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Lee Daniels

Lee Daniels

Producer, director, actor and writer · Born December 24, 1959 (66) · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Oscar nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 6 other major award bodies

Lee Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television director, writer and producer.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 24, 1959 (66)
From
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Works as
Producer, director, actor and writer
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 25 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Down 25% in 30 days

What are Lee Daniels' films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile
: browse their Documentary movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
24%
Self
20%
Bonds
19%
Survival
18%
Society
11%
Ideas
5%
Power
3%
Family bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 12

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 7 · Intense 8

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 6 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 7

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 14 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 2

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 3 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 10

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Melancholic
10
Dread
5
Warm
3
Hopeful
4
Other
13

How their films linger

Unsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Lee Daniels' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Lee Daniels' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

25 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page; 10 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Deliverance(2024)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Reading(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Wonder Years(2021)

    Show 32 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • Our Kind of People(2021)

    Show 12 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • The Ms. Pat Show(2021)

    Show 46 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • The United States vs. Billie Holiday(2021)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Mariah Carey: Darling Diva(2021)

    Actor

  • Concrete Cowboy(2020)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Pimp(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Star(2016)

    Show 48 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer · as Video Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Empire(2015)

    Show 102 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • BoJack Horseman(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Flea Daniels (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • The Butler(2013)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Paperboy(2012)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · as Bartender

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Precious(2009)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Tennessee(2008)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Shadowboxer(2005)

    Director · Producer · as Man in Steam Room

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Woodsman(2004)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Agnes and His Brothers(2004)

    as Henry Preminger

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Monster's Ball(2001)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Billy Crystal: Don't Get Me Started (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Casting

  • A Little Off Mark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Steve

  • Purple Rain(1984)

    Casting Assistant

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Stealth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Terms of Endearment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 24 titles, 22 of them dated from 1984 to 2024.

Biggest box office

The Butler (2013)

$177M worldwide

Highest rated

Precious (2009)

Midcredits 91st

Most popular right now

The Deliverance (2024)

Film career

  • 2004Screen debut· Agnes and His Brothers

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting6 of 24: 3 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndDirecting10 of 24: 1 only directing, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score58thWriting4 of 24: 0 only writing, 4 with another roleProducing17 of 24: 9 only producing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score55thOther crew4 of 24: 2 only other crew, 2 with another role

24 titles, 9 with more than one role — producing and directing overlap on 8 of them.

By decade

1980s3 · 1 acting · 2 crew2000s6 · 2 acting · 5 crew2010s6 · 3 acting · 5 crew2020s7 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

5 major awards from 14 major nominations, 2005–2012.

WinNomination
  1. 2012
    • Cannes award, nominated
  2. 2010
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Directing
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Motion Picture of the Year
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film
    • +4 other major bodies · 3 wins and 3 nominations
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
      • Producers Guild Award, won
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Director
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Director
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Feature
  3. 2009
    • Cannes award, nominated
    • Sundance award, won ×2 · Dramatic
  4. 2005
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best First Feature

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Lee Daniels' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of the 14 of 15 with a score; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 51st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 20 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · producer

Tennessee (2008)

93rd percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, producer

Precious (2009)

Midcredits 91st · 78% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 65/100 and the pacing 43/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Lee Daniels' work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles45–78 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles25–84 · median 69 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity9 titles74–91 · median 81 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles39–73 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles55–84 · median 69 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Lee Daniels work with?

People who share at least 2 of Lee Daniels' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Simone Sheffield shares the most, 5.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles