The 'Georgia Rule' actress has been tapped to star as President Ronald Reagan's wife in the movie about a butler who ended up serving eight presidents throughout his career in the White House.
- Mar 28, 2012
AceShowbiz - Lee Daniels' biopic about White House servant Eugene Allen, "The Butler", has added veteran actress Jane Fonda to its potentially all-star cast ensemble. Variety has reported that the two-time Oscar winner has been sealed to play none other than President Ronald Reagan's wife, Nancy Reagan.
Fonda will appear in a handful of scenes as the First Lady of the United States. It is still unclear who will star as President Reagan himself. The 74-year-old actress will be joined by Forest Whitaker as male lead Allen.
The high-end movie project has also eyed a number of notable actors to join its cast ensemble. Talk show mogul Oprah Winfrey is in talks to portray Allen's wife, while David Oyelowo is in negotiations to play Allen's son. Meanwhile, Liam Neeson and John Cusack have been circling the parts of Lydon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon respectively.
Based on Wil Haygood's Washington Post article, "A Butler Well Served by This Election", the biopic centers on the life of Allen, who started his career in the White House as a "pantry man" in 1952. At that time, black people weren't allowed to use public restrooms in his native Virginia.
Allen ended up serving eight presidents throughout his career and had a unique front row seat as political and racial history was made, 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.
The original script for "The Butler" was penned by Danny Strong before being rewritten by Daniels. No release date has been set for the drama, which eyes a summer production date.
As for Fonda, the actress was last seen starring opposite Lindsay Lohan in "Georgia Rule". She will next be seen starring in Bruce Beresford's limited release movie, "Peace, Love and Misunderstanding".
