Stars of Lee Daniels' "The Butler" PRESS at the Waldorf Astoria New York; After Party at The Bowery

Eugene Allen, the man whose life and career were the inspiration for Lee Daniels’ The Butler. He served 8 different presidents as a butler in the White House.
On August 16, you will be able to see him depicted as Cecil Gaines. ‪#‎LeeDanielsTheButler‬!

The film follows the life of Cecil Gaines, an African-American domestic worker at the White House (played by Forest Whitaker) who worked for ten different U.S. presidents from the mid-1950s onward, with Robin Williams playing Dwight Eisenhower, James Marsden playing John F. Kennedy, Liev Schreiber playing Lyndon Johnson, and John Cusack playing Richard Nixon, among others. 

The suggestion is that President Obama was invited to play himself in a brief scene near the end.

President Barack Obama does NOT make his big-screen acting debut in the upcoming White House drama "Lee Daniels' The Butler.""We wanted him to do it," Daniels said, and it was in the script for him to make an appearance. "But he was running for office, so I think he had more important things to do." 

President Obama is represented in "The Butler," appearing in news footage from his inauguration, but he was not involve in the production directly. And so far, the president hasn't seen the movie, but Oprah Winfrey, who co-stars in the film, told Adams her close friend Gayle King is working on arranging a screening for the White House's current occupant. 

If Gayle's plans fall through, the President will have an opportunity to see himself on screen with the rest of the filmgoing public when "Lee Daniels' The Butler" opens in theaters on August 16th.

The Cast @ the at the New York Press Conference: Lee Daniels' The Butler — at Waldorf Astoria New York.

Preparing for what is sure to be a much talked-about film, the stars of Lee Daniels' "The Butler" attended a press conference at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

Check out some great photos of  Lee Daniels, Liev Schreiber, Jesse Williams, Yaya Alafia, Lenny Kravitz, Oprah Winfrey, Forest Whitaker, Minka Kelly, James Marsden, Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr. David Oyelowo and Danny Strong of the cast at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.  ‪#‎LeeDanielsTheButler‬!

 "The Butler" follows an African-American who eyewitnesses notable events of the 20th century during his tenure as a White House butler. 

Enjoying a return to the big screen, Oprah Winfrey-  Is Gracefully Gray as she smiled brightly for photos.

(L-R) Liev Schreiber, Lenny Kravitz, Lee Daniels, Oprah Winfrey, Yaya Alafia, Terrence Howard, Jesse Williams and David Oyelowo attend the press conference for The Weinstein Company's Lee Daniels' 'The Butler' at Waldorf Astoria Hotel  ‪#‎LeeDanielsTheButler‬!

 Minka Kelly donned a blue and white floral dress with blue strappy heels, befitting her role as First Lady Jackie Kennedy.

Director Lee Daniels (L) and Oprah Winfrey attend the press conference for The Weinstein Company's LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER at Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

(L-R) Liev Schreiber, Lenny Kravitz, Lee Daniels, Oprah Winfrey, Yaya Alafia, Terrence Howard, Jesse Williams and David Oyelowo attend the press conference for The Weinstein Company's LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER at Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

In the movie, Carey plays the mother of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), a character based on the White House Butler Eugene Allen, who served presidents for 34 years and retired in 1986. In the early scene of the sweeping period drama about America's tumultuous racial past as seen through the butler's eyes, a dissolute plantation owner's son rapes Mariah's Georgia sharecropper. Immediately afterwards, the rapist shoots her husband dead in front of their son, Cecil, who has goaded his father to protest the violence against his mother.

Carey in 'The Butler'

 "The Butler" New York Premiere After Party at The Bowery Hotel: hosted by TWC, DeLeon Tequila and Samsung Galaxy in New York City.

Mariah Carey and director Lee Daniels attend Lee Daniels' "The Butler" New York Premiere After Party at The Bowery Hotel. 

Mariah Carey and Oprah Winfrey attend Lee Daniels' "The Butler" New York Premiere After Party at The Bowery Hotel. 

Mariah Carey 

Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham attend Lee Daniels' "The Butler" New York Premiere at Ziegfeld Theater. 

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon attend Lee Daniels' 'The Butler' New York premiere,
  

Director Lee Daniels,Cicely Tyson,Oprah Winfrey and Lenny Kravitz attend Lee Daniels' "The Butler" New York Premiere After Party at The Bowery Hotel.