Lee Daniels has only directed terrible films that go unrecognized.
Lee Daniels . He produced Monster 's Ball and directed Precious , which received six Academy Award nominations , including Best Director ; the film won two of the awards . In 2012 , Daniels directed The Butler , a historical fiction drama featuring an ensemble cast portraying unique events on the 20th century presidents of the United States at the White House . Daniels is also a co-creator , executive producer and director of the television series Empire and Star , which debuted in 2015 and 2016 , respectively . The Butler ( full title Lee Daniels ' The Butler ) is a 2013 American historical drama film directed and produced by Lee Daniels and written by Danny Strong .