From The Director’s Chair

Stars who have been influenced by the iconic filmmaker.

The Influencer - At this year’s BET Honors, director Lee Daniels will be honored with the Television and Film Award. Daniels, who produced Monster’s Ball, directed critically acclaimed films such as Precious and The Butler, and is also the co-creator of hit show Empire, is known as one of the great minds and voices in Film and Television. Daniels has helped discover, create, and resurrect careers in the industry. Here are just a few of talented people the award-winning filmmaker has influenced over the years.   (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Screen Actors Guild Foundation)

1 / 11

The Influencer - At this year’s BET Honors, director Lee Daniels will be honored with the Television and Film Award. Daniels, who produced Monster’s Ball, directed critically acclaimed films such as Precious and The Butler, and is also the co-creator of hit show Empire, is known as one of the great minds and voices in Film and Television. Daniels has helped discover, create, and resurrect careers in the industry. Here are just a few of talented people the award-winning filmmaker has influenced over the years.   (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Screen Actors Guild Foundation)

/content/dam/betcom/images/2016/01/Shows/BET-Honors/011316-bet-honors-Lee-Daniels-The-Director-s-Chair-halle-berry-2.jpg

2 / 11

Halle Berry - Monster’s Ball was the debut production of Lee Daniels Entertainment. It was a critical box office success and cemented Halle Berry as an A-list actress in a role that made her the first Black woman to take home the award for Best Actress. In Berry’s acceptance speech she thanked Daniels, saying, “thank you for giving me this chance, for believing that I can do it, and now tonight I have this, thank you!” At the time, Berry was well known for blockbuster hits such as X-Men and The Flintstones, but Daniels gave her a shot to wrestle with an incredibly challenging role, and Berry delivered.   (Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Revlon)

Mo'Nique - The comedienne and Daniels worked together on the Oscar-nominated film Precious, which earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Since then, the relationship between the two has seen its conflicts, but there is no denying that Daniels helped Mo’Nique achieve the performance of her life. (Photo: Paul Morigi/ Getty Images)

3 / 11

Mo'Nique - The comedienne and Daniels worked together on the Oscar-nominated film Precious, which earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Since then, the relationship between the two has seen its conflicts, but there is no denying that Daniels helped Mo’Nique achieve the performance of her life. (Photo: Paul Morigi/ Getty Images)

Gabourey Sidibe - The actress has Daniels to thank for launching her career. Not only did he give her the shot that earned her an Academy Award nomination, for her starring role in Precious, but she also starred in a guest role on Empire. During an interview at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, Sidibe praised Daniels for his directorial genius. “I’m not sure if we understood what we were doing while we were doing it…it wasn’t clear how different and amazing the performance was until after we saw it and it is a testament to the genius of Mr. Daniels. He has the power to transform.” (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Screen Actors Guild Foundation)

4 / 11

Gabourey Sidibe - The actress has Daniels to thank for launching her career. Not only did he give her the shot that earned her an Academy Award nomination, for her starring role in Precious, but she also starred in a guest role on Empire. During an interview at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, Sidibe praised Daniels for his directorial genius. “I’m not sure if we understood what we were doing while we were doing it…it wasn’t clear how different and amazing the performance was until after we saw it and it is a testament to the genius of Mr. Daniels. He has the power to transform.” (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Screen Actors Guild Foundation)

Taraji P. Henson  - Henson, who just made history by being the first Black woman to take home the Golden Globes for Lead Actress, is another star who can thank Daniels for making her a household name. After working in the industry for years, she became an overnight sensation for her role as Cookie Lyon in Daniel’s Empire. She thanked Daniels during her Golden Globes acceptance speech, saying, “Thank you for believing in me!”  It seems the feeling is mutual, as Henson is slated to appear in Daniel’s upcoming Richard Pryor biopic. 

5 / 11

Taraji P. Henson  - Henson, who just made history by being the first Black woman to take home the Golden Globes for Lead Actress, is another star who can thank Daniels for making her a household name. After working in the industry for years, she became an overnight sensation for her role as Cookie Lyon in Daniel’s Empire. She thanked Daniels during her Golden Globes acceptance speech, saying, “Thank you for believing in me!”  It seems the feeling is mutual, as Henson is slated to appear in Daniel’s upcoming Richard Pryor biopic. 

