"A look at the life of Cecil Gaines, who served eight presidents as the White House's head butler from 1952 to 1986, and had a unique front-row seat as political and racial history was made."
Forest Whitaker
as Cecil Gaines
Oprah Winfrey
as Gloria Gaines
David Oyelowo
as Louis Gaines
John Cusack
as Richard Nixon
Jane Fonda
as Nancy Reagan
Cuba Gooding Jr.
as Carter Wilson
Mariah Carey
as Hattie Pearl
Terrence Howard
as Howard
Lenny Kravitz
as James Holloway
Aml Ameen
as Cecil Gaines (15)
Michael Rainey Jr.
as Cecil Gaines (8)
James Marsden
as John F. Kennedy
Alex Pettyfer
as Thomas Westfall
Vanessa Redgrave
as Annabeth Westfall
Alan Rickman
as Ronald Reagan
Liev Schreiber
as Lyndon B. Johnson
Robin Williams
as Dwight Eisenhower
Yaya DaCosta
as Carol Hammie
David Banner
as Earl Gaines
Colman Domingo
as Freddie Fallows
Nelsan Ellis
as Martin Luther King Jr.
Nealla Gordon
as Senator Kassebaum
Elijah Kelley
as Charlie Gaines (15-18)
Minka Kelly
as Jackie Kennedy
Adriane Lenox
as Gina
Mo McRae
as Eldridge Huggins
Pernell Walker
as Lorraine
Jesse Williams
as Rev. James Lawson
Clarence Williams III
as Maynard
LaJessie Smith
as Abraham
John P. Fertitta
as Mr. Jenkins
Jim Gleason
as R.D. Warner
Isaac White
as Charlie Gaines (10)
Joe Chrest
as White Usher
Tyson Ford
as Elroy
James DuMont
as Sherman Adams
Robert Aberdeen
as Herbert Brownell
Olivia Washington
as Olivia
Margaret M. Owens
as Woolworth Diner Patron #1
Eric Ducote
as Woolworth Diner Patron #2
Chloe Barach
as Caroline Kennedy
Danny Strong
as Freedom Bus Journalist
Clara Hopkins Daniels
as Freedom Bus Rider
Dana Gourrier
as Helen Holloway
Shirley Pugh
as Malcolm X Goer
Bill Newman
as Pastor
Colin Walker
as John Ehrlichman
Alex Manette
as Bob Haldeman
Rusty Robertson
as Senator Robertson
Stephen Rider
as Admiral Rochon
Tarra Riggs
as Sophie Wilson (uncredited)
Xosha Roquemore
as Foxy (uncredited)
Lee Daniels
Director
Producer
Cassian Elwes
Buddy Patrick
Laura Ziskin
Andrew Dunn
Director of Photography
Writer
Rodrigo Leão
Original Music Composer
Joe Klotz
Editor
Tim Galvin
Production Design
Sebastián Silva
Second Unit Director
Leah Daniels-Butler
Casting
Billy Hopkins
Ruth E. Carter
Costume Design
Danny Epper
Stunts
Lori Agostino
Art Direction
Erik Polczwartek
Jason Baldwin Stewart
Diane Lederman
Set Decoration
Debra Denson
Makeup Department Head
Beverly Jo Pryor
Deanna Simmons
Set Decoration Buyer
Kimberly Murphy
Dana Kay Hart
Costume Supervisor
Wendy Talley
Robert L. Stevenson
Hairstylist
Victoria Wood
Wigmaker
Jen Wall
Production Supervisor
Robin Simmerly
Art Department Coordinator
Sarah Forrest
Set Designer
Michelle C. Harmon
Brian A. Waits
Randall S. Coe
Construction Coordinator
Steve Martemucci
Construction Foreman
Michael Arena
Greensman
David Keith Broome
John Lindsay
Gus Coto
Leadman
Robert Hein
Supervising Sound Editor
Debby VanPoucke
Sound Designer
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Michael Barry
Daniel Cohen
Visual Effects Producer
Ted Markovic
Aniela Sidorska
Luke DiTommaso
Visual Effects Supervisor
Charlotta Forssman
Visual Effects Editor
Ray McIntyre Jr.
