Forest Whitaker
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1961-07-15 (64 years old)
Place of Birth
Longview, Texas, USA
Forest Whitaker
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.
Acting
Sewing Hope
as Narrator (voice)
(2025)
Havoc
as Lawrence Beaumont
(2025)
The King of Kings
as Peter (voice)
(2024)
Seaweed Stories
as Narrator (voice)
(2023)
Big George Foreman
as Doc Broadus
(2023)
to Crinkle their Wrist, Perfumed Splendour
as Ghost Dog (archive footage)
(2022)
Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look
as Saw Gerrera (archive footage) (uncredited)
(2022)
Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend
as Self (archive footage)
(2022)
Prophets of Change
as Narrator
(2021)
Respect
as C. L. Franklin
(2020)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
as Jeronicus Jangle
(2020)
(2020)
(2020)
(2019)
Finding Steve McQueen
as Howard Lambert
(2018)
Black Panther
as Zuri
(2018)
How It Ends
as Tom
(2018)
City of Lies
as Jack Jackson
(2018)
Sorry to Bother You
as First Equisapien / Demarius
(2018)
Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace
as Narrator (voice)
(2018)
The Forgiven
as Desmond Tutu
(2018)
Burden
as Reverend Kennedy
(2017)
(2017)
(2016)
Arrival
as Colonel Weber
(2016)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
as Saw Gerrera
(2016)
I Am You
as Narrator (voice)
(2015)
Southpaw
as Titus 'Tick' Wills
(2015)
Dope
as The Narrator (voice)
(2014)
Taken 3
as Inspector Frank Dotzler
(2014)
Two Men in Town
as William Garnett
(2014)
Repentance
as Angel
(2014)
(2013)
The Butler
as Cecil Gaines
(2013)
The Last Stand
as Agent John Bannister
(2013)
Out of the Furnace
as Chief Wesley Barnes
(2013)
Pawn
as Will
(2013)
Zulu
as Ali Sokhela
(2013)
Black Nativity
as Reverend Cornell Cobbs
(2013)
Rising from Ashes
as Narrator
(2013)
Mysteries of the Unseen World
as Narrator
(2012)
Freelancers
as Dennis Larue
(2012)
A Dark Truth
as Francisco Francis
(2011)
Witness Protection
as Steven Beck
(2011)
A Man's Story
as Self
(2011)
Catch.44
as Ronny
(2011)
Serving Life
as Narrator (voice)
(2010)
Repo Men
as Jake
(2010)
Lullaby for Pi
as George
(2010)
The Experiment
as Barris
(2010)
Hurricane Season
as Al Collins
(2010)
My Own Love Song
as Joey
(2010)
Our Family Wedding
as Brad Boyd
(2010)
(2010)
2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift
as (archive footage)
(2009)
Winged Creatures
as Charlie Archenault
(2009)
Powder Blue
as Charlie
(2009)
Where the Wild Things Are
as Ira (voice)
(2009)
Crips and Bloods: Made in America
as Narrator
(2008)
Street Kings
as Captain Jack Wander
(2008)
Vantage Point
as Howard Lewis
(2007)
The Great Debaters
as Dr. James Farmer Sr.
