Lee Daniels' The Butler: cast and crew

• Lee Daniels 53 at release Also in Precious (2009)

Actors

40

Crew

5

Youngest at release

13 yearsMichael Rainey Jr.

Eldest at release

76 yearsVanessa Redgrave

• Stephen Rider Admiral Rochon Also in The Host (2013)
• Olivia Washington Olivia 22 at release Also in The Little Things (2021)
• Forest Whitaker Cecil Gaines 52 at release Also in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
• Michael Rainey Jr. Cecil Gaines (8) 13 at release Also in Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016)
• Mariah Carey Hattie Pearl 43 at release Also in Precious (2009)
• Alex Pettyfer Thomas Westfall 23 at release Also in In Time (2011)
• Vanessa Redgrave Annabeth Westfall 76 at release Also in Cars 2 (2011)
• Aml Ameen Cecil Gaines (15) 28 at release Also in The Maze Runner (2014)
• Clarence Williams III † 2021 Maynard 74 at release Also in American Gangster (2007)

The whole cast 40

1. Stephen Rider Admiral Rochon
2. Olivia Washington Olivia
3. Forest Whitaker Cecil Gaines
4. Michael Rainey Jr. Cecil Gaines (8)
5. Mariah Carey Hattie Pearl
6. Alex Pettyfer Thomas Westfall
7. Vanessa Redgrave Annabeth Westfall
8. Aml Ameen Cecil Gaines (15)
9. Clarence Williams III Maynard
10. Oprah Winfrey Gloria Gaines
11. David Oyelowo Louis Gaines
12. Joe Chrest White Usher
13. Colman Domingo Freddie Fallows
14. Adriane Lenox Gina
15. Terrence Howard Howard
16. Cuba Gooding Jr. Carter Wilson
17. Lenny Kravitz James Holloway
18. Robin Williams Dwight D. Eisenhower
19. Nelsan Ellis Martin Luther King, Jr.
20. John Cusack Richard Nixon
21. Yaya DaCosta Carol Hammie
22. Jesse Williams James Lawson
23. James Marsden John F. Kennedy
24. Minka Kelly Jacqueline Kennedy
25. Danny Strong Freedom Bus Journalist
26. Liev Schreiber Lyndon B. Johnson
27. Dana Gourrier Helen Holloway
28. Alex Manette Bob Haldeman
29. Mo McRae Black Panther
30. Alan Rickman Ronald Reagan
31. Jane Fonda Nancy Reagan
32. Walter Cronkite Self
33. Donna DuPlantier Barbara Gaines
34. Ron Glass Self
35. Douglas M. Griffin White Mob Leader
36. Alaine Huntington White House Guest
37. David Jensen MacGeorge Bundy
38. Sam Malone Young Abraham
39. Tarra Riggs Sophie Wilson
40. Craig Tate Hobo

Production companies

eOne Films

Who plays Admiral Rochon in Lee Daniels' The Butler?

Stephen Rider plays Admiral Rochon.

Who plays Olivia in Lee Daniels' The Butler?

Olivia Washington plays Olivia.

Who plays Cecil Gaines in Lee Daniels' The Butler?

Forest Whitaker plays Cecil Gaines.

Who plays Cecil Gaines (8) in Lee Daniels' The Butler?

Michael Rainey Jr. plays Cecil Gaines (8).

Who plays Hattie Pearl in Lee Daniels' The Butler?

Mariah Carey plays Hattie Pearl.

Who plays Thomas Westfall in Lee Daniels' The Butler?

Alex Pettyfer plays Thomas Westfall.

Who directed Lee Daniels' The Butler?

Lee Daniels.

Who wrote Lee Daniels' The Butler?

Danny Strong.

How many actors are in Lee Daniels' The Butler?

40 actors are credited, and 5 people in the crew.

• Lee Daniels had already directed Mariah Carey in Precious (2009).

• Lee Daniels had already directed David Oyelowo in The Paperboy (2012).

• Forest Whitaker and Robin Williams have worked together on 2 other films: Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind (2018) and Good morning, Vietnam (1987).

• Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo have worked together on 2 other films: A Wrinkle in Time (2018) and Selma (2014).

• Colman Domingo and Joe Chrest have worked together on 2 other films: Assassination Nation (2018) and Miracle at St. Anna (2008).

• Forest Whitaker and Stephen Rider had already worked together on one film: The Great Debaters (2007).

• With the most films on MovieNCo: Robin Williams (56), Joe Chrest (52) and Forest Whitaker (47).

• The cast’s average age at release is 46 (of the 31 actors whose birth date we know).