About Me
I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.1Hi. I'm Lee Daniels, president and CEO of Lee Daniels Entertainment. I began my career in entertainment as a casting director and manager after a chance meeting with a Hollywood producer, who recognized that I had the business and artistic savvy to succeed! I started out as a music video casting director for Prince and continued my work with "the artist" as an associate casting director for the films "Under the Cherry Moon" and "Purple Rain."So, yeah. I consider myself a self-made entrepreneur. Forgot to mention that before all this film hype I was briefly involved in the health industry! I launched my own health care agency at the tender age of twenty. Since the launch of my company, Lee Daniels Entertainment in 1984, I've managed a roster of A-list talent that included Nastassja Kinski and Academy Award nominees and winners such as Morgan Freeman, Hilary Swank, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Marianne Jean Baptiste.Monster's Ball was a remarkable pioneering achievement for me. The film marked me as the first African-American sole producer of an Academy Award nominated movie and also earned me a place on Variety Magazine's 10 Producers to Watch list for 2002! A critical and box office success, Monster's Ball was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2002—Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress, for which Halle Berry won the Oscar. My current project, SHADOWBOXER, marks my directorial debut for which I am very excited about. The film stars dame Helen Mirren, Cuba Gooding Jr., Stephen Dorff, Vanessa Ferlito, Macy Gray and comedienne Mo'Nique in her first serious role. IT IS IN THEATRES NOW SO CHECK IT OUT!!!!!!!! Go to www.shadowboxerthefilm.com for theatre listings.Outside of my work in film I briefly stepped into the world of politics and community development. I was asked by Harlem neighbor and former president Bill Clinton to produce public service announcements to inspire young people of color to vote. The effective campaign was launched in March 2004 and featured actor/musician LL Cool J and Grammy winner Alicia Keys. I was honored with the President's Award from the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) (which I've very proud of) and currently serve on the board of The Center for Community Change based in Washington, D.C. A native of Philly I was 13 years old when my father, a police officer, was killed in the line of duty, leaving my mom to raise five schoolage children on the inner city streets of West Philadelphia.In 2002 I was the recipient of the Urbanworld MECCA Visionary Award (Minority Entertainment for the Cinematic and Creative Arts), the Blockbuster Filmmaker Award from Minorities in Business magazine, and was featured in The Vibe 100, Vibe magazine's list of the 100 most influential black individuals in America. I was also the recipient of the Japanese Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film released in 2002 for Monster's Ball.I'm the father of twins Clara and Liam.And I LUV myspace.
