Forest Whitaker
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
Up Against It
Up Against It
Bring Me the Horizon: L.I.V.E. in São Paulo
as Self (archive footage)
Bring Me the Horizon: L.I.V.E. in São Paulo
as Self (archive footage)
Havoc
as Lawrence Beaumont
Havoc
as Lawrence Beaumont
The King of Kings
as Peter (voice)
The King of Kings
as Peter (voice)
Seaweed Stories
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Seaweed Stories
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Big George Foreman
as Doc Broadus
Big George Foreman
as Doc Broadus
Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend
as Self (archive footage)
Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend
as Self (archive footage)
Prophets of Change
as Narrator
Prophets of Change
as Narrator
Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look
as Saw Gerrera (archive footage) (uncredited)
Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look
as Saw Gerrera (archive footage) (uncredited)
Respect
as C. L. Franklin
Respect
as C. L. Franklin
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
as Jeronicus Jangle
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
as Jeronicus Jangle
Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times
as Self
Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times
as Self
Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King
as Self
Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King
as Self
Finding Steve McQueen
as Howard Lambert
Finding Steve McQueen
as Howard Lambert
City of Lies
as Jack Jackson
City of Lies
as Jack Jackson
Burden
as Reverend Kennedy
Burden
as Reverend Kennedy
How It Ends
as Tom
How It Ends
as Tom
Sorry to Bother You
as First Equisapien / Demarius
Sorry to Bother You
as First Equisapien / Demarius
Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace
as Narrator (voice)
Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace
as Narrator (voice)
The Forgiven
as Desmond Tutu
The Forgiven
as Desmond Tutu
Black Panther
as Zuri
Black Panther
as Zuri
The Stories: The Making of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'
as Self
The Stories: The Making of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'
as Self
Xenolinguistics: Understanding 'Arrival'
as Self
Xenolinguistics: Understanding 'Arrival'
as Self
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
as Saw Gerrera
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
as Saw Gerrera
I Am You
as Narrator (voice)
I Am You
as Narrator (voice)
Arrival
as Colonel Weber
Arrival
as Colonel Weber
Southpaw
as Titus 'Tick' Wills
Southpaw
as Titus 'Tick' Wills
Dope
as The Narrator (voice)
Dope
as The Narrator (voice)
Taken 3
as Inspector Frank Dotzler
Taken 3
as Inspector Frank Dotzler
Two Men in Town
as William Garnett
Two Men in Town
as William Garnett
Food Chains
Food Chains
Repentance
as Angel
Repentance
as Angel
Zulu
as Ali Sokhela
Zulu
as Ali Sokhela
Black Nativity
as Reverend Cornell Cobbs
Black Nativity
as Reverend Cornell Cobbs
Making a Scene | 11 Performances
Making a Scene | 11 Performances
Out of the Furnace
as Chief Wesley Barnes
Out of the Furnace
as Chief Wesley Barnes
Mysteries of the Unseen World
as Narrator
Mysteries of the Unseen World
as Narrator
The Butler
as Cecil Gaines
The Butler
as Cecil Gaines
Rising from Ashes
as Narrator
Rising from Ashes
as Narrator
Pawn
as Will
Pawn
as Will
The Last Stand
as Agent John Bannister
The Last Stand
as Agent John Bannister
A Dark Truth
as Francisco Francis
A Dark Truth
as Francisco Francis
Freelancers
as Dennis Larue
Freelancers
as Dennis Larue
Catch.44
as Ronny
Catch.44
as Ronny
A Man's Story
as Self
A Man's Story
as Self
Serving Life
as Narrator (voice)
Serving Life
as Narrator (voice)
Lullaby for Pi
as George
Lullaby for Pi
as George
2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift
as (archive footage)
2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift
as (archive footage)
The Experiment
as Barris
The Experiment
as Barris
My Own Love Song
as Joey
My Own Love Song
as Joey
Repo Men
as Jake
Repo Men
as Jake
Our Family Wedding
as Brad Boyd
Our Family Wedding
as Brad Boyd
Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life
as Lion
Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life
as Lion
Hurricane Season
as Al Collins
Hurricane Season
as Al Collins
Where the Wild Things Are
as Ira (voice)
Where the Wild Things Are
as Ira (voice)
Crips and Bloods: Made in America
as Narrator
Crips and Bloods: Made in America
as Narrator
Winged Creatures
as Charlie Archenault
Winged Creatures
as Charlie Archenault
Powder Blue
as Charlie
Powder Blue
as Charlie
Street Kings
as Captain Jack Wander
Street Kings
as Captain Jack Wander
Vantage Point
as Howard Lewis
Vantage Point
as Howard Lewis
The Great Debaters
as Dr. James Farmer Sr.
The Great Debaters
as Dr. James Farmer Sr.
