Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor,
producerA film producer or movie producer is someone who creates the scenes and conditions for making movies. The producer initiates, co-ordinates, supervises and controls matters such as fund-raising, hiring key personnel and arranging for distributors...
, and
directorA film director, or filmmaker is a person who directs the making or production of a film. Some also consider a film producer to be a filmmaker....
. Whitaker won an Academy Award for his performance as
UgandaThe Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania...
n dictator
Idi AminIdi Amin Dada , commonly known as Idi Amin, was the military dictator and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979....
in the 2006 film
The Last King of ScotlandThe Last King of Scotland is a 2006 British drama film based on Giles Foden's novel of the same name. It was adapted by screenwriters Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock and directed by Kevin Macdonald...
. Whitaker has also won a
Golden GlobeThe Golden Globe Awards are presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to recognize outstanding achievements in the entertainment industry, both domestic and foreign, and to focus wide public attention upon the best in motion pictures and television...
, and a BAFTA. He became the fourth
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
man to win an
Academy Award for Best ActorPerformance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
, following in the footsteps of
Sidney PoitierSir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian-American actor, film director, author, and diplomat. He broke through as a star in acclaimed performances in American films and plays, which, by consciously defying racial stereotyping, gave a new dramatic credibility for black actors to mainstream film...
,
Denzel WashingtonDenzel Hayes Washington, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director and film producer. He has garnered much critical acclaim for his work in film since the 1990s, including for his portrayals of real-life figures, such as Steve Biko, Malcolm X, Rubin Carter, Melvin B...
, and
Jamie FoxxEric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and singer. For his work in the film Ray, Foxx won the Academy Award and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award for Best Actor...
.
He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as
BirdBird is a 1988 American film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood.The film is a biopic, a tribute to the life and music of jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker, written by Joel Oliansky...
and
Ghost Dog: The Way of the SamuraiGhost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a 1999 samurai action film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Forest Whitaker stars as the title character, the mysterious "Ghost Dog", an African-American hitman in the employ of the Mafia, who follows the ancient code of the samurai as outlined in the book...
. However, for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant
Jon KavanaughLieutenant Jon Kavanaugh is a fictional character from the FX television show The Shield, played by Forest Whitaker.-Kavanaugh's career before the investigation:...
on the gritty, award-winning television series,
The ShieldThe Shield is an American television drama series which aired on FX Networks in the United States and other networks internationally. Known for its controversial portrayal of corrupt police officers, it was originally advertised as "Rampart" in reference to the true life Rampart Division police...
, Whitaker merely had to draw on his childhood years growing up in
South Central Los AngelesSouth Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A., is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central Los Angeles, and is still widely known as South Central...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
.
Early life
Whitaker was born in
LongviewLongview is a city in Gregg and Harrison Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 73,344 at the 2000 census, but a 2006 estimate placed the city's population at 77,793. Most of the city is located in Gregg County, of which it is the county seat; only a small part extends into the...
,
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
and his family moved to
South Central Los AngelesSouth Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A., is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central Los Angeles, and is still widely known as South Central...
due to racism in 1965, when he was four. His father, Forest Whitaker, Jr., was an insurance salesman and the son of novelist Forest Whitaker, Sr. His mother, Laura Francis (
néeA married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage, and in speaking of the many cultures where the practice is traditional for women, the maiden name is the family name that the married name replaces....
Smith), was a special education teacher who put herself through college and earned two Masters degrees while raising her children. Whitaker has two younger brothers, Kenn and Damon, and an older sister, Deborah.
As a teenager, Whitaker commuted from
CarsonCarson is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, Carson had a total population of 89,730. It is located 13 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, and is known as a suburb of the city...
to wealthy
Palisades High SchoolPalisades Charter High School is a secondary school in Los Angeles, California, United States. The public high school serves the neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades, Palisades Highlands, Kenter Canyon and portions of Brentwood...
on LA's
West SideThe Westside comprises the Los Angeles city communities of Bel Air, Beverly Crest, Beverlywood, Century City, Brentwood, Cheviot Hills, Pacific Palisades, Palms, Rancho Park, Sawtelle, West Los Angeles, Westwood , Venice, Mar Vista, Playa del Rey, South Robertson, Playa Vista, and Westchester, as...
. There, he was all-league defensive tackle on the football team quarterbacked by
Jay SchroederJay Brian Schroeder is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Washington Redskins , Los Angeles Raiders , Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals .He attended Palisades High School and was a high school football teammate of actor...
, a future
NFLThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
player. While in high school, he also took voice lessons, performed in musicals, and caught the "acting bug"; his first role as an actor was the lead in
Dylan Thomas'Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer[, Encyclopædia Britannica . Retrieved 11 January 2008.] who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
play,
Under Milk WoodUnder Milk Wood is a 1954 play for radio by Dylan Thomas, later adapted for the stage. A film version, Under Milk Wood directed by Andrew Sinclair, was released in 1972....
. Whitaker graduated from "Pali High" in 1979.
Whitaker then attended
Cal Poly PomonaThe California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, commonly known as Cal Poly Pomona, is a public, nationally-ranked, coeducational university, and one of the 23 campuses of the California State University system. The main campus sits on of a suburban district just west of Pomona, California a...
on a football scholarship, but left due to a debilitating back injury when he was hurt in training by defensive end Manny Duran. He was accepted to the Music Conservatory at the
University of Southern California (USC)The University of Southern California is a private, nonsectarian, research university located in the University Park neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, USA...
to study opera as a tenor, and subsequently was accepted into the University's Drama Conservatory. He graduated from USC in 1982. He also earned a scholarship to the
Berkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
branch of the
Drama Studio LondonDrama Studio London is a drama school based in Ealing, London, England, United Kingdom. It is accredited by the National Council for Drama Training, London and is a Member of the Conference of Drama Schools...
.
Film work
Whitaker has a long history of working with well-regarded film directors and fellow actors. In his first onscreen role of note, he played a football player in the 1982 film version of
Cameron CroweCameron Bruce Crowe is an American screenwriter and film director. Before moving into the film industry, Crowe was a contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine, for which he still frequently writes....
's
coming-of-ageComing of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
teen-
retrospectiveRetrospective generally means to take a look back at events that already have taken place. For example, the term is used in medicine, describing a look back at a patient's medical history or lifestyle....
