Lee Daniels’ The Butler 2013 (NY) premiere

1. Forest Whitaker

Actor | The Last King of Scotland

Forest Steven Whitaker has packaged a king-size talent into his hulking 6' 2", 220 lb. frame. He won an Academy Award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the film The Last King of Scotland (2006), and has also won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. He is the fourth African-American male to...

2. Oprah Winfrey

Producer | The Oprah Winfrey Show

Oprah Gail Winfrey , often known simply as Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which was the highest-rated television program of its kind in history and ...

3. Yaya DaCosta

Actress | The Butler

Yaya DaCosta was born and raised in New York City along with her sister and two brothers. She got her first acting gig at the age of eleven when her junior high school drama teacher, Ann Willis Ratray, encouraged her to audition for educational films. She continued to perform in school shows ...

4. Mariah Carey

Soundtrack | Glitter

Mariah Carey was born in Long Island, New York on March 27, 1969. Her parents are Patricia Hickey (Irish-American) and Alfred Roy Carey (African-American/Venezuelan). Mariah attended Greenlawn's Harborfields High School. In June 1990, Mariah made her debut with her self-titled album, Mariah Carey ...

5. Lee Daniels

Producer | Precious

Lee Daniels gave his parents an early Christmas present when he entered the world on December 24, 1959; unfortunately, the Philadelphia native was to have a difficult relationship with his police officer father who later reacted violently to his son's sexuality. Despite the brutality of his ...

6. Liev Schreiber

Actor | Spotlight

Liev (pronounced Lee-ev) Schreiber was born in San Francisco. His mother, Heather (Milgram), is a painter, and his father, Tell Schreiber (Tell Carroll Schreiber III), is a theatrical actor who had a small role in The Keeper (1976). His mother is from a working-class Jewish family from Poland and ...

7. James Marsden

Actor | Hairspray

James Paul Marsden, or better known as just James Marsden, was born on September 18, 1973, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, to Kathleen (Scholz) and James Luther Marsden. His father, a distinguished Professor of Animal Sciences & Industry at Kansas State University, and his mother, a nutritionist, divorced...

8. Minka Kelly

Actress | The Roommate

Minka Kelly was born in Los Angeles, California and she is the only child of former Aerosmith guitarist, Rick Dufay, and Maureen Kelly, an exotic dancer and single mother, who often moved with her daughter to different communities before settling in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by the time Minka was in...

9. Terrence Howard

Actor | Crash

Terrence Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Anita Jeanine Williams (née Hawkins) and Tyrone Howard. He was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. His love for acting came naturally, through summers spent with his great-grandmother, New York stage actress Minnie Gentry. He later began his acting career ...

10. Lenny Kravitz

Actor | The Hunger Games

Regarded as one of the preeminent rock musicians of our time, Lenny Kravitz has transcended genre, style, race, and class over the course of a three decade-plus musical career. Reveling in the soul, rock, and funk influences the sixties and seventies, the writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist ...

11. Cuba Gooding Jr.

Actor | Jerry Maguire

Cuba Gooding Jr. was born on January 2, 1968, in The Bronx, New York. His mother, Shirley (Sullivan), was a backup singer for The Sweethearts. His father, Cuba Gooding, was the lead vocalist for the R&B group The Main Ingredient, which had a hit with the song "Everybody Plays The Fool". His ...

12. Jesse Williams

Actor | The Cabin in the Woods

Jesse Wesley Williams born August 5, 1981 is a former high school teacher and activist turned actor/director. He's best known for his role as Dr. Jackson Avery on the ABC Television series Grey's Anatomy and his advocacy for the disenfranchised, highlighted by his internationally resonant ...

13. Danny Strong

Producer | Dopesick

Danny Strong started his career as an actor in numerous classic films and TV shows such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Gilmore Girls, then transitioned into screenwriting, exploding onto the scene with his 2007 script Recount which was #1 on the Hollywood Blacklist and became an award winning HBO ...

14. David Oyelowo

Actor | Lawmen: Bass Reeves

David Oyelowo also known as 'David O', is a classically trained stage actor who has quickly become one of Hollywood's most sought-after talents. He graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and received the "Scholarship for Excellence" from Nicholas Hytner in 1998.

David ...

15. Nick Cannon

Actor | Drumline

Nicholas Scott Cannon is an American television host, rapper, actor, and comedian. Cannon began in television as a teenager on "All That" before going on to host "The Nick Cannon Show", 'Wild 'n Out", 'America's Got Talent", 'Lip Sync Battle Shorties", and "The Masked Singer." He acted in the films...

