Memorable Butlers and Maids in Film

Memorable butlers and maids in film.

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Memorable Butlers and Maids in Film - As Cecil Gaines in Lee Daniels' The Butler, Forest Whitaker shows a man who's lived through seven presidential administrations as a servant, but he wasn't the first actor to portray a steward in film. Take a look at other actors who changed the face of film by playing servants.(Photo: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company)

Juanita Moore, Imitation of Life - Annie Johnson (Moore) raised two daughters in this 1959 film, one white, and one who wanted to be white. Her biological child Sarah Jane's (Susan Kohner) struggle with self-identity made her lash out, and only when the long-suffering Annie was dead did Sarah realize the value of keeping it real. (Photo: Courtesy Universal Pictures)

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Juanita Moore in Imitation of Life - Juanita Moore played Annie Johnson in Imitation of Life showing the depth of African-Americans as the housekeeper to her white counterpart, up-and-coming actress Lora Meredith. (Photo: Courtesy of Universal Pictures)

Morgan Freeman in Driving Miss Daisy - Not a butler, but Morgan Freeman played Hoke — an African-American chauffeur to an old Southern woman. (Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros.)

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Morgan Freeman in Driving Miss Daisy - Not a butler, but Morgan Freeman played Hoke — an African-American chauffeur to an old Southern woman. (Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros.)

Gone With the Wind - This historical epic, based on Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, about the Civil War and Reconstruction from the point of view of white Southerners is as American as grits and biscuits. Despite ample criticism of it's idyllic portrayal of Southern gentility and race relations, this ten-time Oscar winning picture has earned a place in film history, ranked fourth among AFI's 100 Greatest Films of All Time.  (Photo: Silver Screen Collection)

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Hattie McDaniel in Gone With the Wind - McDaniel played the house servant to the wealthy Scarlett O'Hara. McDaniel's role won her the honor of being the first African-American to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.(Photo: Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

Octavia Spencer in The Help - Far from the days of the trailblazing Hattie McDaniel, Octavia Spencer portrayed the sassy, smack-talking maid Minny in The Help.Like McDaniel, Spencer won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2011.(Photo: Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures)

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Octavia Spencer in The Help - Far from the days of the trailblazing Hattie McDaniel, Octavia Spencer portrayed the sassy, smack-talking maid Minny in The Help.Like McDaniel, Spencer won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2011.(Photo: Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures)

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The Help - In her Best Actress Oscar-nominated role as Aibleen Clark in The Help, Viola got a chance to portray a multifaceted character who exhibits tolerance, vulnerability and strength in America circa 1960s. (Photo: Courtesy Dreamworks Entertainment)

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Viola Davis in The Help - Playing opposite Octavia Spencer in The Help, Viola Davis played the meek Aibileen Clark. This role garnered Davis two Screen Actors Guild Awards, an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination. (Photo: Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures)

Memorable Butlers and Maids in Film - It's obvious that African-American actors have come a long way in many respects. With Lee Daniel's The Butler set to premiere in theaters August 16, we get to see how Blacks have contributed to history. Don't forget to watch behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews in Lee Daniels' The Butler: A Time of Change. Tonight at 7:30P/6:30C on BET.(Photo: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company)

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Memorable Butlers and Maids in Film - It's obvious that African-American actors have come a long way in many respects. With Lee Daniel's The Butler set to premiere in theaters August 16, we get to see how Blacks have contributed to history. Don't forget to watch behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews in Lee Daniels' The Butler: A Time of Change. Tonight at 7:30P/6:30C on BET.(Photo: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company)