,
Fast Times at Ridgemont HighFast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film and is the brain-child of Cameron Crowe. It was adapted from Crowe's 1981 book where, as a free-lancer for Rolling Stone magazine, he went undercover at a California high school and wrote about his experiences...
. He co-starred alongside
Nicolas CageNicolas Cage is an American actor.Cage pursued acting as a career, making his debut on television in 1981...
,
Phoebe CatesPhoebe Cates is an American film actress known for her roles in several teen films, most notably Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins.-Biography:...
, and
Sean PennSean Justin Penn is an American film actor and director, also known for being a political activist. He is a two-time Academy Award winner for his roles in Mystic River and Milk, as well as the recipient of a Golden Globe Award for the former and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the latter.-Early...
. In 1986, he appeared in
Martin Scorsese'sMartin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. He is the founder of the World Cinema Foundation, a recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award for his contributions to the cinema and has won awards from the Oscars, Golden Globe,...
film,
The Color of MoneyThe Color of Money is a film adapted from a 1984 novel by American writer Walter Tevis, continuing the story of pool shark Eddie "Fast Eddie" Felson, with Paul Newman reprising his role from the movie version of The Hustler...
(with
Paul NewmanPaul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, and auto racing enthusiast...
and
Tom CruiseThomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known by his screen name of Tom Cruise, is an American actor and film producer. Forbes magazine ranked him as the world's most powerful celebrity in 2006. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and won three Golden Globe Awards...
), and in
Oliver Stone'sWilliam Oliver Stone is an American film director and screenwriter. Stone came to prominence as a director with a series of films about the Vietnam War, in which he had participated as an American infantry soldier, and his work continues to focus frequently on contemporary political and cultural...
PlatoonPlatoon is a 1986 war film written and directed by Oliver Stone and starring Charlie Sheen, Johnny Depp, Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe. It is the first of Stone's Vietnam War trilogy, followed by 1989's Born on the Fourth of July and 1993's Heaven & Earth.The story is drawn from Stone's experiences...
. The following year, he co-starred with
Robin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian.Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
in the comedy
Good Morning, VietnamGood Morning, Vietnam is a 1987 comedy-drama film set in Saigon during the Vietnam War, based on the career of Adrian Cronauer , a disc jockey on Armed Forces Radio Service , who proves hugely popular with the troops serving in South Vietnam, but infuriates his superiors with what they call his...
.
In 1988, Whitaker played in the film
BloodsportBloodsport is a 1988 martial arts film "Based on true events in the life of Frank Dux" as portrayed by Jean-Claude Van Damme. Although it enjoyed little box office success, it is considered a genre classic by martial arts film enthusiasts for showcasing a large variety of international fighting...
alongside
Jean-Claude Van DammeJean-Claude Van Damme is a Belgian martial artist and actor who is best known for martial arts and action movies. His most successful films include Bloodsport , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , and Timecop...
and he had the lead role as musician
Charlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. was an American jazz saxophonist and composer.Parker, with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, is often considered one of the most influential of jazz musicians...
in the
Clint EastwoodClinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American actor, film director, film producer and composer. He has received five Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award and five People's Choice Awards—including one for Favorite All-Time Motion Picture Star.Eastwood is...
-directed film,
Bird. To prepare himself for the part, he sequestered himself in a loft with only a bed, couch, and saxophone, having also conducted extensive research and taken alto sax lessons. His performance, which has been called "transcendent," earned him the
Best ActorThe Best Actor Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946.- Award Winners :-External links:* * ....
award at the
1988 Cannes Film Festival- Jury :*Ettore Scola*Claude Berri*David Robinson*Yelena Safonova*George Miller*Hector Olivera*Nastassja Kinski*Philippe Sarde*Robby Muller*William Goldman-Feature film competition:* A World Apart by Chris Menges...
and a Golden Globe nomination. Whitaker continued to work with a number of well-known directors throughout the 1990s. He starred in the 1990 film
Downtown with
Anthony EdwardsAnthony Charles Edwards is an American actor and director. He has appeared in various movies and television shows, including Top Gun, Zodiac, Revenge of the Nerds, Northern Exposure and ER.-Early life:...
and
Penelope Ann MillerPenelope Ann Miller , sometimes credited as Penelope Miller, is an American actress...
.
Neil JordanNeil Jordan is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game.-Early life:Jordan was born in County Sligo. He was educated at St. Paul's College, Raheny...
cast him in the pivotal role of "Jody" in his 1992 film,
The Crying GameThe Crying Game is a 1992 Irish/British drama film written and directed by Neil Jordan. The film explores themes of race, gender, nationality, and sexuality against the backdrop of the Irish Troubles...
. Todd McCarthy, of
VarietyVariety is a weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the Daily...
, described Whitaker's performance as "big-hearted," "hugely emotional," and "simply terrific." In 1994, he was a member of the cast that won the first ever National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble for
Robert Altman'sRobert Bernard Altman was an American film director known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective...
film,
Prêt-à-PorterPrêt-à-Porter is a 1994 satirical black comedy written, directed and produced by Robert Altman and shot during the Paris, France, Fashion Week with a host of international stars, models and designers...
. He gave a "characteristically emotional performance" in
Wayne WangWayne Wang is a Chinese American film director.Wang was born and raised in Hong Kong, and named after his father's favorite movie star, John Wayne...
and
Paul AusterPaul Benjamin Auster is an American author known for works blending absurdism and crime fiction, such as The New York Trilogy , Moon Palace and The Brooklyn Follies .- Biography :...
's 1995 film,
SmokeSmoke is an American independent film released in 1995. It was produced by Bob and Harvey Weinstein and directed by Wayne Wang and Paul Auster . Among others, it features Harvey Keitel, William Hurt, Victor Argo, Forest Whitaker, Ashley Judd, Stockard Channing and Harold Perrineau Jr...
.
Whitaker played a serene, pigeon-raising,
bushido, meaning "Way of the Warrior", is a Japanese code of conduct and a way of the samurai life, loosely analogous to the concept of chivalry. It originates from the samurai moral code and stresses frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and honor unto death. Born of two main influences, the violent...