16. Stedman Graham

Self | Bridging the Gap: The Joe Dulin Story

Stedman Graham was born on March 6, 1951 in Whitesboro, New Jersey, USA. He was previously married to Glenda Johnson.

17. Jane Fonda

Actress | Klute

Born in New York City to legendary screen star Henry Fonda and Ontario-born New York socialite Frances Seymour Brokaw, Jane Seymour Fonda was destined early to an uncommon and influential life in the limelight. Although she initially showed little inclination to follow her father's trade, she was ...

18. Naomi Watts

Actress | Mulholland Dr.

Naomi Ellen Watts was born on September 28, 1968 in Shoreham, England to Myfanwy Edwards "Miv" (Roberts), an antiques dealer and costume/set designer, and Peter Watts (Peter Anthony Watts), Pink Floyd's road manager. Her maternal grandfather was Welsh. Her father died when she was seven and she ...

19. Georgina Chapman

Actress | Unleashed

Georgina Rose Chapman (born 14 April 1976) is an English fashion designer and actress. Together with Keren Craig, she is a co-founder of the fashion label Marchesa.

Chapman was born in London, England, the daughter of Caroline Wonfor, a journalist, and Brian Chapman, a co-owner of the coffee company...

20. Debbie Harry

Actress | Videodrome

Deborah Harry was born Angela Trimble on July 1, 1945 in Miami, Florida. At three months, she was adopted by Catherine (Peters) and Richard Smith Harry, and was raised in Hawthorne, New Jersey. In the 1960s, she worked as a Playboy Bunny and hung out at Max's Kansas City, a famous Warhol-inhabited ...

21. Alina Cho

Actress | Bull

Alina Cho is an Emmy Award-winning contributor to CBS Sunday Morning, producer of the upcoming Netflix documentary on Martha Stewart and host of The Atelier with Alina Cho at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Previously, for nearly a decade, Ms. Cho was a National Correspondent for CNN. She also ...

22. John Demsey

Self | House of Z

23. Cicely Tyson

Actress | The Help

Cicely Tyson was born in Harlem, New York City, where she was raised by her devoutly religious parents, who had come from the Caribbean island of Nevis. Her mother Theodosia was a domestic worker and her her father William was a carpenter and painter. Tyson was discovered by a fashion editor at ...

24. Keisha Whitaker

Producer | Kassim the Dream

Keisha Whitaker was born on March 8, 1972 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress and producer, known for Kassim the Dream (2008), Proud (2004) and Ben Harper: With My Own Two Hands (2009). She was married to Forest Whitaker. She died on December 6, 2023 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

25. Anna Wintour

Actress | Zoolander 2

Anna Wintour was born in Hampstead, London, England, the daughter of an American mother, Eleanor Trego (Baker), and an English father, Charles Wintour, former Editor of the Evening Standard. She is from an upper-class family, with many prominent ancestors. She started her career in 1970, working in...

26. André Leon Talley

Actor | Sex and the City

André Leon Talley was born on October 16, 1948 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He was an actor, known for Sex and the City (2008), The September Issue (2009) and Empire (2015). He died on January 18, 2022 in White Plains, New York, USA.

27. Nancy O'Dell

Actress | Scream 3

Nancy O'Dell began her broadcast career as a reporter and anchor at WPDE-TV in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She later worked as morning news anchor and crime reporter at WCBD-TV. While in Charleston, O'Dell's reports on the lenient police approach to DUI cases led to a State Law Enforcement ...

28. Pamela Oas Williams

Producer | The Butler

Pamela Oas Williams is known for The Butler (2013), The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) and Fail Safe (2000).

29. Buddy Patrick

Producer | Hereditary

My film career fell into my lap after graduating from Loyola Law School. My hometown, New Orleans, had just shot $4B in the previous year. I knocked on every door trying to get in to no avail. Frustrated and about to move on, I was on Craigslist in Virginia when I found an opportunity with The ...

30. Michael Finley

Producer | Sanctum

Michael Finley was born and raised in Maywood, Illinois and became a standout basketball player at Proviso East High School. Finley later attended the University of Wisconsin, where he majored in business and averaged over 20 points per game. He finished his career as the all time leading scorer in...

31. Bruce Cohen

Producer | American Beauty

Bruce Cohen was born in Falls Church, Virginia, USA. He is known for American Beauty (1999), Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and Milk (2008).

32. Horatio Bacon

Producer | The Butler

Horatio Bacon is known for The Butler (2013).

33. Sheila C. Johnson

Producer | The Butler

Sheila C. Johnson is known for The Butler (2013), W.A.S.P. and Kicking It (2008).

