Forest Whitaker | |
|---|---|
 Whitaker at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | Forest Steven Whitaker July 15, 1961 Longview, Texas, U.S. |
| Education | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona University of Southern California (BFA) New York University |
| Alma mater | Drama Studio London |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse |
Keisha Nash
(m. 1996; div. 2021) |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Full list |
Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor, producer and director. 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).[1][2][3] He has also appeared in Panic Room (2002), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) as Saw Gerrera, and Black Panther (2018) as Zuri.
Whitaker won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the historical drama The Last King of Scotland (2006). 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). Since 2019, he has starred as Bumpy Johnson in the Epix crime drama series Godfather of Harlem.
He made his Broadway debut in the revival of Eugene O'Neill's Hughie (2016). Apart from his acting 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.[4]
- ^ "In general, he rules." The Boston Globe. October 1, 2006. 2022 starred alongside Jude Law in the Netflix Movie Repo Men.
- ^ "Forest Whitaker: The King Of The Oscars?". CBS News. January 31, 2007. Archived from the original on February 7, 2007.
- ^ Sternbergh, Adam. "Out of the Woods: How Forest Whitaker escaped his career slump." New York. January 9, 2006.
- ^ "WPDI Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative". WPDI.