-following,
mobThe Mafia is a Sicilian criminal society which is believed to have emerged in late 19th century Sicily, and the first such society to be referred to as a mafia . It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct...
hit man in
Ghost Dog: The Way of the SamuraiGhost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a 1999 samurai action film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Forest Whitaker stars as the title character, the mysterious "Ghost Dog", an African-American hitman in the employ of the Mafia, who follows the ancient code of the samurai as outlined in the book...
, a 1999 film written and directed by
Jim JarmuschJames R. "Jim" Jarmusch is an American independent filmmaker. Jarmusch is a major exponent of independent cinema, particularly that of the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
. Many consider this to have been a "definitive role" for Whitaker. In a manner similar to his preparation for
Bird, he again immersed himself in his character's world—he studied Eastern philosophy and meditated for long hours "to hone his inner spiritual hitman." Jarmusch has told interviewers that he developed the title character with Whitaker in mind; the
New York Times review of the film observed that "[I]t's hard to think of another actor who could play a cold-blooded killer with such warmth and humanity."
Whitaker next appeared in what has been called one of the "
worst films ever madeThe films listed here have achieved a significant level of infamy through critical and popular assertion as being among the worst films ever made. The films have either been cited by a combination of reputable sources as the worst movie of the year, or been on such a source's list of the worst...
," the 2000 production of
Battlefield EarthBattlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 is an American film adaptation of the novel Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard that was released on May 12, 2000. Directed by Roger Christian, the film stars John Travolta, Forest Whitaker, and Barry Pepper...
, based on the novel of the same name by
L. Ron HubbardLafayette Ronald Hubbard was an American science fiction author who developed a self-help system called Dianetics, which was first published in 1950. Over the next three decades, Hubbard developed his self-help ideas into a wide-ranging set of doctrines and rituals as part of a new religion he...
. The film was widely criticized as a notorious commercial and critical disaster. However, Whitaker's performance was lauded by the film's director,
Roger ChristianRoger Christian is an award-winning set decorator, production designer and feature film director.-Career:Christian was born in London, England. He began his career as an assistant art director on several UK productions including the Hammer Studios film And Soon the Darkness . He won an Academy...
, who commented that, "Everybody's going to be very surprised" by Whitaker, who "found this huge voice and laugh."
BattleField Earth "won" seven
Razzie AwardsThe Golden Raspberry Awards, frequently called the Razzies, were created by John Wilson in 1980 , intended to counterpoint the Academy Awards by dishonoring the worst acting, screenwriting, songwriting, directing, and films that the film industry had to offer...
; Whitaker was nominated for Worst Supporting Actor, but lost to his co-star,
Barry Pepper-Early life:Pepper was born in Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada. He spent much of his early life travelling the world in a homemade ship. When Barry was five years old, the family set sail. Pepper and his family navigated through the South Pacific islands for five years. His education was...
.
In 2001, Whitaker had a small, uncredited role in the
Wong Kar-waiWong Kar-wai BBS is an award-winning Hong Kong filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized films...
-directed
The Follow, one of five short films produced by
BMW, is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company. Founded in 1916, it is known for its performance and luxury vehicles. It owns and produces the MINI brand, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.-Company history:...
that year to promote its cars. He co-starred in
Joel Schumacher'sJoel Schumacher is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.-Early life and career:Schumacher was born in New York City, the son of Marian and Francis Schumacher. His mother was a Swedish Jew, and his father was a Baptist from Knoxville, Tennessee who died when Joel was four years old...
2002 thriller,
Phone BoothPhone Booth is a 2003 morality thriller about a man who is held hostage in a telephone booth by a sniper. It stars Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell, Katie Holmes and was directed by Joel Schumacher. The music was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams...
, with
Kiefer SutherlandKiefer William Fredrick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland is a British-born Canadian actor, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24. He is an Emmy Award- and Golden Globe award-winner...
and
Colin FarrellColin James Farrell is a Golden Globe-winning Irish actor, who has appeared in Hollywood films including Tigerland, Daredevil, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, Alexander, In Bruges and S.W.A.T....
. That year, he also co-starred with
Jodie FosterAlicia Christian Foster, better known as Jodie Foster , is an American actor, film director and producer.Foster began acting in commercials at 3 years old, and her first significant role came in the 1976 film Taxi Driver as the preteen prostitute, Iris, for which she received a nomination for the...
in
Panic Room. His performance as the film's "bad guy" was described as "a subtle chemistry of aggression and empathy."
Whitaker's greatest success to date is the 2006 film,
The Last King of ScotlandThe Last King of Scotland is a 2006 British drama film based on Giles Foden's novel of the same name. It was adapted by screenwriters Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock and directed by Kevin Macdonald...
. To prepare for his role as dictator
Idi AminIdi Amin Dada , commonly known as Idi Amin, was the military dictator and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979....
, Whitaker gained 50 pounds, learned to play the
accordionThe accordion is a portable box-shaped musical instrument of the hand-held bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox...
, and immersed himself in research. He read books about Amin, watched news and documentary footage, and spent time in Uganda meeting with Amin's friends, relatives, generals, and victims; he also learned
SwahiliSwahili is spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Indian Ocean coastline from southern Somalia to northern Mozambique, including the Comoros Islands...
and mastered Amin's
East AfricanEast African may refer to:*Any person or object of, or pertaining to, East Africa*East African Airlines, an airline based in Kampala, Uganda*East African Safari Air, a now defunct airline based in Kenya*The EastAfrican, a weekly newspaper in East Africa...
accent.
His performance earned him the 2007
Academy Award for Best ActorPerformance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
in a Leading Role, making him the fourth African-American actor in history to do so. For that same role, he also received multiple other awards, including
Golden GlobeThe Golden Globe Awards are presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to recognize outstanding achievements in the entertainment industry, both domestic and foreign, and to focus wide public attention upon the best in motion pictures and television...
, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA Awards, and accolades from the New York Film Critics Circle, the
Los Angeles Film Critics AssociationThe Los Angeles Film Critics Association was founded in 1975. Its main purpose is to present yearly awards to members of the film industry who have excelled in their fields. These awards are presented each January...
, the National Board of Review and the
Broadcast Film Critics AssociationThe Broadcast Film Critics Association is the largest film critics organization in the U.S. and Canada, representing 199 television, radio and online critics....
. In 2007, Whitaker also played Dr. James Farmer Sr. in
The Great DebatersThe Great Debaters is a American biopic period drama film directed by and starring two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah Winfrey and her production company, Harpo Productions...