34. Allen Frederic

Producer | The King of New Orleans

Allen Frederic is known for The King of New Orleans (2015), The Butler (2013) and Hereditary 2.

35. Matthew Salloway

Producer | The Butler

Matthew Salloway was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He is known for such films as "The Ides of March," "Lee Daniels' The Butler," "I Wanna Dance with Somebody," "Rebel in the Rye" and "The War with Grandpa." Salloway has also served as a producer on various Broadway shows including the Neil Diamond...

36. Jonathan Rubinstein

37. Tika Sumpter

Actress | Southside with You

Tika Sumpter was born in New York and graduated from Marymount Manhattan College. Sumpter began her career as model, before she landed the role of "Layla Williamson" in ABC's daytime soap opera, One Life to Live (1968) (2005-2010, 2011).

After she left the soap, Sumpter won a recurring role in the ...

38. Laura Lewis

Producer | The Pages

Laura Lewis is known for An Acceptable Loss (2018), Tell Me Lies (2022) and Give or Take.

39. Julia Barry

Actress | Spider-Man

Julia Barry is known for Spider-Man (2002), The Butler (2013) and Hero (1992).

40. Nelsan Ellis

Actor | Get on Up

Nelsan Ellis was an award-winning American film and television actor and playwright, perhaps best known as Lafayette Reynolds on HBO's True Blood (2008).

Nelsan was born on November 30, 1977, in Harvey, Illinois, the son of Jackie Ellis and Tommie Lee Thompson. Following his parents' divorce, Ellis ...

41. Joshua Bee Alafia

Cinematographer | Cubamor

Joshua Bee Alafia is known for Cubamor (2001), The Seed (2010) and Se Safando (2012). He has been married to Yaya DaCosta since June 23, 2012. They have one child.

42. Hank Aaron

Actor | Summer Catch

Baseball's all-time home run king, Hank Aaron did more than hit home runs. Sure, Aaron led the National League (NL) four times, he also was a two-time batting champion and led the league in RBIs four times and runs scored three times. He won the NL's Most Valuable Player award in 1957 and has a ...

43. Charles Sauveur Bonan

Producer | The Butler

Charles Sauveur Bonan is known for The Butler (2013), The Little Hours (2017) and Life After Beth (2014).

44. Cassian Elwes

Producer | The Butler

Cassian Elwes was born on August 7, 1959 in London, England, UK. He is a producer and actor, known for The Butler (2013), Mudbound (2017) and I Origins (2014). He was previously married to Holly Wiersma and Priscilla A Woolworth.

45. Christina Papagjika

Producer | Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

Christina Papagjika is a New York City based Tony & Olivier Award-winning producer of film, television and theater.

Born and raised in Washington, D.C. Christina is a graduate of both Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart and George Washington University.

After a stint working for Managing Editor ...

46. Billye Aaron

Self | ESPN SportsCentury

Billye Aaron was born on October 16, 1936 in Anderson County, Texas, USA. She was previously married to Hank Aaron and Samuel W. Williams.

47. Aisha Taylor

Actress | Urban Soul: The Movie

Aisha Taylor is known for Urban Soul: The Movie (2009).

48. Fantasia Barrino

Soundtrack | The Color Purple

Fantasia Barrino was born on June 30, 1984 in High Point, North Carolina, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Color Purple (2023), The Butler (2013) and American Idol (2002). She has been married to Kendall Taylor since July 19, 2015. They have one child.

49. Monique Coleman

Actress | High School Musical

Monique Coleman was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for High School Musical (2006), A Christmas Dance Reunion (2021) and Greed: A Seven Deadly Sins Story (2022). She was previously married to Walter Jordan.

50. Colman Domingo

Actor | Lincoln

In 2023, Mr. Domingo was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play as a producer for the Pulitzer Prize winning play Fat Ham. Colman won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor Drama for his role as Ali in the HBO series Euphoria. Domingo has been honored with the inaugural Denver Film ...

51. Elijah Kelley

Actor | Hairspray

Elijah Kelley was born on August 1, 1986 in LaGrange, Georgia, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Hairspray (2007), Strange Magic (2015) and The Butler (2013).

52. Colin Walker

Actor | Treme

Colin Walker is an American film, television and stage actor best known for playing Spcl. Agnt Collington on the critically acclaimed HBO series Treme and for playing Special advisor to President Nixon, John Ehrlichman in the award winning Lee Daniels' The Butler. His career spans television, film,...

53. Alex Manette

Actor | We Need to Talk About Kevin

Alex Manette was born in Rockville Centre, New York on October 31, 1969. He was raised on Long Island, in the town of Garden City. He has an older brother and a younger sister. Following high school, he moved to Los Angeles where he studied acting with Roy London and Ivana Chubbuck. He lives in New...

