Forest Whitaker
Born July 15, 1961 (Age: 64)
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Longview, Texas, USA
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.
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.
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Filmography
The King of Kings
2025
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as Peter (voice)
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Age: 63
Big George Foreman
2023
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as Doc Broadus
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Age: 61
Respect
2021
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as C. L. Franklin
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Age: 60
Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King
2020
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as Self
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Age: 59
City of Lies
2018
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as Jack Jackson
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Age: 57
Sorry to Bother You
2018
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as First Equisapien / Demarius
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Age: 56
Black Panther
2018
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as Zuri
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Age: 56
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
2016
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as Saw Gerrera
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Age: 55
Arrival
2016
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as Colonel Weber
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Age: 55
Dope
2015
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as The Narrator (voice)
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Age: 53
Southpaw
2015
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as Titus 'Tick' Wills
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Age: 53
Taken 3
2014
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as Inspector Frank Dotzler
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Age: 53
Repentance
2014
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as Angel
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Age: 52
Black Nativity
2013
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as Reverend Cornell Cobbs
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Age: 52
Out of the Furnace
2013
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as Chief Wesley Barnes
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Age: 52
The Butler
2013
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as Cecil Gaines
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Age: 52
A Dark Truth
2012
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as Francisco Francis
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Age: 51
A Man's Story
2011
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as Self
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Age: 50
My Own Love Song
2010
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as Joey
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Age: 48
Repo Men
2010
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as Jake
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Age: 48
Our Family Wedding
2010
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as Brad Boyd
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Age: 48
Hurricane Season
2010
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as Al Collins
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Age: 48
Where the Wild Things Are
2009
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as Ira (voice)
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Age: 48
Winged Creatures
2009
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as Charlie Archenault
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Age: 47
Street Kings
2008
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as Captain Jack Wander
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Age: 46
Vantage Point
2008
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as Howard Lewis
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Age: 46
The Great Debaters
2007
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as Dr. James Farmer Sr.
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Age: 46
Ripple Effect
2007
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as Philip
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Age: 45
Even Money
2007
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as Clyde Snow
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Age: 45
The Last King of Scotland
2006
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as Idi Amin
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Age: 45
Everyone's Hero
2006
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as Lonnie Brewster (voice)
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Age: 45
The Marsh
2006
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as Geoffrey Hunt
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Age: 44
Jiminy Glick in Lalawood
2005
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as Forest Whitaker
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Age: 43
No Image
The Misbehavers
2004
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as Self
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Age: 43
First Daughter
2004
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as Narrator (voice)
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Age: 43
Phone Booth
2003
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as Captain Ramey
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Age: 41
Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows
2000
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as Self
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Age: 39
Four Dogs Playing Poker
2000
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as Mr. Ellington
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Age: 38
Battlefield Earth
2000
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as Ker
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Age: 38
The Paperboy
2000
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as Narrator
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Age: 38
Light It Up
1999
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as Officer Dante Jackson
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Age: 38
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
1999
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as Ghost Dog
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Age: 38
Phenomenon
1996
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as Nate Pope
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Age: 34
Mr. Holland's Opus
1995
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as Bobby Tidd as an adult (uncredited)
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Age: 34
Species
1995
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as Dan Smithson, Empath
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Age: 33
Smoke
1995
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as Cyrus Cole
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Age: 33
Prêt-à-Porter
1994
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as Cy Bianco
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Age: 33
Blown Away
1994
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as Anthony Franklin
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Age: 32
Jason's Lyric
1994
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as Maddog
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Age: 32
Body Snatchers
1993
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as Major Collins
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Age: 31
Consenting Adults
1992
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as David Duttonville
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Age: 31
The Crying Game
1992
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as Jody
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Age: 31
Article 99
1992
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as Dr. Sid Handleman
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Age: 30
Diary of a Hitman
1991
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as Dekker
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Age: 30
A Rage in Harlem
1991
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as Jackson
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Age: 29
Downtown
1990
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as Dennis Curren
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Age: 28
Johnny Handsome
1989
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as Dr. Steven Fisher
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Age: 28
Bird
1988
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as Charlie 'Bird' Parker
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Age: 26
Bloodsport
1988
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as Rawlins
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Age: 26
Good Morning, Vietnam
1987
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as Edward Garlick
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Age: 26
Stakeout
1987
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as Det. Jack Pismo
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Age: 26
Platoon
1986
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as Big Harold
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Age: 25
The Color of Money
1986
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as Amos
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Age: 25
No Image
The Grand Baby
1983
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as
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Age: 22
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
1982
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as Charles Jefferson
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Age: 21