Lee Louis Daniels (born December 25, 1959) 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 debuted in 2015.