Forest Whitaker
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- July 15, 1961 (age 65)
- Birthplace
- Longview, Texas, USA
Biography
Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor, producer, director, and activist. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. After making his film debut in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Whitaker went on to earn a reputation for intensive character study work for films, such as Platoon (1986), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Bird (1988), The Crying Game (1992), Phenomenon (1996), Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), The Great Debaters (2007), The Butler (2013), Arrival (2016), and Respect (2021). He has also appeared in blockbusters, such as Panic Room (2002), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) as Saw Gerrera, and Black Panther (2018) as Zuri. For his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the British historical drama film The Last King of Scotland (2006), Whitaker won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Whitaker made his directorial debut with the television film Strapped (1993), and directed the films Waiting to Exhale (1995), Hope Floats (1998), and First Daughter (2004). Apart from his film career, Whitaker is also known for his humanitarian work and activism. In 2011, he was inducted as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, later receiving a promotion to Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, and serves as the CEO of Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI), a non-profit outreach program.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Sewing Hope
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Up Against It
Movie
Bring Me the Horizon: L.I.V.E. in São Paulo
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
The King of Kings
Movie · as Peter (voice)
Havoc
Movie · as Lawrence Beaumont
Seaweed Stories
Movie · as Self - Narrator (voice)
The Emperor of Ocean Park
TV · as Judge Oliver Garland · 10 eps
My Generation
TV · as Self - Narrator (voice) · 1 ep
Hollywood Black
TV · as Self · 4 eps
Big George Foreman
Movie · as Doc Broadus
Extrapolations
TV · as Auggie Bolo · 1 ep
Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look
Movie · as Saw Gerrera (archive footage) (uncredited)
Prophets of Change
Movie · as Narrator
Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Cannes Festival
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
Andor
TV · as Saw Gerrera · 5 eps
The Jennifer Hudson Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Respect
Movie · as C. L. Franklin
Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy
TV · as Self · 9 eps
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Movie · as Jeronicus Jangle
Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King
Movie · as Self
Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times
Movie · as Self
By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem
TV · as Self · 4 eps
Finding Steve McQueen
Movie · as Howard Lambert
Godfather of Harlem
TV · as Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson · 40 eps
Black Panther
Movie · as Zuri
Burden
Movie · as Reverend Kennedy
City of Lies
Movie · as Jack Jackson
The Forgiven
Movie · as Desmond Tutu
Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
How It Ends
Movie · as Tom
Sorry to Bother You
Movie · as First Equisapien / Demarius
The Stories: The Making of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'
Movie · as Self
Xenolinguistics: Understanding 'Arrival'
Movie · as Self
Steve
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Arrival
Movie · as Colonel Weber
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Movie · as Saw Gerrera
I Am You
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Star Wars: Go Rogue
TV · as Saw Gerrera (voice) · 4 eps
Roots
TV · as Fiddler · 4 eps
Southpaw
Movie · as Titus 'Tick' Wills
Dope
Movie · as The Narrator (voice)
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Empire
TV · as Eddie Barker · 11 eps
Repentance
Movie · as Angel
Two Men in Town
Movie · as William Garnett
Taken 3
Movie · as Inspector Frank Dotzler
Food Chains
Movie
Star Wars Rebels
TV · as Saw Gerrera (voice) · 4 eps
The Last Stand
Movie · as Agent John Bannister
The Butler
Movie · as Cecil Gaines
Out of the Furnace
Movie · as Chief Wesley Barnes
Pawn
Movie · as Will
Zulu
Movie · as Ali Sokhela
Black Nativity
Movie · as Reverend Cornell Cobbs
Mysteries of the Unseen World
Movie · as Narrator
Rising from Ashes
Movie · as Narrator
Making a Scene | 11 Performances
Movie
Freelancers
Movie · as Dennis Larue
A Dark Truth
Movie · as Francisco Francis
Catch.44
Movie · as Ronny
Serving Life
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
A Man's Story
Movie · as Self
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior
TV · as Sam Cooper · 13 eps
Repo Men
Movie · as Jake
Hurricane Season
Movie · as Al Collins
Our Family Wedding
Movie · as Brad Boyd
The Experiment
Movie · as Barris
My Own Love Song
Movie · as Joey
Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life
Movie · as Lion
Lullaby for Pi
Movie · as George
2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift
Movie · as (archive footage)
Winged Creatures
Movie · as Charlie Archenault
Where the Wild Things Are
Movie · as Ira (voice)
Crips and Bloods: Made in America
Movie · as Narrator
Powder Blue
Movie · as Charlie
Street Kings
Movie · as Captain Jack Wander
Vantage Point
Movie · as Howard Lewis
The Air I Breathe
Movie · as Happiness
The Great Debaters
Movie · as Dr. James Farmer Sr.
