Forest Whitaker

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

169

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

  • The Daily Show

    The Daily Show

  • American Dad!

    American Dad!

  • Saturday Night Live

    Saturday Night Live

  • The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

    The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

  • ER

    ER

  • Andor

    Andor

  • The Shield

    The Shield

  • Article 99

    Article 99

  • The Jennifer Hudson Show

    The Jennifer Hudson Show

  • The View

    The View

  • Jimmy Kimmel Live!

    Jimmy Kimmel Live!

  • American Idol

    American Idol

  • LIVE with Kelly and Mark

    LIVE with Kelly and Mark

  • Empire

    Empire

  • Godfather of Harlem

    Godfather of Harlem

  • Hill Street Blues

    Hill Street Blues

  • Star Wars Rebels

    Star Wars Rebels

  • The Ellen DeGeneres Show

    The Ellen DeGeneres Show

  • North and South

    North and South

  • The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

    The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

  • Southpaw

    Southpaw

  • Arrival

    Arrival

  • Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

    Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

  • Black Panther

    Black Panther

  • Where Are They Now?

    Where Are They Now?

  • Taken 3

    Taken 3

  • Cagney & Lacey

    Cagney & Lacey

  • Amazing Stories

    Amazing Stories

  • Havoc

    Havoc

  • The Oscars

    The Oscars

  • The Twilight Zone

    The Twilight Zone

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

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

  • Platoon

    Platoon

  • Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

    Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

  • Bloodsport

    Bloodsport

  • The Butler

    The Butler

  • The King of Kings

    The King of Kings

  • First Daughter

    First Daughter

  • Black Nativity

    Black Nativity

  • Catch.44

    Catch.44

  • Street Kings

    Street Kings

  • Roots

    Roots

  • Panic Room

    Panic Room

  • Phone Booth

    Phone Booth

  • Live from E!

    Live from E!

  • Species

    Species

  • Repo Men

    Repo Men

  • Respect

    Respect

  • Vantage Point

    Vantage Point

  • Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior

    Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior

  • Big George Foreman

    Big George Foreman

  • Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times

    Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times

  • Lush Life

    Lush Life

  • Vision Quest

    Vision Quest

  • Repentance

    Repentance

  • Extrapolations

    Extrapolations

  • Dope

    Dope

  • Winged Creatures

    Winged Creatures

  • Fast Times at Ridgemont High

    Fast Times at Ridgemont High

  • Powder Blue

    Powder Blue

  • The Last Stand

    The Last Stand

  • Odyssey in Rome

    Odyssey in Rome

  • Where the Wild Things Are

    Where the Wild Things Are

  • Good Morning, Vietnam

    Good Morning, Vietnam

  • Mary

    Mary

  • The Great Debaters

    The Great Debaters

  • Zulu

    Zulu

  • Ripple Effect

    Ripple Effect

  • Battlefield Earth

    Battlefield Earth

  • Everyone's Hero

    Everyone's Hero

  • Witness Protection

    Witness Protection

  • Today

    Today

  • City of Lies

    City of Lies

  • Burden

    Burden

  • Sorry to Bother You

    Sorry to Bother You

  • Even Money

    Even Money

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

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

  • Body Count

    Body Count

  • Out of the Furnace

    Out of the Furnace

  • Mr. Holland's Opus

    Mr. Holland's Opus

  • Body Snatchers

    Body Snatchers

  • Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

    Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

  • Hurricane Season

    Hurricane Season

  • Stakeout

    Stakeout

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

    Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault

  • American Gun

    American Gun

  • Last Light

    Last Light

  • The Crying Game

    The Crying Game

  • The Last King of Scotland

    The Last King of Scotland

  • Bird

    Bird

  • The Forgiven

    The Forgiven

  • Blown Away

    Blown Away

  • Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

    Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

  • Green Dragon

    Green Dragon

  • Criminal Justice

    Criminal Justice

  • The Follow

    The Follow

  • Phenomenon

    Phenomenon

  • Downtown

    Downtown

  • Emperor of Ocean Park

    Emperor of Ocean Park

  • The Color of Money

    The Color of Money

  • The Enemy Within

    The Enemy Within

  • Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look

    Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look

  • How It Ends

    How It Ends

  • The Fourth Angel

    The Fourth Angel

  • Jiminy Glick in Lalawood

    Jiminy Glick in Lalawood

  • A Man's Story

    A Man's Story

  • The Hire

    The Hire

  • Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy

    Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy

  • Two Men in Town

    Two Men in Town

  • A Dark Truth

    A Dark Truth

  • Johnny Handsome

    Johnny Handsome

  • Lullaby for Pi

    Lullaby for Pi

  • Prêt-à-Porter

    Prêt-à-Porter

  • The Air I Breathe

    The Air I Breathe

  • Diary of a Hitman

    Diary of a Hitman

  • Feast of All Saints

    Feast of All Saints

  • My Own Love Song

    My Own Love Song

  • The Experiment

    The Experiment

  • The Early Show

    The Early Show

  • Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso

    Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso

  • Light It Up

    Light It Up

  • Finding Steve McQueen

    Finding Steve McQueen

  • Our Family Wedding

    Our Family Wedding

  • Freelancers

    Freelancers

  • Xenolinguistics: Understanding 'Arrival'

    Xenolinguistics: Understanding 'Arrival'

  • Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend

    Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend

  • Diff'rent Strokes

    Diff'rent Strokes

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

    Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life

  • Four Dogs Playing Poker

    Four Dogs Playing Poker

  • A Rage in Harlem

    A Rage in Harlem

  • Rising from Ashes

    Rising from Ashes

  • Hands of a Stranger

    Hands of a Stranger

  • Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows

    Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows

  • Consenting Adults

    Consenting Adults

  • Tag: The Assassination Game

    Tag: The Assassination Game

  • Pawn

    Pawn

  • Shooting 'Panic Room'

    Shooting 'Panic Room'

  • 2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift

    2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift

  • Smoke

    Smoke

  • My Generation

    My Generation

  • Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King

    Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King

  • Cannes Festival

    Cannes Festival

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

    By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem

  • to Crinkle their Wrist, Perfumed Splendour

    to Crinkle their Wrist, Perfumed Splendour

  • A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon'

    A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon'

  • Jason's Lyric

    Jason's Lyric

  • The Marsh

    The Marsh

  • A Little Trip to Heaven

    A Little Trip to Heaven

  • Making a Scene | 11 Performances

    Making a Scene | 11 Performances

  • Inside the Actors Studio

    Inside the Actors Studio

  • Star Wars: Go Rogue

    Star Wars: Go Rogue

  • Bank Robber

    Bank Robber

  • Mysteries of the Unseen World

    Mysteries of the Unseen World

  • The Paperboy

    The Paperboy

  • Prophets of Change

    Prophets of Change

  • Serving Life

    Serving Life

  • Deacons for Defense

    Deacons for Defense

  • A Fall from Grace

    A Fall from Grace

  • Crips and Bloods: Made in America

    Crips and Bloods: Made in America

  • Before the Music Dies

    Before the Music Dies

  • The Misbehavers

    The Misbehavers

  • Food Chains

    Food Chains

  • Rose's Baby

    Rose's Baby

  • Making of Phone Booth

    Making of Phone Booth

  • I Am You

    I Am You

  • Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace

    Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace

  • Seaweed Stories

    Seaweed Stories

  • Sewing Hope

    Sewing Hope