Forest Whitaker

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

172

Gender

Male

Birthday

1961-07-15 (64 years old)

Place of Birth

Longview, Texas, USA

Forest Whitaker

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

  • Criminal Minds

    Criminal Minds

  • American Dad!

    American Dad!

  • The Daily Show

    The Daily Show

  • ER

    ER

  • Saturday Night Live

    Saturday Night Live

  • The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

    The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

  • The View

    The View

  • Andor

    Andor

  • Jimmy Kimmel Live!

    Jimmy Kimmel Live!

  • Jimmy Kimmel Live!

    Jimmy Kimmel Live!

  • The Jennifer Hudson Show

    The Jennifer Hudson Show

  • Star Wars Rebels

    Star Wars Rebels

  • LIVE with Kelly and Mark

    LIVE with Kelly and Mark

  • The Shield

    The Shield

  • The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

    The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

  • Empire

    Empire

  • North and South

    North and South

  • Hill Street Blues

    Hill Street Blues

  • American Idol

    American Idol

  • Godfather of Harlem

    Godfather of Harlem

  • Arrival

    Arrival

  • Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

    Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

  • Amazing Stories

    Amazing Stories

  • Black Panther

    Black Panther

  • The Oscars

    The Oscars

  • The Oscars

    The Oscars

  • Smoke

    Smoke

  • The Ellen DeGeneres Show

    The Ellen DeGeneres Show

  • Havoc

    Havoc

  • Powder Blue

    Powder Blue

  • Taken 3

    Taken 3

  • The Twilight Zone

    The Twilight Zone

  • Downtown

    Downtown

  • Cagney & Lacey

    Cagney & Lacey

  • Last Light

    Last Light

  • Southpaw

    Southpaw

  • Mary

    Mary

  • Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

    Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

  • Platoon

    Platoon

  • Battlefield Earth

    Battlefield Earth

  • Where Are They Now?

    Where Are They Now?

  • Dope

    Dope

  • Bloodsport

    Bloodsport

  • Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior

    Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior

  • Extrapolations

    Extrapolations

  • The Forgiven

    The Forgiven

  • Stakeout

    Stakeout

  • Repo Men

    Repo Men

  • Live from E!

    Live from E!

  • Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy

    Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy

  • Body Snatchers

    Body Snatchers

  • Ripple Effect

    Ripple Effect

  • Burden

    Burden

  • Everyone's Hero

    Everyone's Hero

  • Repentance

    Repentance

  • Catch.44

    Catch.44

  • Species

    Species

  • Winged Creatures

    Winged Creatures

  • Panic Room

    Panic Room

  • Phenomenon

    Phenomenon

  • Today

    Today

  • The Last Stand

    The Last Stand

  • The King of Kings

    The King of Kings

  • Black Nativity

    Black Nativity

  • Light It Up

    Light It Up

  • Fast Times at Ridgemont High

    Fast Times at Ridgemont High

  • Prêt-à-Porter

    Prêt-à-Porter

  • The Hire

    The Hire

  • Roots

    Roots

  • The Butler

    The Butler

  • Sorry to Bother You

    Sorry to Bother You

  • 2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift

    2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift

  • Good Morning, Vietnam

    Good Morning, Vietnam

  • The Last King of Scotland

    The Last King of Scotland

  • Phone Booth

    Phone Booth

  • Feast of All Saints

    Feast of All Saints

  • Big George Foreman

    Big George Foreman

  • The Color of Money

    The Color of Money

  • Street Kings

    Street Kings

  • Serving Life

    Serving Life

  • Lullaby for Pi

    Lullaby for Pi

  • How It Ends

    How It Ends

  • First Daughter

    First Daughter

  • Where the Wild Things Are

    Where the Wild Things Are

  • The Early Show

    The Early Show

  • Out of the Furnace

    Out of the Furnace

  • Vantage Point

    Vantage Point

  • My Own Love Song

    My Own Love Song

  • Hands of a Stranger

    Hands of a Stranger

  • Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

    Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

  • Tag: The Assassination Game

    Tag: The Assassination Game

  • Body Count

    Body Count

  • Shooting 'Panic Room'

