Alex Pettyfer Joins Never Ending Ensemble For Lee Daniels' 'The Butler'; Vanessa Redgrave Circling

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by Kevin Jagernauth
June 18, 2012 1:46 PM
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Way back in 2010, ShoWest named Alex Pettyfer as one of their Stars Of Tomorrow, a dubious honor also bestowed at the time to Vanessa Hudgens, with the two of them pairing in the soon to be released box office bomb "Beastly." Time marched on. Now in 2012, Hudgens is working with Harmony Korine ("Spring Breakers") and Pettyfer with Steven Soderbergh ("Magic Mike"), movies in which they will both feature in little to no clothing. All this to say is that tomorrow never knows, but Pettyfer's rise continues as the actor joins a pretty high profile project.

Deadline reports that Pettyfer has joined the ever growing cast of Lee Daniels' "The Butler" in the role of Thomas Westphall, which is not be confused with Brian Fantana's left nut, James Westfall. As you know, the film tells the story of Eugene Allen, the late White House butler who served eight presidents during his tenure from 1952 to 1986. Forest Whitaker will topline the movie as Allen with David Oyelowo as his son and Oprah Winfrey as Allen's wife, with Cuba Gooding Jr, Terrence Howard and Lenny Kravitz in undisclosed roles. Alan Rickman plays Ronald Reagan with Jane Fonda as his wife, while John Cusack will play Richard Nixon and Minka Kelly takes the role of Jacqueline Kennedy. Pettyfer will play a role that is apparently crucial to Allen's early life. Vanessa Redgrave is also circling a role, though no word yet on what it will be.

Still more casting to come we presume including who will play JFK as Matthew McConaughey recently bowed out. The last time Daniels got this many people together it was for his civil rights flick "Selma" which wound up falling apart. Here's hoping he has better luck this time around.

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More: Alex Pettyfer, The Butler, Vanessa Redgrave

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oogle monster | June 18, 2012 2:53 PMReply

"Forest Whitaker will topline the movie as Allen with David Oyelowo as his son and Oprah Winfrey as Allen's wife, with Cuba Gooding Jr, Terrence Howard and Lenny Kravitz in undisclosed roles. Alan Rickman plays Ronald Reagan with Jane Fonda as his wife, while John Cusack will play Richard Nixon and Minka Kelly takes the role of Jacqueline Kennedy. Pettyfer will play a role that is apparently crucial to Allen's early life. Vanessa Redgrave is also circling a role, though no word yet on what it will be." ---- One of these names is not like the other (hint hint Minka Kelly)