Forest Whitaker profile
Actor profile

Forest Whitaker

15th July 1961 Longview, Texas, USA Acting

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.

121 Movies 43 TV Shows 172 Credits
Filmography

Movies & TV Shows

Havoc poster
Havoc 25th April 2025 as Lawrence Beaumont
Respect poster
Respect 12th August 2021 as C. L. Franklin
Burden poster
Burden 5th August 2018 as Reverend Kennedy
Arrival poster
Arrival 10th November 2016 as Colonel Weber
Southpaw poster
Southpaw 22nd July 2015 as Titus 'Tick' Wills
Dope poster
Dope 19th June 2015 as The Narrator (voice)
Taken 3 poster
Taken 3 16th December 2014 as Inspector Frank Dotzler
Zulu poster
Zulu 4th December 2013 as Ali Sokhela
Pawn poster
Pawn 23rd April 2013 as Will
Mary poster
Mary 18th November 2005 as Ted Younger
Species poster
Species 7th July 1995 as Dan Smithson, Empath
Smoke poster
Smoke 9th June 1995 as Cyrus Cole
Downtown poster
Downtown 12th January 1990 as Dennis Curren
Bird poster
Bird 1st June 1988 as Charlie 'Bird' Parker
Stakeout poster
Stakeout 5th August 1987 as Det. Jack Pismo
Platoon poster
Platoon 19th December 1986 as Big Harold
Andor poster
Andor 21st September 2022 as Saw Gerrera
Steve poster
Steve 5th September 2017 as Self
Roots poster
Roots 30th May 2016 as Fiddler
Empire poster
Empire 7th January 2015 as Eddie Barker
ER poster
ER 19th September 1994 as Curtis Ames
Today poster
Today 14th January 1952 as Self