The Paperboy

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: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire, which received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Director; the film won two of the awards.

Daniels was born on December 24, 1959, in Philadelphia and attended Radnor High School. After graduating, Daniels attended Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. 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 has a sister Joyce Daniels Fennell from Philadelphia. Daniels and Joyce’s father, Officer William Daniels, is from 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.

Monster’s Ball, the debut production of Lee Daniels Entertainment, was a critical and box office success. It was also the first time an African-American was the sole producer on an Academy Award-winning film (Halle Berry took home the Oscar for Best Actress; the film was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay).

Daniels’ 2004 production The Woodsman, starring Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick and Mos Def, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. It went on to garner three nominations at the 2005 Independent Spirit Awards, 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. —Wikipedia