(2007)
Even Money
as Clyde Snow
(2007)
The Air I Breathe
as Happiness
(2007)
Ripple Effect
as Philip
(2006)
The Marsh
as Geoffrey Hunt
(2006)
The Last King of Scotland
as Idi Amin
(2006)
Everyone's Hero
as Lonnie Brewster (voice)
(2006)
Before the Music Dies
as Self - Narrator (voice)
(2005)
Deacons for Defense
as Marcus Clay
(2005)
Jiminy Glick in Lalawood
as Forest Whitaker
(2005)
A Little Trip to Heaven
as Abe Holt
(2005)
American Gun
as Carter
(2005)
Mary
as Ted Younger
(2005)
(2004)
First Daughter
as Narrator (voice)
(2004)
The Misbehavers
as Self
(2004)
Shooting 'Panic Room'
as Self
(2003)
Phone Booth
as Captain Ramey
(2003)
Making of Phone Booth
as Self
(2002)
Panic Room
as Burnham
(2001)
(2001)
Green Dragon
as Addie
(2001)
Feast of All Saints
as Daguerreotypist Picard
(2001)
The Fourth Angel
as Agent Jules Bernard
(2001)
The Follow
as The Employer
(2001)
(2000)
Battlefield Earth
as Ker
(2000)
(2000)
Four Dogs Playing Poker
as Mr. Ellington
(2000)
The Paperboy
as Narrator
(1999)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
as Ghost Dog
(1999)
Light It Up
as Officer Dante Jackson
(1998)
Body Count
as Crane
(1996)
Phenomenon
as Nate Pope
(1996)
Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault
as Mr. Rucker
(1995)
Species
as Dan Smithson, Empath
(1995)
Mr. Holland's Opus
as Bobby Tidd as an adult (uncredited)
(1995)
Smoke
as Cyrus Cole
(1994)
Jason's Lyric
as Maddog
(1994)
The Enemy Within
as Col. MacKenzie Casey
(1994)
Blown Away
as Anthony Franklin
(1994)
Prêt-à-Porter
as Cy Bianco
(1994)
(1993)
Bank Robber
as Officer Battle
(1993)
Body Snatchers
as Major Collins
(1993)
Lush Life
as Buddy Chester
(1993)
Last Light
as Fred Whitmore
(1992)
Article 99
as Dr. Sid Handleman
(1992)
The Crying Game
as Jody
(1992)
Consenting Adults
as David Duttonville
(1991)
Diary of a Hitman
as Dekker
(1991)
A Rage in Harlem
as Jackson
(1990)
Downtown
as Dennis Curren
(1990)
Criminal Justice
as Jessie Williams
(1989)
Johnny Handsome
as Dr. Steven Fisher
(1988)
Bloodsport
as Rawlins
(1988)
Bird
as Charlie 'Bird' Parker
(1987)
Good Morning, Vietnam
as Edward Garlick
(1987)
Stakeout
as Det. Jack Pismo
(1987)
Hands of a Stranger
as Sergeant Delaney
(1986)
Platoon
as Big Harold
(1986)
The Color of Money
as Amos
(1985)
Vision Quest
as Balldozer
(1982)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
as Charles Jefferson
(1982)
Tag: The Assassination Game
as Gowdy's Bodyguard
Crew
Rosetta
Producer
(2026)
Lucky Lu
Executive Producer
(2025)
To Live and Die and Live
Producer
(2024)
Fancy Dance
Executive Producer
(2024)
Transplant
Producer
(2022)
For the Sake of Peace
Producer
(2021)
Passing
Producer
(2019)
A Kid from Coney Island
Executive Producer
(2019)
Devil's Pie: D'Angelo
Producer
(2018)
Sorry to Bother You
Producer
(2017)
Roxanne Roxanne
Producer
(2015)
Dope
Producer
(2015)
Songs My Brothers Taught Me
Producer
(2013)
Fruitvale Station
Producer
(2013)
Rising from Ashes
Executive Producer
(2011)
Serving Life
Executive Producer
(2011)
Monte Carlo
Executive Producer
(2009)
Powder Blue
Producer
(2009)
Kassim the Dream
Producer
(2007)
Ripple Effect
Executive Producer
(2005)
American Gun
Executive Producer
(2004)
First Daughter
Director, Executive Producer
(2003)
Chasing Papi
Producer
(2002)
Door to Door
Co-Executive Producer
(2001)
Green Dragon
Executive Producer
(1998)
Hope Floats
Director, Executive Music Producer
(1995)
Waiting to Exhale
Director
(1993)
Strapped
Director
(1991)
A Rage in Harlem
Co-Producer
(1986)
A Little Off Mark
Thanks