About

Known credits:
173
Birthday:
1961-07-15
Place of birth:
Longview, Texas, USA
Website:
N/A

Forest Whitaker

Overview

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.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Forest Whitaker, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Acting
2025 The King of Kings Actor Peter (voice) N/A
N/A
2024 Seaweed Stories Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
2024 Emperor of Ocean Park Actor Oliver Garland 69
Fair
2023 to Crinkle their Wrist, Perfumed Splendour Actor Ghost Dog (archive footage) N/A
N/A
2023 Big George Foreman Actor Doc Broadus 64
Fair
2022 Clint Eastwood: The Last Legend Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
2022 Prophets of Change Actor Narrator N/A
N/A
2022 Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look Actor Saw Gerrera (archive footage) (uncredited) 59
Average
2021 Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy Actor Self N/A
N/A
2021 Respect Actor C. L. Franklin 62
Fair
2020 Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Actor Jeronicus Jangle 62
Fair
2020 Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times Actor Self 59
Average
2020 Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King Actor Self 60
Fair
2020 Burden Actor Reverend Kennedy 59
Average
2020 A Fall from Grace Actor N/A
N/A
2019 Godfather of Harlem Actor Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson 79
Good
2019 Finding Steve McQueen Actor Howard Lambert 59
Average
2018 City of Lies Actor Jack Jackson 61
Fair
2018 How It Ends Actor Tom 54
Average
2018 Sorry to Bother You Actor First Equisapien / Demarius 65
Fair
2018 Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace Actor Narrator (voice) 59
Average
2018 The Forgiven Actor Desmond Tutu 59
Average
2018 Black Panther Actor Zuri 73
Good
2017 The Stories: The Making of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' Actor Self 59
Average
2017 Xenolinguistics: Understanding 'Arrival' Actor Self 59
Average
2016 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Actor Saw Gerrera 74
Good
2016 I Am You Actor Narrator (voice) 58
Average
2016 Arrival Actor Colonel Weber 75
Good
2016 Star Wars: Go Rogue Actor Saw Gerrera (voice) 69
Fair
2016 Roots Actor Fiddler 69
Fair
2015 Dope Actor The Narrator (voice) 67
Fair
2015 Southpaw Actor Titus 'Tick' Wills 72
Good
2014 Taken 3 Actor Inspector Frank Dotzler 62
Fair
2014 Star Wars Rebels Actor Saw Gerrera (voice) 59
Average
2014 Two Men in Town Actor William Garnett 58
Average
2014 Food Chains Actor 59
Average
2014 Repentance Actor Angel 57
Average
2013 Zulu Actor Ali Sokhela 62
Fair
2013 Black Nativity Actor Reverend Cornell Cobbs 58
Average
2013 Making a Scene Actor Man 58
Average
2013 The Making of 'Making a Scene' Actor Self 59
Average
2013 Out of the Furnace Actor Chief Wesley Barnes 64
Fair
2013 Mysteries of the Unseen World Actor Narrator 59
Average
2013 The Butler Actor Cecil Gaines 71
Good
2013 Rising from Ashes Actor Narrator 58
Average
2013 Pawn Actor Will 58
Average
2013 The Last Stand Actor Agent John Bannister 60
Fair
2012 A Dark Truth Actor Francisco Francis 58
Average
2012 Freelancers Actor Dennis Larue 56
Average
2011 Catch.44 Actor Ronny 55
Average
2011 A Man's Story Actor Self 59
Average
2011 Serving Life Actor Narrator (voice) 59
Average
2011 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior Actor Sam Cooper 70
Good
2010 Lullaby for Pi Actor George 59
Average
2010 2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift Actor (archive footage) 59
Average
2010 The Experiment Actor Barris 62
Fair
2010 My Own Love Song Actor Joey 59
Average
2010 Repo Men Actor Jake 62
Fair
2010 Our Family Wedding Actor Brad Boyd 58
Average
2010 Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life Actor Lion 59
Average
2009 Hurricane Season Actor Al Collins 60
Fair
2009 Where the Wild Things Are Actor Ira (voice) 63
Fair
2009 Crips and Bloods: Made in America Actor Narrator 59
Average
2009 Winged Creatures Actor Charlie Archenault 59
Average
2009 Powder Blue Actor Charlie 59
Average
2008 Street Kings Actor Captain Jack Wander 64
Fair
2008 Dragon Hunters Actor Lian-Chu (voice) 61
Fair
2008 Mon Clown Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
2008 Vantage Point Actor Howard Lewis 62
Fair
2007 The Great Debaters Actor Dr. James Farmer Sr. 66
Fair
2007 Ripple Effect Actor Philip 59
Average
2007 Even Money Actor Clyde Snow 58
Average
2007 The Air I Breathe Actor Happiness 60
Fair
2006 Before the Music Dies Actor Self - Narrator (voice) 59
Average
2006 Everyone's Hero Actor Lonnie Brewster (voice) 58
Average
2006 The Marsh Actor Geoffrey Hunt 58
Average
2006 The Last King of Scotland Actor Idi Amin 71
Good
2005 A Little Trip to Heaven Actor Abe Holt 58
Average
2005 Mary Actor Ted Younger 58
Average
2005 Odyssey in Rome Actor N/A
N/A
2005 American Gun Actor Carter 58
Average
2005 Jiminy Glick in Lalawood Actor Forest Whitaker 58
Average
2004 The Misbehavers Actor Self N/A
N/A
2004 First Daughter Actor Narrator (voice) 60
Fair
2004 Shooting 'Panic Room' Actor Self 59
Average
2003 Phone Booth Actor Captain Ramey 67
Fair
2003 Making of Phone Booth Actor Self 59
Average
2003 Deacons for Defense Actor Marcus Clay 59
Average
2002 The Twilight Zone Actor Self - Host 71
Good
2002 Panic Room Actor Burnham 66
Fair
2001 Feast of All Saints Actor Daguerreotypist Picard 58
Average
2001 The Fourth Angel Actor Agent Jules Bernard 58
Average
2001 Ghost Dog: The Odyssey: The Journey Into the Life of a Samurai Actor N/A
N/A
2001 The Follow Actor The Employer 60
Fair
2001 Green Dragon Actor Addie 59
Average
2001 A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon' Actor Self 59
Average
2000 Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows Actor Self 59
Average
2000 Battlefield Earth Actor Ker 42
Bad
2000 The Paperboy Actor Narrator 59
Average
1999 Witness Protection Actor Steven Beck 59
Average
1999 Light It Up Actor Officer Dante Jackson 59
Average
1999 Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai Actor Ghost Dog 68
Fair
1998 Body Count Actor Crane 58
Average
1996 Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault Actor Mr. Rucker 60
Fair
1996 Phenomenon Actor Nate Pope 62
Fair
1995 Mr. Holland's Opus Actor Bobby Tidd - Adult (uncredited) 63
Fair
1995 Species Actor Dan Smithson, Empath 59
Average
1995 Smoke Actor Cyrus Cole 65
Fair
1994 Prêt-à-Porter Actor Cy Bianco 56
Average
1994 Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malpaso Actor Self 59
Average
1994 Jason's Lyric Actor Maddog 59
Average
1994 The Enemy Within Actor Col. MacKenzie Casey 58
Average
1994 Blown Away Actor Anthony Franklin 60
Fair
1993 Bank Robber Actor Officer Battle 58
Average
1993 Lush Life Actor Buddy Chester 59
Average
1993 Last Light Actor Fred Whitmore 58
Average
1993 Body Snatchers Actor Major Collins 60
Fair
1992 Consenting Adults Actor David Duttonville 57
Average
1992 The Crying Game Actor Jody 64
Fair
1992 Article 99 Actor Dr. Sid Handleman 59
Average
1991 Diary of a Hitman Actor Dekker 58
Average
1991 A Rage in Harlem Actor Jackson 58
Average
1990 Criminal Justice Actor Jessie Williams 59
Average
1990 Downtown Actor Dennis Curren 58
Average
1989 Johnny Handsome Actor Dr. Steven Fisher 60
Fair
1988 Bird Actor Charlie 'Bird' Parker 62
Fair
1988 Bloodsport Actor Rawlins 67
Fair
1987 Good Morning, Vietnam Actor Edward Garlick 70
Good
1987 Stakeout Actor Det. Jack Pismo 61
Fair
1987 Hands of a Stranger Actor Sergeant Delaney 59
Average
1986 Platoon Actor Big Harold 75
Good
1986 The Color of Money Actor Amos 66
Fair
1985 Vision Quest Actor Balldozer 59
Average
1982 Fast Times at Ridgemont High Actor Charles Jefferson 65
Fair
1982 Tag: The Assassination Game Actor Gowdy's Bodyguard 58
Average
A Fall from Grace Actor N/A
N/A
Average Height, Average Build Actor N/A
N/A
Sewing Hope Actor Narrator (voice) N/A
N/A
A Fall from Grace Actor Source N/A
N/A
Havoc Actor N/A
N/A

