The first official photo from Lee Daniels’ The Butler has come online featuring lead actor Forest Whitaker as The Butler.
The Oscar winning actor will play Eugene Allen who worked at the White House for 34 years. The African American butler served a total of eight American presidents, observed the civil rights movement, and was brought back after he retired to witness the inauguration of the country’s first black president, Barack Obama. It’s been reported by Will Haygood, the researcher on the project, that Allen couldn’t even use public restrooms.
Whitaker leads a strong cast that includes Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Lia Neeson, John Cusack, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr. Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz and Live Schreiber.
Production for The Butler is currently underway in New Orleans and though the film did not make the deadline for the 2013 Academy Awards, it should be a contender for the year after.