.
In 2008, Whitaker appeared as a business man known only as Happiness, who likes butterflies, in the film
The Air I BreatheThe Air I Breathe is a directorial film debut of Korean-American filmmaker Jieho Lee, who co-wrote the script with Bob DeRosa. It stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brendan Fraser, Cecilia Suárez, Clark Gregg, Emile Hirsch, Forest Whitaker, John Cho, Julie Delpy, Kelly Hu, Kevin Bacon and Andy Garcia. ...
, as rogue police captain Jack Wander in
Street Kings, and heroic tourist Howard Lewis in
Vantage PointVantage point may refer to:* A place or position affording a good view* Vantage Point , a 2008 thriller film* Vantage Point , a 2008 rock album by dEUS* The Vantage Point, a magazine...
.
Television work
In 1985, Whitaker played a bully who loses his girlfriend to Arnold on the
Diff'rent StrokesDiff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on the NBC television network from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986.-History:...
episode "Bully for Arnold". That same year, Whitaker also played the part of a comic book salesman in the
Amazing StoriesAmazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
episode "Gather Ye Acorns".
In 2002, Whitaker was the host and narrator of 44 new episodes of the
Rod SerlingRodman Edward "Rod" Serling was an American screenwriter and television producer, best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his science fiction anthology TV series, The Twilight Zone. He was known in the more secular community as being an atheist despite converting to Unitarianism...
classic,
The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
, which lasted one season on
UPNUnited Paramount Network was a television network that broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States, being in production for over eleven years. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries. It was later owned by CBS Corporation. Its first night of broadcasting was...
.
Whitaker returned to television in 2006 when he joined the cast of FX's police serial
The ShieldThe Shield is an American television drama series which aired on FX Networks in the United States and other networks internationally. Known for its controversial portrayal of corrupt police officers, it was originally advertised as "Rampart" in reference to the true life Rampart Division police...
, as Lieutenant
Jon KavanaughLieutenant Jon Kavanaugh is a fictional character from the FX television show The Shield, played by Forest Whitaker.-Kavanaugh's career before the investigation:...
, who was determined to prove that the lead character,
Vic MackeyDetective Victor Samuel "Vic" Mackey, portrayed by Michael Chiklis, is a fictional Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, former Los Angeles Police Department detective and the former leader of the Strike Team, a four-man anti-gang unit in the FX crime drama series The Shield...
, is a dirty cop. He received rave reviews for his performance —
VarietyVariety is a weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the Daily...
called it a "crackling-good guest stint" — and he reprised the role in the show's 2007 season.
In the fall of 2006, Whitaker started a multi-episode story arc on
ERER is an American medical drama series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 1994 to April 2009. It is set primarily in the emergency room of fictional County General Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment in...
as Curtis Ames, a man who comes into the ER with a cough, but quickly faces the long-term consequences of a paralyzing
strokeA stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by thrombosis or embolism or due to a hemorrhage...
; he then takes out his anger on Doctors
Luka KovačDr. Luka Kovač is a fictional character on the television series ER. He is portrayed by Goran Visnjic . Visnjic's character was added to the cast at the beginning of Season 6 following the mid-season 5 departure of leading character Dr. Doug Ross .Luka Kovač is an emergency room attending...
and
Abby LockhartDr. Abby Lockhart is a fictional medical doctor on the television series ER. She is portrayed by Maura Tierney...
. Whitaker received a 2007 Emmy nomination for his performance on the series. Also in 2006, Whitaker appeared in
T.I.Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I. or T.I.P., is an American Grammy Award-winning rapper, producer, actor, songwriter, and co-CEO/founder of Grand Hustle Records....
's video "Live in the Sky" alongside
Jamie FoxxEric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and singer. For his work in the film Ray, Foxx won the Academy Award and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award for Best Actor...
.
Whitaker hosted
Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a weekly late-night sketch comedy and variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975, under a slightly different title. The show features a regular cast of comedy actors, joined by a guest host and musical act...
, which featured his singing skills in several sketches, including a sketch about a singing waiter who can sing notes that can only be heard by dogs.
Whitaker has lent his voice to three episodes of the animated sitcom
American Dad!American Dad! is a satirical American animated series owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions and produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television....
in 2008 and 2009, as the recurring character Ron Turlington. The character parodies Whitaker's performances in
The Shield, and is seen in the episodes "
Meter Made"Meter Made" is the second episode of the third season of the animated series American Dad!. It originally aired on October 7, 2007.-Plot:...
", "
ChimdaleChimdale is a fourth season episode of the animated series American Dad!.-Plot Summary:Steve learns that he has scoliosis and must wear a back-brace for six weeks. Stan gives him advice that it is what's on the inside that counts, but Steve is still ridiculed . Arriving at home early, Steve...
" and "
Live and Let FryLive and Let Fry is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of the animated series American Dad!.-Plot:Stan gloats when he reads about his rival Chuck White's wife, Christy, being caught getting high in the parking lot of the local multiplex. Hayley protests the law against pot, but Stan defends...
".
Producing and directing
Whitaker branched out into producing and directing in the 1990s. He co-produced and co-starred in
A Rage in HarlemA Rage in Harlem is a 1991 film starring Forest Whitaker, Danny Glover, Badja Djola, Robin Givens and Gregory Hines based on Chester Himes' novel of the same name. The bare bones of the plot is used to create a screenplay with a somewhat different emphasis than the novel...
in 1991. He made his directorial debut with a grim film about inner-city gun violence,
StrappedStrapped is a 1993 television crime-thriller/hood film, produced by HBO Films for HBO. It starred rapper Fredro Starr, William James Stiggers Jr. and was the debut film of Bokeem Woodbine...
, for HBO in 1993. In 1995, he directed his first
featureIn the film industry, a feature film is a film made for initial distribution in theaters and being the "main attraction" of the screening...
,
Waiting to ExhaleWaiting to Exhale is a 1995 romance film starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett, directed by Forest Whitaker. The movie was adapted from the novel of the same name by Terry McMillan and also stars Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon. The original music score was composed by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds...
, which was based on the
Terry McMillanTerry McMillan is an American author. Her interest in books comes from working at a library when she was sixteen. She received her BA in journalism in 1986 at University of California, Berkeley. Her work is characterized by typical female protagonists.Her first book, Mama, was self-published...
novel of the same name.
