Personal details
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Born
15 Juli 1961 (65)
Place of birth
Longview, Texas, USA
Also known as
Forest Steven Whitaker III · Forest Steven Whitaker · פורסט ויטאקר
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.
Dikenal lewat
7.4
Film
Black Panther
Zuri
2018
7.6
Film
Arrival
Colonel Weber
2016
8.1
Series
Godfather of Harlem
Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson
2019–2025
7.2
Series
The Twilight Zone
Self - Host
2002–2003
7.4
Film
Southpaw
Titus 'Tick' Wills
2015
6.3
Film
Taken 3
Inspector Frank Dotzler
2014
7.5
Film
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Saw Gerrera
2016
6.8
Film
Panic Room
Burnham
2002
7.1
Film
Bloodsport
Rawlins
1988
7.7
Film
Platoon
Big Harold
1986
6.5
Series
The Emperor of Ocean Park
Judge Oliver Garland
2024–
6.5
Film
Phenomenon
Nate Pope
1996
7.3
Film
The Great Debaters
Dr. James Farmer Sr.
2007
6.7
Film
Street Kings
Captain Jack Wander
2008
7.2
Series
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior
Sam Cooper
2011
6.4
Film
Havoc
Lawrence Beaumont
2025
6.3
Film
Repo Men
Jake
2010
6.2
Film
Blown Away
Anthony Franklin
1994
6.7
Film
Zulu
Ali Sokhela
2013
6.8
Film
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Charles Jefferson
1982
6.4
Film
Vantage Point
Howard Lewis
2008
8.3
Film
The King of Kings
Peter (voice)
2025
6.9
Film
Phone Booth
Captain Ramey
2003
6.9
Film
The Color of Money
Amos
1986
3.3
Film
Battlefield Earth
Ker
2000
6.9
Series
Roots
Fiddler
2016
6.8
Film
The Crying Game
Jody
1992
5.6
Film
Pawn
Will
2013
6.0
Film
Species
Dan Smithson, Empath
1995
6.2
Film
Body Snatchers
Major Collins
1993
5.4
Film
A Little Trip to Heaven
Abe Holt
2005
6.5
Film
Stakeout
Det. Jack Pismo
1987
7.3
Film
Good Morning, Vietnam
Edward Garlick
1987
6.3
Film
The Air I Breathe
Happiness
2007
6.1
Film
The Last Stand
Agent John Bannister
2013
5.1
Film
Catch.44
Ronny
2011
7.3
Film
The Butler
Cecil Gaines
2013
5.3
Film
How It Ends
Tom
2018
6.8
Film
Sorry to Bother You
First Equisapien / Demarius
2018
7.3
Film
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Ghost Dog
1999
7.0
Series
Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy
Self
2021
6.4
Film
Vision Quest
Balldozer
1985
7.2
Film
Smoke
Cyrus Cole
1995
7.4
Film
The Last King of Scotland
Idi Amin
2006
6.5
Film
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Jeronicus Jangle
2020
7.6
Film
Big George Foreman
Doc Broadus
2023
3.0
Series
Hollywood Black
Self
2024
8.8
Film
Bring Me the Horizon: L.I.V.E. in São Paulo
Self (archive footage)
2026
6.4
Film
The Experiment
Barris
2010
6.1
Film
Powder Blue
Charlie
2009
6.4
Film
Johnny Handsome
Dr. Steven Fisher
1989
5.9
Film
Winged Creatures
Charlie Archenault
2009
6.5
Film
Where the Wild Things Are
Ira (voice)
2009
6.6
Film
Out of the Furnace
Chief Wesley Barnes
2013
5.1
Film
Freelancers
Dennis Larue
2012
6.9
Film
Bird
Charlie 'Bird' Parker
1988
6.8
Film
Respect
C. L. Franklin
2021
6.4
Film
City of Lies
Jack Jackson
2018
5.2
Film
Prêt-à-Porter
Cy Bianco
1994
7.1
Film
Dope
The Narrator (voice)
2015
3.3
Series
By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem
Self
2020
6.1
Film
Finding Steve McQueen
Howard Lambert
2019
6.1
Film
The Forgiven
Desmond Tutu
2018
6.7
Series
Star Wars: Go Rogue
Saw Gerrera (voice)
2016
5.6
Film
The Stories: The Making of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'
Self
2017
6.1
Film
Burden
Reverend Kennedy
2018
10.0
Film
Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times
Self
2020
7.2
Film
Mysteries of the Unseen World
