By Brian Marder, Hollywood.com Staff

After much speculation, Oprah Winfrey has officially joined the cast of Lee Daniels's next movie, the buzzed-about ""based on a true story"" drama The Paperboy.

The Paperboy centers on Eugene Allen, the real-life White House butler who served eight U.S. presidents and was recently welcomed back to witness firsthand the inauguration of Barack Obama. Forest Whitaker was already signed up to play the title character, and Winfrey has boarded the film to play his wife — her first live-action feature-film role (as someone other than herself) since 1998's Beloved and just her third ever.

The film, which Precious filmmaker Daniels is currently pitching at the Cannes Film Festival, has been making waves because of what some see as ambitious casting of former American presidents: Matthew McConaughey as John F. Kennedy, John Cusack as Richard Nixon, and Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan, to name a few.

More:

Mila Kunis to Play Jackie Kennedy in 'Precious' Director's 'The Butler'?

Jane Fonda Cast as Nancy Reagan in Lee Daniels's 'Butler'

Forest Whitaker Could Be Lee Daniels' 'Butler'; Oprah Might Join Him

[Photo Credit: WENN]