Jeff Galpin
Stunt Coordinator
Grayson Austin
Camera Operator
Jeffery J. Tufano
Michael Stumpf
Additional Camera
Luis Lopez DeVictoria
Anne Marie Fox
Still Photographer
Trey Shaneyfelt
Lighting Technician
Kristopher Weaver
Annette Farnsworth
Set Costumer
Ulysses Guidotti
First Assistant Editor
Kat Spiess
Ben Schor
Music Editor
Amy Sanderson
Script Supervisor
Virginia McCollam
Location Manager
Mickey Lambert
Elizabeth Himelstein
Dialect Coach
Meredith Richardson
Harvey Weinstein
Executive Producer
Len Blavatnik
Branka Mrkic
Supervising Dialogue Editor
David Wahnon
Dialogue Editor
Kevin Ladson
Property Master
Ruth Hernandez
ADR Editor
Heather Gross
Foley Editor
Lisa C. Satriano
First Assistant Director
Peter Dress
Second Assistant Director
Bob Weinstein
Ari Daniel Pinchot
Marcos Gonzales
Additional Hairstylist
Daina Daigle
Assistant Hairstylist
Candace Neal
Hair Department Head
Dana Boisseau
Sherri Hamilton
Yolanda Sheridan
Key Makeup Artist
LeDiedra Richard-Baldwin
Makeup Artist
Kellie Robinson
Makeup Designer
Matthew W. Mungle
Prosthetic Designer
Clinton Wayne
Courtney Lether
Prosthetic Makeup Artist
Jonah Levy
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Bradley Martin
Additional Lighting Technician
Zach Smithers
Jordan Whaley
Hans Bjerno
Aerial Director of Photography
Hilton Garrett
Best Boy Grip
Steadicam Operator
Francis James
Second Unit Director of Photography
Len Levine
Chief Lighting Technician
Damon Meledones
Digital Imaging Technician
Jeremy Webre
Dolly Grip
Robert D Morrison Jr.
Justin LeBlanc
Electrician
Justin Wright
Richard Lacy
First Assistant Camera
Michael Charbonnet
Tom Hutchinson
Jason Prowell
Generator Operator
Dacoda Bartles
Grip
Kevin Fannon
Tyler Garrett
Jerone A. Ordon Sr.
Jeremy Wren
Andy Young
Sidney Brisco
Pete Chiaramonte
Carter Lee Garrett
Gerald Autin
Rigging Grip
Raúl J. Marín
Shawn Stone
Creig Symons
John Vinson
Ben Wachsmann
King Lanaux
Key Rigging Grip
Jonathan Robinson
Second Assistant Camera
Aeron McKeough
Josh Crouchet
Art Department Assistant
David Warburton
Assistant Property Master
Nicholas Ellerbee
Carpenter
Charlie Mann
Will Eastin
Graphic Designer
Roger Johnson
Spencer J. Abadie
Painter
Camile Kelsey
Daniel E. Kiker
Sonda L. Rowland
Sian C. Sanzone
Stephen Finders
Props
Iggie Colomer
Set Dresser
Michael Dares
Stephen P. Durante
Owl Martin Dwyer
Sam Jacobs
Jordan Lightner
Tony Ziegler
Ed Burcham
Krissopher Chevannes
ADR Mixer
Jonathan Jost
Michael Miller
Tom Ryan
Billy Theriot
Fredrick Cuevas
ADR Recordist
John Jay Martyn
Reagan Mendoza
Dann Fink
ADR Voice Casting
Chris Fielder
Assistant Sound Editor
Alexa Zimmerman
Michael Piotrowski
Boom Operator
James Eck Rippie
Marko Costanzo
Foley Artist
Cariella Smith
Matthew Haasch
Foley Supervisor
Dan Izen
Production Sound Mixer
Robert Fernandez
Sound Editor
Glenfield Payne
Sound Effects Editor
Avi Laniado
Sound Engineer
Jay Meagher
Sound Mixer
Steven Huerstel
Utility Sound
Mark Scott Friedman
Compositing Supervisor
Austin Meyers
Patrick Paul Mullane
Matte Painter
Bruce Winant
Kacee Devoe
Casting Associate
Ashley Ingram
Christopher Stoudt
Extras Casting
Robin Batherson
Extras Casting Coordinator
Lesley D. Wickham
Ager/Dyer
Josie Works
Costume Assistant
Carmen Rodrigues Davis
Costume Coordinator
Chloe Ji Yoon
Costume Illustrator
Barbara Marko
Costumer
Misti Moreaux
Mollie Middleditch
Janet Marie Ross
Kasey C. Bazil
Paul A. Simmons Jr.
Key Costumer
Mustapha Mimis
Key Set Costumer
Jennifer Kamrath
Principal Costumer
Laura Faye Sirkin-Brown
Seamstress
Melissa Reed
Truck Costumer
Rick Derby
Assistant Editor
Anne O'Brien
Christi Leftwich
Digital Intermediate Assistant
Ryan Rolandelli
Tim Stipan
Digital Intermediate Colorist
Kevin Vale
Digital Intermediate Producer
Eric Horwitz
Digital Intermediate
Patrick Rossi
Richie Roefaro
Editorial Staff
Suzana Peric
Lynn Fainchtein
Music Supervisor
Steve Bartek
Music Arranger
Randall Balsmeyer
Title Designer
Jason Frannino
Animal Wrangler
Edward Joubert
Special Effects Technician
Jake Whitney
David K. Nami
Special Effects Coordinator
Eric Leverenz
Online Editor
Thom Jones
Ryan Gomez
First Assistant Accountant
Mike Revell
Production Accountant
Davida Chanel Smith
Producer's Assistant
Lauren Von Huene
Production Coordinator
Carl Lawson
Production Secretary
Chantel Passantino
Second Assistant Accountant
Danielle Loosemore
Ashley Renee Saunders
Travel Coordinator
Danny Cosmo