Narrator
2013
3.5
Film
I Am You
Narrator (voice)
2016
4.0
Film
Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace
Narrator (voice)
2018
7.0
Film
Xenolinguistics: Understanding 'Arrival'
Self
2017
Acting credits 71 titles
Bring Me the Horizon: L.I.V.E. in São Paulo
as Self (archive footage)
8.8
2026
Havoc
as Lawrence Beaumont
6.4
2025
The King of Kings
as Peter (voice)
8.3
2025
The Emperor of Ocean Park
as Judge Oliver Garland
6.5
2024–
Hollywood Black
as Self
3.0
2024
Big George Foreman
as Doc Broadus
7.6
2023
Respect
as C. L. Franklin
6.8
2021
Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy
as Self
7.0
2021
By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem
as Self
3.3
2020
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
as Jeronicus Jangle
6.5
2020
Nations United: Urgent Solutions for Urgent Times
as Self
10.0
2020
Godfather of Harlem
as Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson
8.1
2019–2025
Finding Steve McQueen
as Howard Lambert
6.1
2019
Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace
as Narrator (voice)
4.0
2018
The Forgiven
as Desmond Tutu
6.1
2018
How It Ends
as Tom
5.3
2018
City of Lies
as Jack Jackson
6.4
2018
Burden
as Reverend Kennedy
6.1
2018
Black Panther
as Zuri
7.4
2018
Sorry to Bother You
as First Equisapien / Demarius
6.8
2018
The Stories: The Making of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'
as Self
5.6
2017
Xenolinguistics: Understanding 'Arrival'
as Self
7.0
2017
I Am You
as Narrator (voice)
3.5
2016
Arrival
as Colonel Weber
7.6
2016
Roots
as Fiddler
6.9
2016
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
as Saw Gerrera
7.5
2016
Star Wars: Go Rogue
as Saw Gerrera (voice)
6.7
2016
Southpaw
as Titus 'Tick' Wills
7.4
2015
Dope
as The Narrator (voice)
7.1
2015
Taken 3
as Inspector Frank Dotzler
6.3
2014
The Butler
as Cecil Gaines
7.3
2013
Mysteries of the Unseen World
as Narrator
7.2
2013
Zulu
as Ali Sokhela
6.7
2013
Pawn
as Will
5.6
2013
Out of the Furnace
as Chief Wesley Barnes
6.6
2013
The Last Stand
as Agent John Bannister
6.1
2013
Freelancers
as Dennis Larue
5.1
2012
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior
as Sam Cooper
7.2
2011
Catch.44
as Ronny
5.1
2011
Repo Men
as Jake
6.3
2010
The Experiment
as Barris
6.4
2010
Winged Creatures
as Charlie Archenault
5.9
2009
Powder Blue
as Charlie
6.1
2009
Where the Wild Things Are
as Ira (voice)
6.5
2009
Street Kings
as Captain Jack Wander
6.7
2008
Vantage Point
as Howard Lewis
6.4
2008
The Great Debaters
as Dr. James Farmer Sr.
7.3
2007
The Air I Breathe
as Happiness
6.3
2007
The Last King of Scotland
as Idi Amin
7.4
2006
A Little Trip to Heaven
as Abe Holt
5.4
2005
Phone Booth
as Captain Ramey
6.9
2003
The Twilight Zone
as Self - Host
7.2
2002–2003
Panic Room
as Burnham
6.8
2002
Battlefield Earth
as Ker
3.3
2000
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
as Ghost Dog
7.3
1999
Phenomenon
as Nate Pope
6.5
1996
Smoke
as Cyrus Cole
7.2
1995
Species
as Dan Smithson, Empath
6.0
1995
Blown Away
as Anthony Franklin
6.2
1994
Prêt-à-Porter
as Cy Bianco
5.2
1994
Body Snatchers
as Major Collins
6.2
1993
The Crying Game
as Jody
6.8
1992
Johnny Handsome
as Dr. Steven Fisher
6.4
1989
Bird
as Charlie 'Bird' Parker
6.9
1988
Bloodsport
as Rawlins
7.1
1988
Good Morning, Vietnam
as Edward Garlick
7.3
1987
Stakeout
as Det. Jack Pismo
6.5
1987
Platoon
as Big Harold
7.7
1986
The Color of Money
as Amos
6.9
1986
Vision Quest
as Balldozer
6.4
1985
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
as Charles Jefferson
6.8
1982