Roger EbertRoger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter.He is known for his film review column and for two television programs Sneak Previews and Siskel & Ebert at the Movies, which he co-hosted for a combined 23 years with Gene Siskel...
observed that the tone of the film resembled Whitaker's own acting style: "measured, serene, confident." Whitaker also directed co-star
Whitney HoustonWhitney Elizabeth Houston is an American recording artist, actress, and former fashion model. A relative to several prominent soul singers, including her mother Cissy Houston, cousins Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick, and godmother Aretha Franklin, Houston began singing at her New Jersey church as a...
's music video of the movie's theme song ("Shoop Shoop").
Whitaker continued his directing career with the 1998 romantic comedy,
Hope FloatsHope Floats is an 1998 American romantic drama film directed by Forest Whitaker, and starring Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick, Jr. and Gena Rowlands.-Plot:...
, starring
Sandra BullockSandra Annette Bullock is an American actress who came to fame in the 1990s, after roles in successful films such as Speed and While You Were Sleeping. She has since established her career as a well-known leading Hollywood actress, with films such as Miss Congeniality and 2005 movies Crash, which...
and
Harry Connick, Jr.Harry Connick, Jr. is an American singer, actor, composer, and pianist. Connick has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. He is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States since 1952, by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 16 million certified albums....
He directed
Katie HolmesKate Noelle "Katie" Holmes is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003...
in the
romantic comedyRomantic comedy films are movies with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as a true love able to surmount most obstacles...
,
First DaughterFirst Daughter is a romantic comedy film released by 20th Century Fox in 2004. It stars Katie Holmes as Samantha Mackenzie, a Presidential daughter who enrolls at a college and develops a relationship with another student at the college played by Marc Blucas...
in 2004; he had co-starred with Holmes in
Phone BoothPhone Booth is a 2003 morality thriller about a man who is held hostage in a telephone booth by a sniper. It stars Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell, Katie Holmes and was directed by Joel Schumacher. The music was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams...
in 2002. Whitaker also served as an executive producer on
First Daughter. He had previously executive produced several
made-for-television moviesA television movie is a feature film that is produced for and originally distributed by a...
, most notably the 2002 Emmy-award winning
Door to DoorDoor to Door was a 2002 TV movie about Bill Porter , a door-to-door salesman afflicted with cerebral palsy. The film was produced for the TNT cable network and was nominated for twelve Emmy Awards, winning six...
, starring
William H. MacyWilliam Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor. He was nominmated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though he has...
. He produced these projects through his production company, Spirit Dance Entertainment, which he shut down in 2005 to concentrate on his acting career.
Recent honors
In addition to the numerous awards Whitaker won for his performance in
The Last King of Scotland, he has also received several other honors. In September 2006, the 10th Annual Hollywood Film Festival presented him with its "Hollywood Actor of the Year Award," calling him "one of Hollywood's most accomplished actors." He was honored at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2007, where he received the American Riviera Award. Previously, in 2005, the Deauville (France) Festival of American Film paid tribute to him.
Whitaker was the recipient of a star on the
Hollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame is a sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, that serves as an entertainment museum...
on April 16, 2007.
He also received an Honorary Degree from
Xavier University of LouisianaXavier University of Louisiana is a private, coeducational, liberal arts historically Black Roman Catholic university located in New Orleans, Louisiana. Xavier has the distinction of being the only historically black university in the United States that is Roman Catholic...
on May 9, 2009 at the 82nd Commencement Ceremony, along with Democratic political stategist
Donna BrazileDonna Brazile is an American author, educator, and political pundit affiliated with the Democratic Party. She was the first African-American to direct a major presidential campaign....
.
Personal life
In 1996, Whitaker married actress Keisha Nash, whom he met on the set of
Blown AwayBlown Away is a 1994 action film starring Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones. It was directed by Stephen Hopkins.- Plot :Lt. Jimmy Dove is a veteran disposal technician on the Boston Police bomb squad, who irritates his captain, partner and everyone else when he plays hero and disarms dangerous...
. The Whitakers have four children: two daughters together (Sonnet and True), his son (Ocean) from a previous relationship, and her daughter (Autumn) from a previous relationship. Whitaker studies yoga and has a black belt in
karateis a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands...
. On
Inside the Actors StudioInside the Actors Studio is a series on the Bravo cable television channel, hosted by James Lipton. It is produced and directed by Jeff Wurtz; the executive producer is James Lipton. The program, which premiered in 1994, is distributed by CABLEready and is broadcast in 125 countries around the...
, Whitaker said that a genetic test indicated he was of Igbo descent on his father's side, and
AkanThe Akan people are an ethnic linguistic group of West Africa.This group includes the following sub-ethnic groups: Ashanti, the Akwamu,the Akyem, the Abron, the Aowin, the Ahanta, the Anyi , the Akropong-Akuapem, the Baoulé, the Chokosi, the Fante,the Kwahu, the Sefwi, the Wassa the Adjukru,the...
descent on his mothers side.
Whitaker, who is a vegetarian, recorded a
public service announcementA public service announcement or community service announcement is a non-commercial advertisement broadcast on radio or television, for the public interest. PSAs are intended to modify public attitudes by raising awareness about specific issues. The most common topics of PSAs are health and safety...
with his daughter, True, promoting vegetarianism on behalf of
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, USA. With two million members and supporters worldwide, it claims the status of the largest animal rights group in the world...
. In politics, Whitaker supported and spoke on behalf of Senator
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first president born in Hawaii...
in his 2008 presidential campaign.
Whitaker's left eye
ptosisPtosis is an abnormally low position of the upper eyelid. The drooping may be worse after being awake longer, when the individual's muscles are tired. This condition is sometimes called "lazy eye", but that term normally refers to amblyopia. If severe enough and left untreated, the drooping eyelid...
has been called "intriguing" by some critics and "gives him a sleepy, contemplative look." Whitaker has explained that the condition is hereditary and that he has considered having surgery to correct it, not for cosmetic reasons but because it affects his vision.
On April 6, 2009, Whitaker was given a chieftancy title in
Imo StateImo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria and lies to the south of this West African country, with Owerri as it capital and largest city.-History:...
,
NigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Capital Territory. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger...