ADVERTISEMENT
Terrence Howard - Before Daniels tapped Howard to star as Lucious Lyon on Empire, they worked together on The Butler. In a recent interview with ET, Howard gushed about his frequent collaborator. “He’s changed my sense of work. I dig so much deeper," he said. "When I did Butler for him I took this tooth that’s been a false tooth for years, which I would have never done, and I found a freedom…I’ve never been freer since then." Random, but sweet! (Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)

6 / 11

Terrence Howard - Before Daniels tapped Howard to star as Lucious Lyon on Empire, they worked together on The Butler. In a recent interview with ET, Howard gushed about his frequent collaborator. “He’s changed my sense of work. I dig so much deeper," he said. "When I did Butler for him I took this tooth that’s been a false tooth for years, which I would have never done, and I found a freedom…I’ve never been freer since then." Random, but sweet! (Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)

Effie T. Brown - The producer behind the critically acclaimed Dear White People recently joined Daniel’s production company as a producer. When asked about working with Daniels, Brown said, “I’m extremely excited. In my opinion, Lee Daniels is a cultural icon…I’m really happy to be here because part of Lee Daniels’ brand is that he does value diversity in front of, as well as behind the camera.”   (Photo: Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images)

7 / 11

Effie T. Brown - The producer behind the critically acclaimed Dear White People recently joined Daniel’s production company as a producer. When asked about working with Daniels, Brown said, “I’m extremely excited. In my opinion, Lee Daniels is a cultural icon…I’m really happy to be here because part of Lee Daniels’ brand is that he does value diversity in front of, as well as behind the camera.”   (Photo: Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images)

Oprah Winfrey - The queen of talk is one star who does not need to thank Daniels for her own success. She does, however, love working with him, and resurrected her acting career in Daniels’ film The Butler. "The thing about Lee is that he’s always pushing the envelope…the one thing that we all love about him is his quest for the truth,” she said. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

8 / 11

Oprah Winfrey - The queen of talk is one star who does not need to thank Daniels for her own success. She does, however, love working with him, and resurrected her acting career in Daniels’ film The Butler. "The thing about Lee is that he’s always pushing the envelope…the one thing that we all love about him is his quest for the truth,” she said. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Jussie Smollett - Best known for his role of Jamal Lyon on Empire, Smollett credits Daniels for helping him find, and fully express, this incredibly complex character on the show. “That’s what Lee Daniels is known for. Telling the truth, the good, the bad, and the ugly. So we had no choice but to be truthful with the way that I portrayed him,” Smollett said of his character Jamal Lyon, the gay son of music mogul Lucious Lyon.   (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Screen Actors Guild Foundation)

9 / 11

Jussie Smollett - Best known for his role of Jamal Lyon on Empire, Smollett credits Daniels for helping him find, and fully express, this incredibly complex character on the show. “That’s what Lee Daniels is known for. Telling the truth, the good, the bad, and the ugly. So we had no choice but to be truthful with the way that I portrayed him,” Smollett said of his character Jamal Lyon, the gay son of music mogul Lucious Lyon.   (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Screen Actors Guild Foundation)

Danny Strong - The award-winning writer behind The Butler credits Daniels with bringing his words alive.  When Strong was asked about finding the right director for his passion project, he said, “Mr. Spielberg was very interested, and then we heard Mr. Daniels was interested, and Mr. Daniels ended up directing the movie." He continues, "And then from there we collaborated forever on draft after draft over a three-year period.  And for me it was a really wonderful experience working with Lee on the script.” Strong later reteamed with Daniels for Empire.  (Photo: Gail Oskin/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company)

10 / 11

Danny Strong - The award-winning writer behind The Butler credits Daniels with bringing his words alive.  When Strong was asked about finding the right director for his passion project, he said, “Mr. Spielberg was very interested, and then we heard Mr. Daniels was interested, and Mr. Daniels ended up directing the movie." He continues, "And then from there we collaborated forever on draft after draft over a three-year period.  And for me it was a really wonderful experience working with Lee on the script.” Strong later reteamed with Daniels for Empire.  (Photo: Gail Oskin/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company)

Cuba Gooding Jr. - The Oscar-winning actor worked with Lee Daniels on The Butler, and during an interview, Gooding Jr. gave Daniels a compliment that every director wants to hear"  “Lee Daniels is a filmmaker that I feel that they will study years after he’s long dead and gone. I think his filmography will reflect statement movies that will help students in college dissect where we’ve come from not just as African Americans but as a nation of people…His films will inform.”  (Photo: John Sciulli/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company)

11 / 11

Cuba Gooding Jr. - The Oscar-winning actor worked with Lee Daniels on The Butler, and during an interview, Gooding Jr. gave Daniels a compliment that every director wants to hear"  “Lee Daniels is a filmmaker that I feel that they will study years after he’s long dead and gone. I think his filmography will reflect statement movies that will help students in college dissect where we’ve come from not just as African Americans but as a nation of people…His films will inform.”  (Photo: John Sciulli/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company)