Lee Daniels' background is filled with bold stories as real and gritty as the narratives from the films he creates.
Daniels' most recent project, Precious: Based On the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire, won two Oscars, for supporting actress Mo’Nique and screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher, and was nominated for four other awards, including twin nods for Daniels (Best Picture, Best Director) and a nomination for Gabourey Sidibe as Best Actress. The film won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival (only the third film in Festival history to do so) and went on to win awards at major international film festivals including Toronto, Deauville, San Sebastian and Stockholm.
Monster’s Ball was the first film from Daniels' production company, Lee Daniels Entertainment, making Daniels the first sole African-American producer of an Oscar®-winning and nominated film. Daniels also produced The Woodsman, which premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, the film received the CICAE Arthouse Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, the Jury Prize at the Deauville International Film Festival, and Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking from the National Board of Review.
Released in 2006, Shadowboxer, a bold, heart-wrenching tale of two assassins, was Daniels' directorial debut. Daniels also produced the film Tennessee, which premiered at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival.
Daniels and his family live in New York City.
