person poster

Personal Info

Gender

Male

Birthday

1961-07-15 (63 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.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Forest Whitaker, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Acting

2025

The King of Kings as Peter (voice)
Havoc as Lawrence Beaumont
Andor Season 2 | A Special Look as Saw Gerrera (archive footage) (uncredited)

2024

Seaweed Stories as Narrator
Emperor of Ocean Park as Oliver Garland
My Generation as Narrator

2023

Big George Foreman as Doc Broadus
to Crinkle their Wrist, Perfumed Splendour as Ghost Dog (archive footage)
Extrapolations as Auggie Bolo

2022

Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look as Saw Gerrera (archive footage) (uncredited)
Prophets of Change as Narrator
Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend as Self (archive footage)
Cannes Festival as Self - Guest
Star Wars: Andor as Saw Gerrera

2021

2020

2019

Finding Steve McQueen as Howard Lambert
Godfather of Harlem as Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson

2018

City of Lies as Jack Jackson
The Forgiven as Desmond Tutu
Sorry to Bother You as First Equisapien / Demarius

2017

2016

Arrival as Colonel Weber
I Am You as Narrator (voice)
Star Wars: Go Rogue as Saw Gerrera (voice)
Roots as Fiddler

2015

Southpaw as Titus 'Tick' Wills
Dope as The Narrator (voice)
Empire as Eddie Barker

2014

Repentance as Angel
Two Men in Town as William Garnett
Taken 3 as Inspector Frank Dotzler
Star Wars Rebels as Saw Gerrera (voice)

2013

The Last Stand as Agent John Bannister
The Butler as Cecil Gaines
Out of the Furnace as Chief Wesley Barnes
Pawn as Will
Zulu as Ali Sokhela
Black Nativity as Reverend Cornell Cobbs
Rising from Ashes as Narrator

2012

Freelancers as Dennis Larue
A Dark Truth as Francisco Francis

2011

Catch.44 as Ronny
Serving Life as Narrator (voice)

2010

2009

Hurricane Season as Al Collins
Winged Creatures as Charlie Archenault
Powder Blue as Charlie

2008

Street Kings as Captain Jack Wander
Vantage Point as Howard Lewis
Mon Clown as Self (archive footage)

2007

The Air I Breathe as Happiness
The Great Debaters as Dr. James Farmer Sr.
Even Money as Clyde Snow
Ripple Effect as Philip

2006

The Marsh as Geoffrey Hunt
Everyone's Hero as Lonnie Brewster (voice)
Before the Music Dies as Self - Narrator (voice)

2005

American Gun as Carter
Mary as Ted Younger
Jiminy Glick in Lalawood as Forest Whitaker
American Dad! as Turlington (voice)
Criminal Minds as Sam Cooper

2004

First Daughter as Narrator (voice)

2003

2002

Panic Room as Burnham
The Shield as Jon Kavanaugh
The Twilight Zone as Self - Host

2001

2000

1999

Light It Up as Officer Dante Jackson
Witness Protection as Steven Beck

1998

Body Count as Crane

1997

The View as Self

1996

1995

Smoke as Cyrus Cole
Species as Dan Smithson, Empath
Mr. Holland's Opus as Bobby Tidd as an adult (uncredited)

1994

Blown Away as Anthony Franklin
Prêt-à-Porter as Cy Bianco
Jason's Lyric as Maddog
The Enemy Within as Col. MacKenzie Casey
ER as Curtis Ames

1993

Body Snatchers as Major Collins
Last Light as Fred Whitmore
Lush Life as Buddy Chester
Bank Robber as Officer Battle

1992

Article 99 as Dr. Sid Handleman
Consenting Adults as David Duttonville

1991

1990

Downtown as Dennis Curren
Criminal Justice as Jessie Williams

1989

Johnny Handsome as Dr. Steven Fisher

1988

Bloodsport as Rawlins
Bird as Charlie 'Bird' Parker

1987

Good Morning, Vietnam as Edward Garlick
Stakeout as Det. Jack Pismo
Hands of a Stranger as Sergeant Delaney

1986

Platoon as Big Harold

1985

Vision Quest as Balldozer
North and South as Cuffey

1982

1981

1978

1975

Saturday Night Live as Self - Host

1953

The Oscars as Self - Presenter

1952

Today as Self

-

Sewing Hope as Narrator (voice)

Directing

2004

First Daughter as Director

1998

Hope Floats as Director

1995

Waiting to Exhale as Director

1993

Strapped as Director

Production

2024

Fancy Dance as Executive Producer
Transplant as Producer
Hollywood Black as Executive Producer

2023

2022

2021

Passing as Producer

2019

A Kid from Coney Island as Executive Producer
Godfather of Harlem as Executive Producer

2018

2017

Roxanne Roxanne as Producer

2015

Dope as Producer

2013

Fruitvale Station as Producer
Rising from Ashes as Executive Producer

2011

Serving Life as Executive Producer
Monte Carlo as Executive Producer

2009

Powder Blue as Producer
Kassim the Dream as Producer
Brick City as Executive Producer

2007

Ripple Effect as Executive Producer

2005

American Gun as Executive Producer

2004

First Daughter as Executive Producer

2003

Chasing Papi as Producer

2002

Door to Door as Co-Executive Producer

2001

Green Dragon as Executive Producer

1991

A Rage in Harlem as Co-Producer

-

Rosetta as Producer
Rise of the Empress as Executive Producer

Crew

1998

Hope Floats as Executive Music Producer

1986