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

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

Fancy Dance ... (Executive Producer)
Hollywood Black ... (Executive Producer)
Emperor of Ocean Park as Oliver Garland
Transplant ... (Producer)
My Generation as Narrator
Seaweed Stories as Narrator (voice)

2023

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

2022

Andor as Saw Gerrera
The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self
Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look as Saw Gerrera (archive footage) (uncredited)
Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend as Self (archive footage)
Cannes Festival as Self - Guest
For the Sake of Peace ... (Producer)
Prophets of Change as Narrator

2021

Respect as C. L. Franklin
Passing ... (Producer)
Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy as Self

2020

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey as Jeronicus Jangle
Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times as Self
By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem as Self
Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King as Self

2019

Godfather of Harlem as Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson
Finding Steve McQueen as Howard Lambert
A Kid from Coney Island ... (Executive Producer)
Devil's Pie: D'Angelo ... (Producer)

2018

Black Panther as Zuri
Burden as Reverend Kennedy
The Forgiven as Desmond Tutu
City of Lies as Jack Jackson
Sorry to Bother You as First Equisapien / Demarius
How It Ends as Tom
Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace as Narrator (voice)

2017

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
Southpaw as Titus 'Tick' Wills
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
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
Repentance as Angel
Two Men in Town as William Garnett
Food Chains

2013

The Butler as Cecil Gaines
Black Nativity as Reverend Cornell Cobbs
Fruitvale Station ... (Producer)
Zulu as Ali Sokhela
The Last Stand as Agent John Bannister
Out of the Furnace as Chief Wesley Barnes
Rising from Ashes as Narrator
Pawn as Will
Mysteries of the Unseen World as Narrator
Making a Scene | 11 Performances

2012

A Dark Truth as Francisco Francis
Freelancers as Dennis Larue

2011

Catch.44 as Ronny
Monte Carlo ... (Executive Producer)
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior as Sam Cooper
Witness Protection as Steven Beck
A Man's Story as Self
Serving Life as Narrator (voice)

2010

Repo Men as Jake
Hurricane Season as Al Collins
My Own Love Song as Joey
The Experiment as Barris
Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life as Lion
Lullaby for Pi as George
Our Family Wedding as Brad Boyd
2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift as (archive footage)

2009

Winged Creatures as Charlie Archenault
Powder Blue as Charlie
Where the Wild Things Are as Ira (voice)
Kassim the Dream ... (Producer)
Brick City ... (Executive Producer)
Crips and Bloods: Made in America as Narrator

2008

Street Kings as Captain Jack Wander
Vantage Point as Howard Lewis

2007

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

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)

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

Green Dragon as Addie
The Follow as The Employer
The Hire 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
Ghost Dog: The Odyssey: The Journey Into the Life of a Samurai

2000

Battlefield Earth as Ker
Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows as Self
Four Dogs Playing Poker as Mr. Ellington
The Paperboy as Narrator

1999

Where Are They Now? as Self
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai as Ghost Dog
Light It Up as Officer Dante Jackson
The Early Show as Self

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
Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso as Self
The Enemy Within as Col. MacKenzie Casey
Jason's Lyric as Maddog
Inside the Actors Studio as Self

1993

Lush Life as Buddy Chester
Strapped ... (Director)
Last Light as Fred Whitmore
Body Snatchers as Major Collins
Bank Robber as Officer Battle

1992

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Article 99 as Dr. Sid Handleman
The Crying Game as Jody
Consenting Adults as David Duttonville

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

North and South as Cuffey
Amazing Stories as Jerry
Vision Quest as Balldozer

1982

Cagney & Lacey as Night Manager
Fast Times at Ridgemont High as Charles Jefferson
Tag: The Assassination Game as Gowdy's Bodyguard

1981

Hill Street Blues

1978

Diff'rent Strokes

1975

Saturday Night Live as Self - Host

1953

The Oscars as Self - Presenter

1952

Today as Self