As Lee Daniels preps for tomorrow's Cannes premier of The Paperboy, he's spent the bulk of the last week releasing news on The Butler seemingly every single day. Just this week alone we've learned of Nicole Kidman and Lenny Kravitz joining the civil rights piece, and now today Daniels has revealed Minka Kelly(Friday Night Lights) is his choice to play Jackie Kennedy.
Mila Kunis' name had been floated for the role previously, but obviously that didn't work out. Personally, I think Kelly should be disqualified for dating Wilmer Valderrama, but if we did that for all of his conquests we'd lose half the actresses in Hollywood. Daniels has put together an incredible roster of talent, many of whom might just be appearing in cameos, but it's still damned impressive and fitting of a story of this magnitude. The Butler tells the true story of Eugene Allen, an African-American who spent more than thirty years as a servant in the White House under eight Presidential administrations. When he began his stint in 1952, the civil rights movement was at its earliest stages, and Allen watched the nation grow and evolve from a unique perspective. His story really came to light around the time of Barack Obama's nomination, thanks to a Washington Post article by Wil Haygood.
Forest Whitaker will play Eugene Allen, with Oprah Winfrey as his wife and David Oyelowo as his son. With Kelly as Jackie Kennedy, she'll be joined by Matthew McConaughey as John F. Kennedy; Alan Rickman and Jane Fonda as Ronald and Nancy Reagan; and John Cusack as Richard Nixon(???). Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. are also involved in undisclosed roles.
Filming on The Butler begins in July.
