated for three 2005 Independent Spirit Awards; received 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.
Shadowboxer, which starred Helen Mirren, was Daniels's directorial debut at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. The film had an all-star cast that included 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, with whom Daniels has a close friendship, was involved in the Daniels-produced 2008 film 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 told the story of an obese, illiterate, 16-year-old girl who lives in a Section 8 tenement in Harlem (Gabourey Sidibe) with her dysfunctional and abusive mother, Mary (Mo'Nique). She has been impregnated twice by her father, Carl, and suffers long-term physical, sexual, and mental abuse from her unemployed mother. The film screened at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and went on to garner widespread acclaim.[3] Daniels was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and Precious for Best Picture. Carey once again participated in the film, playing the role of a social worker.
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.[4]
Daniels is currently directing The Paperboy, a film based on the 1995 novel published by American author Pete Dexter starring Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, John Cusack & Oscar winner Nicole Kidman.
Daniels lives in New York City. He and his former partner, casting director Billy Hopkins, adopted Daniels' biological niece and nephew, Clara and Liam.[5][6]Hopkins and Daniels later split up; since 2009, Daniels has been in a relationship with Andy Sforzini. [7]
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