Directed by Lee Daniels Written by Danny Strong   Wil Haygood   Cast Forest Whitaker ... Cecil Gaines David Banner ... Earl Gaines Michael Rainey Jr. ... Cecil Gaines (8) LaJessie Smith ... Abraham Mariah Carey ... Hattie Pearl Alex Pettyfer ... Thomas Westfall Vanessa Redgrave ... Annabeth Westfall Aml Ameen ... Cecil Gaines (15) Clarence Williams III ... Maynard John P. Fertitta ... Mr. Jenkins (as John Fertitta) Jim Gleason ... R.D. Warner Oprah Winfrey ... Gloria Gaines Isaac White ... Charlie Gaines (10) David Oyelowo ... Louis Gaines Joe Chrest ... White Usher Colman Domingo ... Freddie Fallows Adriane Lenox ... Gina Terrence Howard ... Howard Tyson Ford ... Elroy Cuba Gooding Jr. ... Carter Wilson Lenny Kravitz ... James Holloway Pernell Walker ... Lorraine James DuMont ... Sherman Adams Robert Aberdeen ... Herbert Brownell Robin Williams ... Dwight D. Eisenhower John Cusack ... Richard Nixon Olivia Washington ... Olivia Yaya DaCosta ... Carol Hammie (as Yaya Alafia) Jesse Williams ... James Lawson Margaret M. Owens ... Woolworth Diner Patron #1 Eric Ducote ... Woolworth Diner Patron #2 James Marsden ... John F. Kennedy Minka Kelly ... Jacqueline Kennedy Chloe Barach ... Caroline Kennedy Danny Strong ... Freedom Bus Journalist Clara Hopkins Daniels ... Freedom Bus Rider Elijah Kelley ... Charlie Gaines (15-18) Liev Schreiber ... Lyndon B. Johnson Dana Gourrier ... Helen Holloway Shirley Pugh ... Malcolm X Goer Bill Newman ... Pastor Nelsan Ellis ... Martin Luther King Jr. Colin Walker ... John Ehrlichman Alex Manette ... Bob Haldeman Mo McRae ... Eldridge Huggins Alan Rickman ... Ronald Reagan Jane Fonda ... Nancy Reagan Rusty Robertson ... Senator Robertson Nealla Gordon ... Senator Kassebaum Stephen Rider ... Admiral Rochon Uncredited Cast Andre Allemand ... Bridge Protester John L. Armijo ... Eisenhower's Military Adviser Jon Arthur ... BET Videographer Rex Baker ... Protester Jessica Picota ... State Dinner Guest Patton Brantley ... Handsome Hotel Guest Joshua Braud ... Josh Eugene Brezany ... Reagan Whitehouse Guest Warren Burger ... Self (archive footage) Blake Burt ... Protester Carroll Burt ... Man at Water Fountain Jonathan Aaron Butler ... College Student Tom Cain ... Arresting Officer Jimmy Carter ... Self (archive footage) Rosalynn Carter ... Self (archive footage) Edward J. Clare ... Two-Star General JJ Coker ... James Baker Markeith Coleman ... Prisoner Ross P. Cook ... Embassy Protester Duane Cothren ... Military Social Aide Haylie Creppel ... White House Child Walter Cronkite ... Self (archive footage) Steven J. Daniels ... Protestor Donna Duplantier ... Barbara Gaines Alexander Eldimiati ... JBJ Aide Jazzy Ellis ... College Student Adrienne Esteen ... Protestor Guy Fernandez ... Black Panther Gerald Ford ... Self (archive footage) Rebecca Lee Fox ... Racist Redd Foxx ... Fred Sanford (archive footage) Justin Gant ... Diner Attacker Ray Gaspard ... Pat Buchanan Tyler Gibbs ... Jim Counter MGR Ron Glass ... Self (archive footage) Douglas M. Griffin ... White Mob Leader Brandon Guttuso ... Homeless Person Russell M. Haeuser ... Redneck Bar Patron Gene Kevin Hames Jr. ... White House Guest A. Michelle Harleston ... D.C. Bus Station Passenger's Mother Sadarias Harrell ... DC Bus Rider / Prisoner / Rioter Rodney Hebert ... White House Engineer Bria Hobgood ... Extra Alaine Huntington ... White House Guest Rahsaana Ison ... Woman in Waiting Room Jesse Jackson ... Self (archive