    Shooting 'Panic Room'

  • Blown Away

    Blown Away

  • Emperor of Ocean Park

    Emperor of Ocean Park

  • The Experiment

    The Experiment

  • Freelancers

    Freelancers

  • City of Lies

    City of Lies

  • The Great Debaters

    The Great Debaters

  • American Gun

    American Gun

  • Respect

    Respect

  • Mr. Holland's Opus

    Mr. Holland's Opus

  • Food Chains

    Food Chains

  • Zulu

    Zulu

  • My Generation

    My Generation

  • The Crying Game

    The Crying Game

  • Vision Quest

    Vision Quest

  • Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

    Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

  • Pawn

    Pawn

  • Consenting Adults

    Consenting Adults

  • Johnny Handsome

    Johnny Handsome

  • The Air I Breathe

    The Air I Breathe

  • Finding Steve McQueen

    Finding Steve McQueen

  • Article 99

    Article 99

  • A Dark Truth

    A Dark Truth

  • Bird

    Bird

  • The Fourth Angel

    The Fourth Angel

  • Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend

    Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend

  • The Enemy Within

    The Enemy Within

  • Diary of a Hitman

    Diary of a Hitman

  • Inside the Actors Studio

    Inside the Actors Studio

  • Diff'rent Strokes

    Diff'rent Strokes

  • Deacons for Defense

    Deacons for Defense

  • Hurricane Season

    Hurricane Season

  • Witness Protection

    Witness Protection

  • Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault

    Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault

  • Prophets of Change

    Prophets of Change

  • Our Family Wedding

    Our Family Wedding

  • Cannes Festival

    Cannes Festival

  • Green Dragon

    Green Dragon

  • By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem

    By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem

  • The Follow

    The Follow

  • Jason's Lyric

    Jason's Lyric

  • Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look

    Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look

  • Jiminy Glick in Lalawood

    Jiminy Glick in Lalawood

  • The Marsh

    The Marsh

  • The Stories: The Making of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'

    The Stories: The Making of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'

  • Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King

    Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King

  • The Paperboy

    The Paperboy

  • A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon'

    A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon'

  • A Rage in Harlem

    A Rage in Harlem

  • Even Money

    Even Money

  • A Fall from Grace

    A Fall from Grace

  • Xenolinguistics: Understanding 'Arrival'

    Xenolinguistics: Understanding 'Arrival'

  • A Little Trip to Heaven

    A Little Trip to Heaven

  • Star Wars: Go Rogue

    Star Wars: Go Rogue

  • Two Men in Town

    Two Men in Town

  • Lush Life

    Lush Life

  • Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows

    Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows

  • Making of Phone Booth

    Making of Phone Booth

  • Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso

    Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso

  • Crips and Bloods: Made in America

    Crips and Bloods: Made in America

  • A Man's Story

    A Man's Story

  • Bank Robber

    Bank Robber

  • Ghost Dog: The Odyssey: The Journey Into the Life of a Samurai

    Ghost Dog: The Odyssey: The Journey Into the Life of a Samurai

  • Odyssey in Rome

    Odyssey in Rome

  • Rose's Baby

    Rose's Baby

  • Four Dogs Playing Poker

    Four Dogs Playing Poker

  • Making a Scene | 11 Performances

    Making a Scene | 11 Performances

  • Mysteries of the Unseen World

    Mysteries of the Unseen World

  • Criminal Justice

    Criminal Justice

  • Before the Music Dies

    Before the Music Dies

  • The Misbehavers

    The Misbehavers

  • I Am You

    I Am You

  • Sewing Hope

    Sewing Hope

  • Rising from Ashes

    Rising from Ashes

  • Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times

    Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times

  • Seaweed Stories

    Seaweed Stories

  • Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace

    Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace

  • to Crinkle their Wrist, Perfumed Splendour

    to Crinkle their Wrist, Perfumed Splendour

  • The Grand Baby

    The Grand Baby

  • Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life

    Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life