Oprah back in film in The Butler

MANILA, Philippines - Oprah Winfrey has been America’s queen of talk and has consistently been listed as one of the richest and most powerful celebrities in America.  She has been called as “arguably the most powerful woman in the world” by CNN and Time.com and “arguably the most influential woman in the world” by The American Spectator.

Time magazine has named her as “one of the 100 people who most influenced the 20th century” and “one of the most influential people” from 2004 to 2011.  In fact, she is the only person who appeared consistently in the latter list for eight consecutive years.

In 1985, she debuted in Steven Spielberg’s film The Color Purple and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.

From then on, she played minor roles in motion pictures and television movies mostly playing herself. Proving that her image appeals to all markets, she lent her voice to movies such as Charlotte’s Web, Bee Movie and Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. Her last appearance was in 1998’s Beloved where she played the lead role and was again nominated in the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a motion picture.

This year, Lee Daniels, the Academy award nominated producer for Monster’s Ball and Academy award nominated director for Precious has succeeded in luring the female living icon back to the big screen with the based-on-a-true-story film, The Butler. 

The Butler is based on the real life account of Eugene Allen, an African-American butler who served in the White House for 34 years.  He was able to serve eight presidents from 1952 to 1986 and had a unique front-row seat as political history was made. He witnessed how the most powerful leaders in the world reacted to pivotal historical events from the Vietnam war and the civil rights movement to the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy Jr.

Oprah plays the proud wife and confidant to the butler played by Academy nominated actor Forrest Whitaker.  They are supported by a powerhouse all-star cast led by John Cusack as Richard Nixon, Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan, Minka Kelly as Jackie Kennedy, Nelsan Ellis as Martin Luther King Jr., Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz as James Holloway, James Marsden as John F. Kennedy, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan, Liev Schreiber as Lyndon B. Johnson, Mariah Carey and Robin Williams who plays Dwight Eisenhower.

This early, the movie is touted to be a strong contender for the Academy Awards for next year. Oprah has been quoted saying that this is probably the best movie she has ever starred in.

The Butler opens Aug. 16, exclusively in SM Cinemas nationwide.

(For updates, like The Butler on www.facebook.com/thebutlerph, www.twitter.com/thebutlerph and thebutlerph.

Reality Multimedia, a fully integrated production company [TV commercials, movies, post production and visual effects, among others], introduces films which call out to the discerning moviegoer. Headed by CEO Leo Po and president Dondon Monteverde, Reality Multimedia is a boutique acquisition and media distribution company that acquires the exclusive rights to high quality and critically-acclaimed international films. Reality Multimedia also partners with the top TV networks in the Philippines such as ABS-CBN, GMA and Solar Entertainment to maximize reach and distribution.)