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
- The King of Kings as Peter (voice)
- Havoc as Lawrence Beaumont
- To Live and Die and Live ... (Producer)
2024
- The Emperor of Ocean Park as Judge Oliver Garland
- Hollywood Black as Self
- My Generation as Narrator
- Fancy Dance ... (Executive Producer)
- Transplant ... (Producer)
- Seaweed Stories as Narrator (voice)
2023
- Extrapolations as Auggie Bolo
- Big George Foreman as Doc Broadus
- to Crinkle their Wrist, Perfumed Splendour as Ghost Dog (archive footage)
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
- Black Panther as Zuri
- How It Ends as Tom
- Sorry to Bother You as First Equisapien / Demarius
- City of Lies as Jack Jackson
- Burden as Reverend Kennedy
- The Forgiven as Desmond Tutu
- 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
- Two Men in Town as William Garnett
- Repentance as Angel
- Food Chains
2013
- Fruitvale Station ... (Producer)
- The Last Stand as Agent John Bannister
- The Butler as Cecil Gaines
- Out of the Furnace as Chief Wesley Barnes
- Zulu as Ali Sokhela
- Pawn as Will
- Black Nativity as Reverend Cornell Cobbs
- Mysteries of the Unseen World as Narrator
- Rising from Ashes as Narrator
- Making a Scene | 11 Performances
2012
- Freelancers as Dennis Larue
- A Dark Truth as Francisco Francis
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
- Hurricane Season as Al Collins
- Our Family Wedding as Brad Boyd
- 2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift as (archive footage)
- My Own Love Song as Joey
- Lullaby for Pi as George
- Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life as Lion
2009
- Where the Wild Things Are as Ira (voice)
- Winged Creatures as Charlie Archenault
- Powder Blue as Charlie
- Brick City ... (Executive Producer)
- Crips and Bloods: Made in America as Narrator
- Kassim the Dream ... (Producer)
2008
- Street Kings as Captain Jack Wander
- Vantage Point as Howard Lewis
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
- The Last King of Scotland as Idi Amin
- Everyone's Hero as Lonnie Brewster (voice)
- 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
- American Gun as Carter
- Jiminy Glick in Lalawood as Forest Whitaker
- Deacons for Defense as Marcus Clay
- Mary as Ted Younger
- A Little Trip to Heaven as Abe Holt
- Odyssey in Rome
2004
- First Daughter as Narrator (voice)
- Shooting 'Panic Room' as Self
- The Misbehavers 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
- The Twilight Zone as Self - Host
- Panic Room as Burnham
- Live from E! as Self
- Door to Door ... (Co-Executive Producer)
2001
- The Hire as The Employer
- The Follow as The Employer
- The Fourth Angel as Agent Jules Bernard
- Feast of All Saints as Daguerreotypist Picard
- A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon' as Self
- Green Dragon as Addie
- 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)
- Smoke as Cyrus Cole
- Mr. Holland's Opus as Bobby Tidd as an adult (uncredited)
1994
- ER as Curtis Ames
- Blown Away as Anthony Franklin
- Prêt-à-Porter as Cy Bianco
- The Enemy Within as Col. MacKenzie Casey
- Inside the Actors Studio as Self
- Jason's Lyric as Maddog
- Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso as Self
1993
- Body Snatchers as Major Collins
- Strapped ... (Director)
- Bank Robber as Officer Battle
- Lush Life as Buddy Chester
- Last Light as Fred Whitmore
1992
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
- The Crying Game as Jody
- Consenting Adults as David Duttonville
- Article 99 as Dr. Sid Handleman
1991
- A Rage in Harlem as Jackson
- Diary of a Hitman as Dekker
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