Directing
2004 First Daughter Directing Director 60
Fair
1998 Hope Floats Directing Director 60
Fair
1995 Waiting to Exhale Directing Director 59
Average
1993 Strapped Directing Director 58
Average

Production
2024 Transplant Production Producer N/A
N/A
2024 Hollywood Black Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
2024 Fancy Dance Production Executive Producer 59
Average
2023 To Live and Die and Live Production Producer 58
Average
2022 For the Sake of Peace Production Producer N/A
N/A
2021 Passing Production Producer 60
Fair
2020 By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
2019 Devil's Pie: D'Angelo Production Producer 59
Average
2019 A Kid from Coney Island Production Executive Producer 59
Average
2018 Sorry to Bother You Production Producer 65
Fair
2017 Roxanne Roxanne Production Producer 59
Average
2015 Songs My Brothers Taught Me Production Producer 60
Fair
2015 Dope Production Producer 67
Fair
2013 Rising from Ashes Production Executive Producer 58
Average
2013 Fruitvale Station Production Producer 69
Fair
2011 Serving Life Production Executive Producer 59
Average
2011 Monte Carlo Production Executive Producer 64
Fair
2009 Brick City Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
2009 Kassim the Dream Production Producer 59
Average
2009 Powder Blue Production Producer 59
Average
2007 Ripple Effect Production Executive Producer 59
Average
2005 American Gun Production Executive Producer 58
Average
2004 First Daughter Production Executive Producer 60
Fair
2003 Chasing Papi Production Producer 60
Fair
2002 Door to Door Production Co-Executive Producer 60
Fair
2001 Green Dragon Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1991 A Rage in Harlem Production Co-Producer 58
Average

Crew
1998 Hope Floats Crew Executive Music Producer 60
Fair
1986 A Little Off Mark Crew Thanks 59
Average