Forest Whitaker
Born: 1961-07-15 in Longview, Texas, USA
Known For: Acting
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.
Filmography
2027
2026
- Lucky Lu ... (Executive Producer)
2025
- Havoc as Lawrence Beaumont
- The King of Kings as Peter (voice)
- To Live and Die and Live ... (Producer)
2024
- The Emperor of Ocean Park as Judge Oliver Garland
- Hollywood Black as Self
- My Generation as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Fancy Dance ... (Executive Producer)
- Transplant ... (Producer)
- Seaweed Stories as Self - Narrator (voice)
2023
- Extrapolations as Auggie Bolo
- Big George Foreman as Doc Broadus
2022
- The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self
- Andor as Saw Gerrera
- Cannes Festival as Self - Guest
- Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend as Self (archive footage)
- Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look as Saw Gerrera (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Prophets of Change as Narrator
- For the Sake of Peace ... (Producer)
2021
- Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy as Self
- Respect as C. L. Franklin
- Passing ... (Producer)
2020
- Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey as Jeronicus Jangle
- By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem as Self
- Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King as Self
- Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times as Self
2019
- Godfather of Harlem as Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson
- Finding Steve McQueen as Howard Lambert
- Devil's Pie: D'Angelo ... (Producer)
- A Kid from Coney Island ... (Executive Producer)
2018
- How It Ends as Tom
- Black Panther as Zuri
- Sorry to Bother You as First Equisapien / Demarius
- City of Lies as Jack Jackson
- The Forgiven as Desmond Tutu
- Burden as Reverend Kennedy
- Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace as Narrator (voice)
2017
- Steve as Self
- Roxanne Roxanne ... (Producer)
- The Stories: The Making of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' as Self
- Xenolinguistics: Understanding 'Arrival' as Self
2016
- Arrival as Colonel Weber
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as Saw Gerrera
- Roots as Fiddler
- Star Wars: Go Rogue as Saw Gerrera (voice)
- I Am You as Narrator (voice)
2015
- Empire as Eddie Barker
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
- Southpaw as Titus 'Tick' Wills
- Dope as The Narrator (voice)
- Songs My Brothers Taught Me ... (Producer)
2014
- Star Wars Rebels as Saw Gerrera (voice)
- Taken 3 as Inspector Frank Dotzler
- Food Chains
- Repentance as Angel
- Two Men in Town as William Garnett
2013
- Mysteries of the Unseen World as Narrator
- The Last Stand as Agent John Bannister
- The Butler as Cecil Gaines
- Out of the Furnace as Chief Wesley Barnes
- Fruitvale Station ... (Producer)
- Zulu as Ali Sokhela
- Pawn as Will
- Black Nativity as Reverend Cornell Cobbs
- Making a Scene | 11 Performances
- Rising from Ashes as Narrator
2012
- A Dark Truth as Francisco Francis
- Freelancers as Dennis Larue
2011
- Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior as Sam Cooper
- Monte Carlo ... (Executive Producer)
- Catch.44 as Ronny
- A Man's Story as Self
- Serving Life as Narrator (voice)
2010
- Repo Men as Jake
- The Experiment as Barris
- Our Family Wedding as Brad Boyd
- Hurricane Season as Al Collins
- My Own Love Song as Joey
- Lullaby for Pi as George
- 2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift as (archive footage)
- Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life as Lion
2009
- Powder Blue as Charlie
- Where the Wild Things Are as Ira (voice)
- Winged Creatures as Charlie Archenault
- Brick City ... (Executive Producer)
- Crips and Bloods: Made in America as Narrator
- Kassim the Dream ... (Producer)
2008
- Vantage Point as Howard Lewis
- Street Kings as Captain Jack Wander
2007
- The Great Debaters as Dr. James Farmer Sr.
- The Air I Breathe as Happiness
- Even Money as Clyde Snow
- Ripple Effect as Philip
2006
- Everyone's Hero as Lonnie Brewster (voice)
- The Last King of Scotland as Idi Amin
- The Marsh as Geoffrey Hunt
- Before the Music Dies as Self - Narrator (voice)
2005
- Criminal Minds as Sam Cooper
- American Dad! as Turlington (voice)
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as Self
- Mary as Ted Younger
- American Gun as Carter
- Jiminy Glick in Lalawood as Forest Whitaker
- A Little Trip to Heaven as Abe Holt
- Odyssey in Rome
- Deacons for Defense as Marcus Clay
2004
- First Daughter as Narrator (voice)
- The Misbehavers as Self
- Shooting 'Panic Room' as Self
2003
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- Phone Booth as Captain Ramey
- Chasing Papi ... (Producer)
- Making of Phone Booth as Self
2002
- The Shield as Jon Kavanaugh
- American Idol as Self
- Panic Room as Burnham
- The Twilight Zone as Self - Host
- Live from E! as Self
- Door to Door ... (Co-Executive Producer)
2001
- The Hire as The Employer
- The Fourth Angel as Agent Jules Bernard
- Green Dragon as Addie
- The Follow as The Employer
- Feast of All Saints as Daguerreotypist Picard
- A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon' as Self
- Ghost Dog: The Odyssey: The Journey Into the Life of a Samurai
2000
- Battlefield Earth as Ker
- Four Dogs Playing Poker as Mr. Ellington
- Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows as Self
- The Paperboy as Narrator
1999
- Where Are They Now? as Self
- Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai as Ghost Dog
- The Early Show as Self
- Light It Up as Officer Dante Jackson
- Witness Protection as Steven Beck
1998
- Hope Floats ... (Director)
- Body Count as Crane
1997
- The View as Self
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
- Phenomenon as Nate Pope
- Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault as Mr. Rucker
1995
- Species as Dan Smithson, Empath
- Waiting to Exhale ... (Director)
- Mr. Holland's Opus as Bobby Tidd as an adult (uncredited)
- Smoke as Cyrus Cole
1994
- ER as Curtis Ames
- Blown Away as Anthony Franklin
- Prêt-à-Porter as Cy Bianco
- The Enemy Within as Col. MacKenzie Casey
- Jason's Lyric as Maddog
- Inside the Actors Studio as Self
- Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso as Self
1993
- Body Snatchers as Major Collins
- Bank Robber as Officer Battle
- Last Light as Fred Whitmore
- Strapped ... (Director)
- Lush Life as Buddy Chester
1992
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
- The Crying Game as Jody
- Consenting Adults as David Duttonville
- Article 99 as Dr. Sid Handleman
1991
- Diary of a Hitman as Dekker
- A Rage in Harlem as Jackson
1990
- Downtown as Dennis Curren
- Criminal Justice as Jessie Williams
1989
- Johnny Handsome as Dr. Steven Fisher
1988
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self
- 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
- The Color of Money as Amos
- A Little Off Mark ... (Thanks)
1985
- Amazing Stories as Jerry
- North and South as Cuffey
- Vision Quest as Balldozer
1983
1982
- Cagney & Lacey as Night Manager
- Fast Times at Ridgemont High as Charles Jefferson
- Tag: The Assassination Game as Gowdy's Bodyguard
1981
1978
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
1953
- The Oscars as Self - Presenter
1952
- Today as Self