. Whitaker, who was named a chief among the
Igbo peopleIgbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern and south Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
of southeastern Nigeria, was given the title
Nwannedinamba of Nkwerre, which means
A Brother in a Foreign Land.
Actor
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1982 |
Tag: The Assassination Game |
Gowdy's Bodyguard |
|
Fast Times at Ridgemont HighFast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film and is the brain-child of Cameron Crowe. It was adapted from Crowe's 1981 book where, as a free-lancer for Rolling Stone magazine, he went undercover at a California high school and wrote about his experiences...
|
Charles Jefferson |
|
| 1985 |
Vision QuestVision Quest is a 1985 coming of age drama starring Matthew Modine, Linda Fiorentino and Ronny Cox. It is based on the novel of the same name by author Terry Davis. In some countries it was released as Crazy For You to market on Madonna's emerging fame and the popularity of the song...
|
Balldozer |
|
| North and South North and South may refer to:*North and South , series of novels by John Jakes**North and South , first novel in the series**North and South , miniseries based on the novels...
|
Cuffey |
|
| 1986 |
The Color of MoneyThe Color of Money is a film adapted from a 1984 novel by American writer Walter Tevis, continuing the story of pool shark Eddie "Fast Eddie" Felson, with Paul Newman reprising his role from the movie version of The Hustler...
|
Amos |
|
North and South, Book IINorth and South is an American television miniseries set before, during, and immediately after the American Civil War. It was based on the 1980s trilogy of novels North and South by John Jakes and follows its general storyline, despite some deviations...
|
Cuffey |
|
PlatoonPlatoon is a 1986 war film written and directed by Oliver Stone and starring Charlie Sheen, Johnny Depp, Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe. It is the first of Stone's Vietnam War trilogy, followed by 1989's Born on the Fourth of July and 1993's Heaven & Earth.The story is drawn from Stone's experiences...
|
Big Harold |
|
| 1987 |
Stakeout |
Jack Pismo |
|
| Good Morning, Vietnam Good Morning, Vietnam is a 1987 comedy-drama film set in Saigon during the Vietnam War, based on the career of Adrian Cronauer , a disc jockey on Armed Forces Radio Service , who proves hugely popular with the troops serving in South Vietnam, but infuriates his superiors with what they call his...
|
Edward Garlick |
|
| 1988 |
Bird Bird is a 1988 American film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood.The film is a biopic, a tribute to the life and music of jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker, written by Joel Oliansky...
|
Charlie 'Bird' ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. was an American jazz saxophonist and composer.Parker, with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, is often considered one of the most influential of jazz musicians...
|
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951...
|
BloodsportBloodsport is a 1988 martial arts film "Based on true events in the life of Frank Dux" as portrayed by Jean-Claude Van Damme. Although it enjoyed little box office success, it is considered a genre classic by martial arts film enthusiasts for showcasing a large variety of international fighting...
|
Rawlins |
|
| 1989 |
Johnny HandsomeJohnny Handsome is an 1989 American crime-drama film directed by Walter Hill and starring Mickey Rourke, Ellen Barkin and Morgan Freeman. The film was written by Ken Friedman, from the novel by John Godey.-Plot synopsis:...
|
Dr. Steven Fisher |
|
| 1990 |
DowntownDowntown is a 1990 police action film directed by Richard Benjamin and Starring Forest Whitaker, Joe Pantoliano and Anthony Edwards. This would be the second pairing of Edwards and Whitaker whom both were in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.-Plot:...
|
Dennis Curren |
|
| 1991 |
Diary of a Hitman Diary of a Hitman is a 1991 drama/thriller directed by Roy London and written by Kenneth Pressman, based on his play Insider's Price. The film stars Forest Whitaker, Sherilyn Fenn, James Belushi, Sharon Stone and Lois Chiles....
|
Dekker |
|
| A Rage in Harlem A Rage in Harlem is a 1991 film starring Forest Whitaker, Danny Glover, Badja Djola, Robin Givens and Gregory Hines based on Chester Himes' novel of the same name. The bare bones of the plot is used to create a screenplay with a somewhat different emphasis than the novel...
|
Jackson |
|
| 1992 |
Article 99 Article 99 is a 1992 American film written by Ron Cutler and directed by Howard Deutch. It was produced by Orion Pictures and starred Kiefer Sutherland, Ray Liotta, Forest Whitaker, John C. McGinley, Rutanya Alda and Lea Thompson...
|
Dr. Sid Handleman |
|
The Crying GameThe Crying Game is a 1992 Irish/British drama film written and directed by Neil Jordan. The film explores themes of race, gender, nationality, and sexuality against the backdrop of the Irish Troubles...
|
Jody |
|
| Consenting Adults Consenting Adults is a 1992 American thriller film, directed by Alan J. Pakula. It stars Kevin Kline, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Kevin Spacey and Rebecca Miller. The original music score was composed by Michael Small...
|
David Duttonville |
|
| 1993 |
Bank Robber Bank Robber is a 1993 film written and directed by Nick Mead in his directorial debut.-Plot:Billy , is a well dressed bank robber who decides to do one last heist so he can sail off to a tropical island with his girlfriend, Selina . On his last robbery, he forgets to destroy a surveillance camera...
|
Officer Battle |
|
| Lush Life |
Buddy Chester |
Television movie |
| Body Snatchers |
Major Collins |
|
| 1994 |
The Enemy Within |
Colonel Mac Casey |
Television movie |
Blown AwayBlown Away is a 1994 action film starring Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones. It was directed by Stephen Hopkins.- Plot :Lt. Jimmy Dove is a veteran disposal technician on the Boston Police bomb squad, who irritates his captain, partner and everyone else when he plays hero and disarms dangerous...
|
Anthony Franklin |
|
| Prêt-à-Porter Prêt-à-Porter is a 1994 satirical black comedy written, directed and produced by Robert Altman and shot during the Paris, France, Fashion Week with a host of international stars, models and designers...
|
Cy Bianco |
NBR Award for Best Cast The National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble is an annual film award given by the National Board of Review.-1990s:...
|
| Jason's Lyric Jason's Lyric is a 1994 romantic drama film, written by Bobby Smith, Jr., and directed by Doug McHenry. The film marks the directorial debut of McHenry, who co-produced the film with George Jackson...
|
Maddog |
|
| 1995 |
Species Species is a 1995 science fiction horror film directed by Roger Donaldson, and starring Natasha Henstridge, Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Forest Whitaker, Alfred Molina and Marg Helgenberger...
