Robin Williams joins The Butler as Dwight D. Eisenhower

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Robin Williams already played one president in the form of Theodore Roosevelt (NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM) – why not play another in a more serious way with Dwight D. Eisenhower in THE BUTLER? The new movie from director Lee Daniels (PRECIOUS), THE BUTLER is about “the true story of Eugene Allen and his 34 years at the White House. Allen worked for eight presidents, starting with Harry Truman in 1952 and ending in 1986 with Ronald Reagan.”

Williams joins an already absurdly stellar lineup of talent that includes Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr, David Oyelowo, James Marsden, Lenny Kravitz, Terrence Howard, Vanessa Redgrave, Melissa Leo, Alex Pettyfer, and Minka Kelly.  Whitaker is of course playing the titular butler, while some of the other role assignments are rumored to be Cusack as Richard Nixon, Rickman as Ronald Reagan, Fonda as Nancy Reagan, Marsden as John F. Kennedy, and Melissa Leo as Mamie Eisenhower. 

The curious story of THE BUTLER can be seen sometime in 2013, though you could always prepare yourself a bit in advance by seeking out the article on which the film is based – written by Wil Haygood, it’s titled “A Butler Served Well By This Election.”