Trivia / The Butler

• All-Star Cast: To an absolutely absurd degree. For example:
  • Forest Whitaker is Cecil Gaines, Oprah Winfrey is his wife, Mariah Carey is his mother, and David Oyelowo is their son.
  • Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Redgrave own the cotton farm where Cecil grew up.
  • Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding, Jr. play friends of the Gaines.
  • Robin Williams is Dwight Eisenhower.
  • James Marsden and Minka Kelly are John and Jackie Kennedy.
  • Alan Rickman and Jane Fonda as Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
  • John Cusack as Richard Nixon.
• Dawson Casting: 37-year-old David Oyelowo as Whitaker's son, who plays the role from a teen to an old man.
• Deleted Role: Melissa Leo's role as Mamie Eisenhower was cut from the movie, as was Orlando Eric Street's as Barack Obama (see below).
• Fake American: English actors Alan Rickman, David Oyelowo and Alex Pettyfer portray Ronald Reagan, Louis Gaines and Thomas Westfell respectively.
• Irony as She Is Cast: Jane Fonda, a staunch liberal and anti-war activist, plays Nancy Reagan. With that said, the real Nancy Reagan approved of her performance.
• Stunt Casting: All these names on the poster◊? Most are in the film for maybe ten minutes portraying some notable historical figure who they may or may not (John Cusack as Richard Nixon!) physically resemble. Oprah may or may not also be, being in the film the whole time.
• What Could Have Been
  • Originally, the movie was going to show Cecil meeting Barack Obama face-to-face, and director Lee Daniels even considered asking Obama to play himself, but since the movie was filmed during the height of the 2012 election, he ended up casting Orlando Eric Street instead. Eventually, however, the scene was cut.
  • Matthew McConaughey was originally cast as John F. Kennedy, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. James Franco was considered to replace him before James Marsden was cast.
  • Mila Kunis was considered for the part of Jackie Kennedy.
  • Liam Neeson was considered for the part of Lyndon B. Johnson.

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