|
Dan Smithson, Empath |
|
| Smoke Smoke is an American independent film released in 1995. It was produced by Bob and Harvey Weinstein and directed by Wayne Wang and Paul Auster . Among others, it features Harvey Keitel, William Hurt, Victor Argo, Forest Whitaker, Ashley Judd, Stockard Channing and Harold Perrineau Jr...
|
Cyrus Cole |
|
| 1996 |
PhenomenonPhenomenon is a 1996 drama, romance, and fantasy film written by Gerald Di Pego, directed by Jon Turteltaub, and starring John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitaker, and Robert Duvall....
|
Nate Pope |
|
| 1998 |
Body CountBody Count is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1990. The group was founded by Ice-T, best known for his contributions to the hip hop genre. Ice-T founded the group out of his interest in heavy metal, and took on the role of vocalist for the group, writing the lyrics...
|
Crane |
|
| 1999 |
Ghost Dog: The Way of the SamuraiGhost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a 1999 samurai action film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Forest Whitaker stars as the title character, the mysterious "Ghost Dog", an African-American hitman in the employ of the Mafia, who follows the ancient code of the samurai as outlined in the book...
|
Ghost Dog |
|
| Witness Protection Witness Protection is a 1999 American television movie directed by Richard Pearce. The teleplay by Daniel Therriault is based on a New York Times Magazine article entitled The Invisible Family by Robert Sabbag...
|
Steven Beck |
|
| Light It Up Light It Up is the third album by the band Stromkern. Released in 2005 by Dependent Records in Europe and WTII Records in the States.-Track listing:# "Televised"# "Reminders"# "Slow Cascade"# "Forgiven"# "The Debate"# "Ruin"...
|
Officer Dante Jackson |
|
| 2000 |
Battlefield Earth Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 is an American film adaptation of the novel Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard that was released on May 12, 2000. Directed by Roger Christian, the film stars John Travolta, Forest Whitaker, and Barry Pepper...
|
Ker |
|
| Four Dogs Playing Poker |
Mr. Ellington |
|
| 2001 |
The Fourth Angel The Fourth Angel is a 2001 British thriller directed by John Irvin and written by Allan Scott, from a novel by Robin Hunter. It stars Jeremy Irons as a man who seeks justice after a terrorist attack on the plane in which his family is travelling...
|
Agent Jules Bernard |
|
| The Follow -Discography:Studio albumsSinglesEPs...
|
The Employer |
uncredited |
Green Dragon-Plot:The film follows the experience of Vietnamese refugees in the United States immediately following the Fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. Tai Tran has been appointed the camp translator lead by Sgt. Jim Lance . He has arrived with his sister's two young children...
|
Addie |
|
| 2002 |
Panic Room |
Burnham |
|
Phone BoothPhone Booth is a 2003 morality thriller about a man who is held hostage in a telephone booth by a sniper. It stars Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell, Katie Holmes and was directed by Joel Schumacher. The music was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams...
|
Captain Ed Ramey |
|
| 2004 |
First Daughter First Daughter is a romantic comedy film released by 20th Century Fox in 2004. It stars Katie Holmes as Samantha Mackenzie, a Presidential daughter who enrolls at a college and develops a relationship with another student at the college played by Marc Blucas...
|
Narrator |
also directed |
| 2005 |
A Little Trip to Heaven |
Abe Holt |
|
| American Gun American Gun is a 2005 film movie produced by Participant Productions, IFC Films, IFC First Take, and Spirit Dance Entertainment. It was written in 2001 by Steven Bagatourian and Aric Avelino and directed by Avelino as his directorial debut....
|
Carter |
Nominated - Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Male |
| Mary Mary is a drama thriller film, written and directed by the controversial American director Abel Ferrara. The film stars Academy Award winners Juliette Binoche, Forest Whitaker, Marion Cotillard, two-time Golden Globe nominee Matthew Modine and Heather Graham. The film premiered at the 2005 Venice...
|
Ted Younger |
|
| 2006 |
Even Money Even Money is a American crime film.The story concerns three strangers who are addicted to gambling and how their lives come to be intertwined. They are a novelist who struggles to write her follow-up book, a former stage magician and an older brother of a college basketball star...
|
Clyde Snow |
|
| The Marsh The Marsh is a 2006 Film directed by Jordan Barker and written by Michael Stokes. The horror film's tagline is:You can bury the past, but sometimes the past won't stay buried...- Plot :...
|
Geoffrey Hunt |
|
| Everyone's Hero Everyone's Hero is a 2006 computer animated feature film. It is directed by Colin Brady, Christopher Reeve , and Daniel St. Pierre, with music by John Debney. The majority of this film was produced by IDT Entertainment in Toronto with portions outsourced to Reel FX Creative Studio...
|
Lonnie Brewster |
voice only |
| The Last King of Scotland The Last King of Scotland is a 2006 British drama film based on Giles Foden's novel of the same name. It was adapted by screenwriters Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock and directed by Kevin Macdonald...
|
Idi AminIdi Amin Dada , commonly known as Idi Amin, was the military dictator and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979....
|
Academy Award for Best Actor Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
Golden Globe Award for Best ActorThe Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951...
BAFTA Award for Best ActorBest Actor in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.- Winners and nominees :...
Screen Actors Guild for Best ActorThe Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role is an award presented annually by the Screen Actors Guild to honour the finest male acting achievements in a motion picture in a lead role...
