Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels
Lee Louis Daniels is an American film and television producer and director. He produced Monster's Ball and directed Precious, which received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Director; the film won two of the awards. In 2012, Daniels directed The Butler, a historical fiction drama featuring an ensemble cast portraying unique events on the 20th century presidents of the United States at the White House. Daniels is also a co-creator, executive producer and director of the television series Empire that...
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth24 December 1959
CityPhiladelphia, PA
I like all my work equally. I look at the projects as children. I look at the experience more than the end result.
When you're traveling, you can take it with you. You can use it for walking and I've done that many times actually trying to find restaurants.
I never saw Glitter, but I liked her work in the other film.
My philosophy has always been, you don't put your name in front of a movie.
Being the first person to go to college that really related to me from the movie [The Butler] because being black and going to college everyone puts so much hope into you.
I can't do movies where you start thinking "Where's the commercial appeal? How are we going to market this?" It's not that kind of party.
I don't work with fear, and I don't work with actors that are fearful.
Trust is hard to get from actors, and for me to give to actors.
I want to go to places that are unexpected of me, because people really think they have me pegged. I want to do something different, like maybe do a space movie or a musical.
I don't think anyone likes anything of mine. At the end of the day, I love it, but just because I love it... I happen to love broccoli, not a lot of people like broccoli. I always question if somebody else is going to love my films.
As a film director and as film actors, you get used to a certain rhythm that's slow. But with TV, it's hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry. It's a different pace. So, it's about adjusting to the pace. It's not meant for everybody.
My dream is to make a Superman hero that's gay.
I've dodged all sorts of bullets in Hollywood to get my movies made. I'm tough.
I embrace the criticism, because ultimately (it means) the masses have seen it [my movie]. I embrace it for my father's story, for my mother's story, for my auntie, for my grandmother, who all got their teeth knocked out so I could be [where I am].