Ripple Effect
as Philip
Ripple Effect
as Philip
Even Money
as Clyde Snow
Even Money
as Clyde Snow
The Air I Breathe
as Happiness
The Air I Breathe
as Happiness
Before the Music Dies
as Self - Narrator (voice)
Before the Music Dies
as Self - Narrator (voice)
The Last King of Scotland
as Idi Amin
The Last King of Scotland
as Idi Amin
Everyone's Hero
as Lonnie Brewster (voice)
Everyone's Hero
as Lonnie Brewster (voice)
The Marsh
as Geoffrey Hunt
The Marsh
as Geoffrey Hunt
A Little Trip to Heaven
as Abe Holt
A Little Trip to Heaven
as Abe Holt
Mary
as Ted Younger
Mary
as Ted Younger
Odyssey in Rome
Odyssey in Rome
American Gun
as Carter
American Gun
as Carter
Jiminy Glick in Lalawood
as Forest Whitaker
Jiminy Glick in Lalawood
as Forest Whitaker
Deacons for Defense
as Marcus Clay
Deacons for Defense
as Marcus Clay
The Misbehavers
as Self
The Misbehavers
as Self
First Daughter
as Narrator (voice)
First Daughter
as Narrator (voice)
Shooting 'Panic Room'
as Self
Shooting 'Panic Room'
as Self
Making of Phone Booth
as Self
Making of Phone Booth
as Self
Phone Booth
as Captain Ramey
Phone Booth
as Captain Ramey
Panic Room
as Burnham
Panic Room
as Burnham
Feast of All Saints
as Daguerreotypist Picard
Feast of All Saints
as Daguerreotypist Picard
The Fourth Angel
as Agent Jules Bernard
The Fourth Angel
as Agent Jules Bernard
Ghost Dog: The Odyssey: The Journey Into the Life of a Samurai
Ghost Dog: The Odyssey: The Journey Into the Life of a Samurai
The Follow
as The Employer
The Follow
as The Employer
Green Dragon
as Addie
Green Dragon
as Addie
A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon'
as Self
A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon'
as Self
Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows
as Self
Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows
as Self
Four Dogs Playing Poker
as Mr. Ellington
Four Dogs Playing Poker
as Mr. Ellington
Battlefield Earth
as Ker
Battlefield Earth
as Ker
The Paperboy
as Narrator
The Paperboy
as Narrator
Witness Protection
as Steven Beck
Witness Protection
as Steven Beck
Light It Up
as Officer Dante Jackson
Light It Up
as Officer Dante Jackson
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
as Ghost Dog
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
as Ghost Dog
Body Count
as Crane
Body Count
as Crane
Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault
as Mr. Rucker
Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault
as Mr. Rucker
Phenomenon
as Nate Pope
Phenomenon
as Nate Pope
Mr. Holland's Opus
as Bobby Tidd as an adult (uncredited)
Mr. Holland's Opus
as Bobby Tidd as an adult (uncredited)
Species
as Dan Smithson, Empath
Species
as Dan Smithson, Empath
Smoke
as Cyrus Cole
Smoke
as Cyrus Cole
Prêt-à-Porter
as Cy Bianco
Prêt-à-Porter
as Cy Bianco
Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso
as Self
Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso
as Self
The Enemy Within
as Col. MacKenzie Casey
The Enemy Within
as Col. MacKenzie Casey
Blown Away
as Anthony Franklin
Blown Away
as Anthony Franklin
Jason's Lyric
as Maddog
Jason's Lyric
as Maddog
Bank Robber
as Officer Battle
Bank Robber
as Officer Battle
Lush Life
as Buddy Chester
Lush Life
as Buddy Chester
Last Light
as Fred Whitmore
Last Light
as Fred Whitmore
Body Snatchers
as Major Collins
Body Snatchers
as Major Collins
Consenting Adults
as David Duttonville
Consenting Adults
as David Duttonville
The Crying Game
as Jody
The Crying Game
as Jody
Article 99
as Dr. Sid Handleman
Article 99
as Dr. Sid Handleman
Diary of a Hitman
as Dekker
Diary of a Hitman
as Dekker
A Rage in Harlem
as Jackson
A Rage in Harlem
as Jackson
Criminal Justice
as Jessie Williams
Criminal Justice
as Jessie Williams
Downtown
as Dennis Curren
Downtown
as Dennis Curren
Johnny Handsome
as Dr. Steven Fisher
Johnny Handsome
as Dr. Steven Fisher
Bird
as Charlie 'Bird' Parker
Bird
as Charlie 'Bird' Parker
Bloodsport
as Rawlins
Bloodsport
as Rawlins
Good Morning, Vietnam
as Edward Garlick
Good Morning, Vietnam
as Edward Garlick
Stakeout
as Det. Jack Pismo
Stakeout
as Det. Jack Pismo
Hands of a Stranger
as Sergeant Delaney
Hands of a Stranger
as Sergeant Delaney
Platoon
as Big Harold
Platoon
as Big Harold
The Color of Money
as Amos
The Color of Money
as Amos
Vision Quest
as Balldozer
Vision Quest
as Balldozer
The Grand Baby
The Grand Baby
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
as Charles Jefferson
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
as Charles Jefferson
Tag: The Assassination Game
as Gowdy's Bodyguard
Tag: The Assassination Game
as Gowdy's Bodyguard
Sewing Hope
as Narrator (voice)
Sewing Hope
as Narrator (voice)