National Board of Review Award for Best ActorAn incomplete list of the winners of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for Best Actor :-1940s:-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:...
|
| 2007 |
The Air I Breathe The Air I Breathe is a directorial film debut of Korean-American filmmaker Jieho Lee, who co-wrote the script with Bob DeRosa. It stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brendan Fraser, Cecilia Suárez, Clark Gregg, Emile Hirsch, Forest Whitaker, John Cho, Julie Delpy, Kelly Hu, Kevin Bacon and Andy Garcia. ...
|
Happiness |
|
| Ripple Effect |
Philip |
|
| The Great Debaters The Great Debaters is a American biopic period drama film directed by and starring two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah Winfrey and her production company, Harpo Productions...
|
James L. Farmer, Sr. James Leonard Farmer, Sr. was an American author, theologian, educator, and the first African-American Texan to earn a doctorate. Farmer served as a deacon in the Methodist Episcopal Church and as an administrator at several historically black colleges and universities in the U.S. South, most...
|
|
| 2008 |
Vantage Point Vantage Point is a 2008 American political thriller directed by Pete Travis. The screenplay by Barry L. Levy focuses on an assassination attempt on the President of the United States as seen from eight different points of view.-Plot:...
|
Howard Lewis |
|
| Street Kings |
Capt. Jack Wander |
|
| Dragon Hunters Dragon Hunters is a 2008, full-length 3D computer-animated French fantasy film, directed by creator Arthur Qwak and Guillaume Ivernel. In the English version it stars the voices of Forest Whitaker, Rob Paulsen and Mary Mouser; Vincent Lindon, Patrick Timsit and Marie Drion voice the french version...
|
Lian Chu |
Voice - English version |
| 2009 |
Powder Blue Powder Blue is a drama film with an ensemble cast featuring several interconnected story arcs. It was written and directed by Timothy Linh Bui, and features Patrick Swayze's last movie role before his death on September 14, 2009.-Plot:...
|
Charlie |
|
| Winged Creatures Fragments is a 2008 film adaptation of Roy Freirich's novel Winged Creatures. It stars Kate Beckinsale, Dakota Fanning, Josh Hutcherson, Guy Pearce, Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Hudson, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Embeth Davidtz...
|
Charlie Archenault |
|
| Where the Wild Things Are Where the Wild Things Are is a American fantasy film directed by Spike Jonze and adapted from Maurice Sendak's 1963 children's book of the same name. The film combines live action, performers in costumes, animatronics, and computer-generated imagery .-Plot:Max, a young boy, enjoys an active...
|
Ira |
(voice only) |
| Lullaby for Pi |
George |
post-production |
| 2010 |
Repo Men! |
Jake Freivald |
awaiting release |
| Hurricane Season Hurricane Season is an upcoming sports drama directed by Tim Story, and starring Forest Whitaker, Eric Hill, Taraji P. Henson, Lil Wayne, Bow Wow and Joshua "Beezy" Byers. The screenplay was written by Robert Eisele and the film was produced by Raymond Brothers and Scott Glassgold...
|
Al Collins |
awaiting release |
| My Own Love Song My Own Love Song is an upcoming drama film directed and written by Olivier Dahan and starring Renée Zellweger and Forest Whitaker.The soundtrack will include "Life is Hard" from Bob Dylan's album, Together Through Life.-Plot:...
|
TBA |
post-production |
| The Experiment |
Barris |
post-production |
| Family Wedding |
TBA |
filming |
Director
| Year |
Film |
| 1995 |
Waiting to ExhaleWaiting to Exhale is a 1995 romance film starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett, directed by Forest Whitaker. The movie was adapted from the novel of the same name by Terry McMillan and also stars Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon. The original music score was composed by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds...
|
| 1998 |
Hope FloatsHope Floats is an 1998 American romantic drama film directed by Forest Whitaker, and starring Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick, Jr. and Gena Rowlands.-Plot:...
|
| 2004 |
First Daughter First Daughter is a romantic comedy film released by 20th Century Fox in 2004. It stars Katie Holmes as Samantha Mackenzie, a Presidential daughter who enrolls at a college and develops a relationship with another student at the college played by Marc Blucas...
|
Television
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1982 |
Making The Grade Making the Grade may refer to:*Making the Grade , a 1984 film*Making the Grade , a 2002 album by Diffuser*Making the Grade , a 1982 American television series*Making the Grade , a 1929 film...
|
|
Episode "Marriage David Style" |
| 1983 |
Cagney & LaceyCagney & Lacey is an American television series that first aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982 to May 16, 1988. It is considered to be American television's first serious drama series with two female leads...
|
Night Manager |
Episode "The Grandest Jewel Thief of Them All" |
| 1984 |
Trapper John, M.D.Trapper John, M.D. is an American television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH, about a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986....
|
Lewis Jordan |
Episode "School Nurse" |
| Hill Street Blues Hill Street Blues is a serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Reruns are currently being aired on AmericanLife TV Network on weekday nights in the United States, and on weekday afternoons on digital network More 4 in the United Kingdom...
|
Floyd Green |
Episode "Blues for Mr. Green" |
| 1985 |
Diff'rent StrokesDiff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on the NBC television network from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986.-History:...
|
Herman |
Episode "Bully for Arnold" |
| The Grand Baby |
|
Television movie |
The Fall GuyThe Fall Guy is an American television program produced for ABC and originally broadcast from 1981 to 1986. It stars Lee Majors, Heather Thomas, and Douglas Barr.-Plot:...
|
Friend |
Episode "Spring Break" |
| 1986 |
Amazing StoriesAmazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
|
Jerry |
Episode "Gather Ye Acorns" |
| 1987 |
Hands of a Stranger |
Sergeant Delaney |
Television movie |
| 1990 |
Criminal Justice |
Jessie Williams |
Television movie |
| 1993 |
Lush Life |
Buddy Chester |
Television movie |
| Last Light |
Fred Whitmore |
Television movie |
| 1994 |
The Enemy Within |
Colonel MacKenzie 'Mac' Casey |
Television movie |
| 1996 |
Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault is a 1996 HBO television film about Earl Manigault, a American street basketball legendary player famous under his nickname of "The Goat."...
|
Mr. Rucker |
Television movie |
| 1999 |
Witness Protection |
Steven Beck |
Television movie |
| 2001 |
Feast of All Saints |
Daguerreotypist Picard |
Television movie |
| 2003 |
Deacons for Defense |
Marcus Clay |
Television movie |
| 2002-2003 |
The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
|
Host / Narrator |
44 episodes |
| 2006-2007 |
ERER is an American medical drama series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 1994 to April 2009. It is set primarily in the emergency room of fictional County General Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment in...
|
Curtis Ames |
6 episodes |
The ShieldThe Shield is an American television drama series which aired on FX Networks in the United States and other networks internationally. Known for its controversial portrayal of corrupt police officers, it was originally advertised as "Rampart" in reference to the true life Rampart Division police...
|
Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh |
(Seasons 5 and 6) |
| 2007-2009 |
American Dad!American Dad! is a satirical American animated series owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions and produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television....
|
Turlington |
3 episodes |
External links