Daniels was born on Christmas Eve, 1959, in Philadelphia and attended Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Missouri. He began his career in entertainment as a casting director and manager after a chance meeting with a Hollywood producer, working on such projects as Under the Cherry Moon and Purple Rain. He continued managing talent, including several Academy Award nominees and winners.
When he arrived in Hollywood, Daniels first worked for a nursing agency, then created his own agency at age 21. He sold his agency for approx $2 million and went to work as a production assistant. Later, he realized he had not paid taxes on his income but paid them off in time.
Monster's Ball, the first production of Lee Daniels Entertainment, marked Daniels as the first African-American sole producer of an Academy Award-earning film. It was a critical and box-office success and was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2002: Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress, for which Halle Berry won the Oscar.
Daniels most recently directed the film, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, which screened at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
Monster's Ball, the first production of Lee Daniels Entertainment, marked Daniels as the first African-American sole producer of an Academy Award-earning film. It was a critical and box-office success and was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2002: Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress, for which Halle Berry won the Oscar.
Daniels most recently directed the film, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, which screened at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