Even Money
Movie · as Clyde Snow
Ripple Effect
Movie · as Philip
The Last King of Scotland
Movie · as Idi Amin
The Marsh
Movie · as Geoffrey Hunt
Everyone's Hero
Movie · as Lonnie Brewster (voice)
Before the Music Dies
Movie · as Self - Narrator (voice)
A Little Trip to Heaven
Movie · as Abe Holt
American Gun
Movie · as Carter
Mary
Movie · as Ted Younger
Deacons for Defense
Movie · as Marcus Clay
Odyssey in Rome
Movie
Jiminy Glick in Lalawood
Movie · as Forest Whitaker
American Dad!
TV · as Turlington (voice) · 3 eps
Criminal Minds
TV · as Sam Cooper · 1 ep
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Misbehavers
Movie · as Self
First Daughter
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
Shooting 'Panic Room'
Movie · as Self
Phone Booth
Movie · as Captain Ramey
Making of Phone Booth
Movie · as Self
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV · as Self - Guest · 2 eps
Panic Room
Movie · as Burnham
The Shield
TV · as Jon Kavanaugh · 13 eps
American Idol
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Twilight Zone
TV · as Self - Host · 43 eps
Live from E!
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Green Dragon
Movie · as Addie
Feast of All Saints
Movie · as Daguerreotypist Picard
The Fourth Angel
Movie · as Agent Jules Bernard
The Follow
Movie · as The Employer
A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon'
Movie · as Self
Ghost Dog: The Odyssey: The Journey Into the Life of a Samurai
Movie
The Hire
TV · as The Employer · 1 ep
Battlefield Earth
Movie · as Ker
Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows
Movie · as Self
The Paperboy
Movie · as Narrator
Four Dogs Playing Poker
Movie · as Mr. Ellington
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Movie · as Ghost Dog
Light It Up
Movie · as Officer Dante Jackson
Witness Protection
Movie · as Steven Beck
The Early Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Where Are They Now?
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Body Count
Movie · as Crane
The View
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Phenomenon
Movie · as Nate Pope
Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault
Movie · as Mr. Rucker
The Daily Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Film Independent Spirit Awards
TV · as Self - Presenter · 1 ep
Smoke
Movie · as Cyrus Cole
Species
Movie · as Dan Smithson, Empath
Mr. Holland's Opus
Movie · as Bobby Tidd as an adult (uncredited)
Blown Away
Movie · as Anthony Franklin
Prêt-à-Porter
Movie · as Cy Bianco
Jason's Lyric
Movie · as Maddog
The Enemy Within
Movie · as Col. MacKenzie Casey
Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso
Movie · as Self
Inside the Actors Studio
TV · as Self · 1 ep
ER
TV · as Curtis Ames · 4 eps
Body Snatchers
Movie · as Major Collins
Last Light
Movie · as Fred Whitmore
Lush Life
Movie · as Buddy Chester
Bank Robber
Movie · as Officer Battle
The Crying Game
Movie · as Jody
Article 99
Movie · as Dr. Sid Handleman
Consenting Adults
Movie · as David Duttonville
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
TV · 1 ep
A Rage in Harlem
Movie · as Jackson
Diary of a Hitman
Movie · as Dekker
Downtown
Movie · as Dennis Curren
Criminal Justice
Movie · as Jessie Williams
Johnny Handsome
Movie · as Dr. Steven Fisher
Bloodsport
Movie · as Rawlins
Bird
Movie · as Charlie 'Bird' Parker
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Good Morning, Vietnam
Movie · as Edward Garlick
Stakeout
Movie · as Det. Jack Pismo
Hands of a Stranger
Movie · as Sergeant Delaney
The Color of Money
Movie · as Amos
Platoon
Movie · as Big Harold
Vision Quest
Movie · as Balldozer
North and South
TV · as Cuffey · 11 eps
Amazing Stories
TV · as Jerry · 1 ep
The Grand Baby
Movie
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Movie · as Charles Jefferson
Tag: The Assassination Game
Movie · as Gowdy's Bodyguard
Cagney & Lacey
TV · as Night Manager · 1 ep
Hill Street Blues
TV · 1 ep
Diff'rent Strokes
TV · 1 ep
Saturday Night Live
TV · as Self - Host · 1 ep
The Oscars
TV · as Self - Presenter · 1 ep
Today
TV · as Self · 1 ep