footage) David Jensen ... MacGeorge Bundy Jim Johnson ... Eisenhower Dinner Guest Allyson Leigh Jordan ... Reagan White House Guest Mark Joyce ... Barfly Martin Luther King ... Self (archive footage) Gladys Knight ... Self (archive footage) Alex Ladove ... Protester Tony Lawson ... Bus Station Patron Elton LeBlanc ... US Navy Admiral Wanda Leigh ... Claudia Alta 'Lady Bird' Taylor Johnson Hal Linden ... Barney Miller (archive footage) Sam Malone ... Young Abraham John R Mangus ... Mississippi Jail Guard Starlette Miariaunii ... College Student Mike R. Moreau ... LBJ Aide Barack Obama ... Self (archive footage) Mary Katherine Oglesby ... White House Child Monicah Owino ... Churchgoer Darryl Perrilloux ... Washington DC Rioter Jeffrey Poitier ... White House Butler Renato Powell ... Chef Philippe Radelet ... Houseman Tarra Riggs ... Sophie Wilson Xosha Roquemore ... Foxy Aaron Saxton ... Prison Guard William Schultz ... Pablo Casals Carl Singleton ... White House Butler Chaz Smith ... Reagan Reception Attendee Kay Smith ... Diane Nash Jim Sojka ... White House Engineer Andrew j Spinks ... LBJ Secret Service Marco St. John ... Chief Justice Warren Burger Jason Stanly ... Reagan Marine Color Guard Valerie Strecker ... Excelsior Guest Orlando Eric Street ... President Barack Obama Craig Tate ... Hobo Joseph Uzzell ... Angry Mob Member Bob Walker ... JFK VIP Friend Mike Wallace ... Self (archive footage) Dean J. West ... White House Reporter Michael Whitener   Demond Wilson ... Self (archive footage) Jake Wynne-Wilson ... Reagan's Body Man Produced by Horatio Bacon   Julia Barry   Len Blavatnik   Charles Sauveur Bonan   James T. Bruce IV   Lee Daniels   Liz Destro   Cassian Elwes   Eric Falkenstein   Michael Finley   Allen Frederic   Manos Gavras   Aviv Giladi   Adonis Hadjiantonas   Wil Haygood   Andrew Herwitz   Valerie Hoffman   Vince Holden   David Jacobson   Brett Johnson   Sheila C. Johnson   Jordan Kessler   Kim Leadford   Harry I. Martin Jr.   Adam Merims   Maxime Normandin   Christina Papagjika   Buddy Patrick   Ari Daniel Pinchot   David Ranes   Jonathan Rubenstein   Bobby Sain   Matthew Salloway   Simone Sheffield   Hilary Shor   Earl W. Stafford   Danny Strong   Bob Weinstein   Harvey Weinstein   Pamela Oas Williams   R. Bryan Wright   Laura Ziskin   Original Music by Rodrigo Leão

Additional Info Premiere: August 05, 2013 Theatrical Release: August 16, 2013 DVD Release: January 14, 2014 Blu-ray Release: January 14, 2014 Country: Distributor: The Weinstein Company Websites: Production Companies Follow Through Productions Salamander Pictures Laura Ziskin Productions Lee Daniels Entertainment Pam Williams Productions Windy Hill Pictures Distributors The Weinstein Company   (2013) (USA) (theatrical) Anchor Bay Entertainment   (2014) (USA) (DVD) Anchor Bay Entertainment   (2014) (USA) (Blu-ray) (DVD) Rating Stats Overall Rating 7.2 / 10 Our Rating -- / 10 Your Friends -- / 10 Male Users -- / 10 Female Users -- / 10 Site Ranking #1,445 / 20,905 Site Ranking #1,441 Banshee: Season 3 (2015) #1,442 Banshee: Season 2 (2014) #1,443 Banshee: Season 1 (2013) #1,444 Banshee: Season 4 (2016) #1,445 The Butler (2013) #1,446 Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Season 1 (2008) #1,447 Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Season 7 (2020) #1,448 Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Season 3 (2010) #1,449 Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Season 2 (2009)