54. James DuMont

Actor | S.W.A.T.

Noted for his finely crafted and nuanced performances, actor James DuMont is one of the busiest actors in both film and television.

DuMont just wrapped his 74th & 75th Feature Film, Amazon's Candy Cane Lane with Eddie Murphy & Unit 234, opposite Don Johnson. James plays "Chad" on HBO's The Righteous...

55. Wil Haygood

Writer | The Butler

Wil Haygood was born on September 19, 1954 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for The Butler (2013), Sammy and Sweet Thunder.

56. Aml Ameen

Actor | Yardie

The son of Caribbean parents, Aml Ameen shone in his breakout performance as Trife in the cult classic KIDULTHOOD, for which he was recognized as one of the Screen International's 2005 Stars of Tomorrow and nominated for Screen Nation's 2006 Best Newcomer award.

Ameen portrayed series regular Lewis ...

57. Rusty Robertson

Actor | The Butler

Rusty Robertson is known for The Butler (2013).

58. Shayna Gabrielle

Actress | Boy in the Elvis Suit

Shayna Gabrielle was born in San Antonio, Texas to Lynn Zalcberg. Growing up she attended NESA (North East School of the Arts) where she decided to make performing her career. Shayna Graduated from Otterbein University with a BFA in Musical Theater/Acting and a minor in dance. After college, Shayna...

59. Alicia Quarles

Actress | Top Five

Alicia Quarles was born on November 25, 1981 in San Bernardino, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Top Five (2014), E! News (1991) and True Crime Live (2019).

60. David Banner

Actor | Black Snake Moan

Lavell William Crump (born April 11, 1974), better known by his stage name David Banner, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Banner's music career first began as a member of the rap duo, Crooked Lettaz. He became a solo artist in 2000, releasing his first title "Them Firewater Boyz, ...

61. Tichina Arnold

Actress | Little Shop of Horrors

Tichina Arnold was born on June 28, 1969 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Everybody Hates Chris (2005) and Martin (1992). She was previously married to Rico Hines and Lamon Brewster.

62. Gayle King

Actress | The Manchurian Candidate

Gayle King was born on December 28, 1954 in Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Queen & Slim (2019) and The Boss (2016). She was previously married to William G. Bumpus.

63. Keshia Knight Pulliam

Actress | The Cosby Show

Keshia Knight Pulliam was born on April 9, 1979 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and director, known for The Cosby Show (1984), House of Payne (2006) and Madea Goes to Jail (2009). She has been married to Brad James since September 25, 2021. They have one child. She was previously ...

64. Michael Rainey Jr.

Actor | Power Book II: Ghost

Actor Michael Rainey, Jr. stars as Tariq St. Patrick on Starz network's hit drama series, Power Book II: GHOST where he leads a star studded cast a direct spin off from the hit series Power. Michael starred as Tariq St. Patrick in the hit series POWER, in a leading role alongside Omari Hardwick, ...

65. True Whitaker

Actress | Berry's Batteries

True Whitaker was born on July 2, 1998. She is an actress, known for Berry's Batteries and Godfather of Harlem (2019).

66. Sonnet Noel Whitaker

Actress | First Daughter

Sonnet Noel Whitaker was born on October 3, 1996. She is an actress, known for First Daughter (2004).

67. Arielle Elwes

Actress | Leather Jackets

Arielle Elwes is known for Leather Jackets (1991), Braid (2018) and Saint Clare.

68. Lucie Elwes

Editorial_department | The Discovery

Lucie Elwes is known for The Discovery (2017), Union Bridge (2019) and The Dark End of the Street (2020).

69. Sheila G. Mains

Self | Home & Family

70. Kevin Holloman

71. Adam Cohen

Composer | Psych

Adam Cohen is known for Psych (2006), I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) and The Family Stone (2005).

72. Marisa Tomei

Actress | My Cousin Vinny

Marisa Tomei was born on December 4, 1964, in Brooklyn, New York, to Patricia "Addie" (Bianchi), a teacher of English, and Gary Tomei, a lawyer, both of Italian descent. Marisa has a brother, actor Adam Tomei. As a child, Marisa's mother frequently corrected her speech as to eliminate her heavy ...

73. Grace Hightower

Actress | Precious

Grace Hightower was born on April 7, 1955 in the USA. She is an actress, known for Precious (2009), The Paperboy (2012) and Brotherhood (1997). She has been married to Robert De Niro since June 17, 1997. They have two children.