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Forest Whitaker

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Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker 2014.jpg
Whitaker in February 2014
Born Forest Steven Whitaker III
(1961-07-15) July 15, 1961 (age 57)
Longview, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater Cal Poly Pomona
University of Southern California
New York University
Occupation Actor, producer, director
Years active 1982–present
Spouse(s)
Keisha Nash
(m. 1996)
Children 4
Relatives Kenn Whitaker (brother)
Damon Whitaker (brother)
Deborah (sister)

Forest Steven Whitaker III (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor, producer, and director.

Whitaker has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird, The Crying Game, Platoon, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, The Great Debaters, The Butler and Arrival.[1][2][3] He has also appeared in blockbusters such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as Saw Gerrera and Black Panther as Zuri. He also appeared in Taken 3, a 2014 English-language French action thriller film directed by Olivier Megaton and written by Luc Besson.

For his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland, Whitaker won the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, National Board of Review Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and various critics groups' awards for a lead acting performance.

Early life and education[edit]

Whitaker was born on July 15, 1961 in Longview, Texas,[4] the son of Laura Francis (née Smith), a special education teacher who put herself through college and earned two master's degrees while raising her children, and Forest Steven Whitaker Jr., an insurance salesman.[5][6] A DNA test has shown that his mother had Akan ancestry, while his father was of Igbo descent.[7] When Whitaker was four, his family moved to Carson, California.[8] Whitaker has two younger brothers, Kenn and Damon, and an older sister, Deborah. His first role as an actor was the lead in Dylan Thomas' play Under Milk Wood.[8]

Whitaker attended Palisades Charter High School and played on the football team and sang in the choir, graduating in 1979. Whitaker entered California State Polytechnic University, Pomona[9] on a football scholarship, but a back injury made him change his major to music (singing). He toured England with the Cal Poly Chamber Singers in 1980. While still at Cal Poly, he briefly changed his major to drama. He was accepted to the Music Conservatory at the University of Southern California to study opera as a tenor, and subsequently was accepted into the University's Drama Conservatory.[6] He graduated from USC with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting in 1982.[10] He also earned a scholarship to the Berkeley, California, branch of the Drama Studio London.[11] Whitaker was pursuing a degree in "The Core of Conflict: Studies in Peace and Reconciliation" at New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2004.[12]

Career[edit]

Film work[edit]

Whitaker presenting the film My Own Love Song in Paris, 2010

Whitaker has a long history of working with well-regarded film directors and actors. In his first onscreen performance of note, he had a supporting role playing a high school football player in the 1982 film version of Cameron Crowe's coming-of-age teen-retrospective Fast Times at Ridgemont High.[6] In 1986, he appeared in Martin Scorsese's The Color of Money and Oliver Stone's Platoon. The following year, he co-starred in the comedy Good Morning, Vietnam. In 1988, Whitaker appeared in the film Bloodsport and had his first lead role starring as musician Charlie "Bird" Parker in Clint Eastwood's Bird. To prepare himself for the part, he sequestered himself in a loft with only a bed, couch, and saxophone,[1] having also conducted extensive research and taken alto sax lessons.[13] His performance, which has been called "transcendent",[3] earned him the Best Actor award at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival[14] 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 and was cast in the pivotal role of Jody, a captive British soldier in the 1992 film The Crying Game, for which he used an English accent. Todd McCarthy of Variety described Whitaker's performance as "big-hearted", "hugely emotional", and "simply terrific".[15] 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's film, Prêt-à-Porter. He gave a "characteristically emotional performance"[16] in Wayne Wang and Paul Auster's 1995 film, Smoke. In 1996, he played a role of a good-natured man in Phenomenon, alongside John Travolta and Robert Duvall, which earned him a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor – Drama, and was also nominated for NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.

Whitaker played a serene, pigeon-raising, bushido-following, mob hit man in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, a 1999 film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Many consider this to have been a "definitive role" for Whitaker.[3] 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."[1] 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."[17]

Whitaker next appeared in what has been called one of the worst films ever made,[18] the 2000 production of Battlefield Earth, based on the novel of the same name by L. Ron Hubbard. The film was widely criticized as a notorious commercial and critical disaster.[18][19] However, Whitaker's performance was lauded by the film's director, Roger Christian, who commented that, "Everybody's going to be very surprised" by Whitaker, who "found this huge voice and laugh."[20] Battlefield Earth won seven Razzie Awards; Whitaker was nominated for Worst Supporting Actor, but lost to his co-star, Barry Pepper.[21] Whitaker later expressed his regret for participating in the film.[22]

Whitaker at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival

In 2001, Whitaker had a small, uncredited role in the Wong Kar-wai-directed The Follow, one of five short films produced by BMW that year to promote its cars.[23] He co-starred in Joel Schumacher's 2002 thriller, Phone Booth, with Kiefer Sutherland and Colin Farrell. That year, he also co-starred with Jodie Foster in Panic Room. His performance as the film's "bad guy" was described as "a subtle chemistry of aggression and empathy."[8]

Whitaker's 2006 portrayal of Idi Amin in the film The Last King of Scotland earned him positive reviews by critics as well as multiple awards and honors.[24][25] To portray the dictator, Whitaker gained 50 pounds, learned to play the accordion, and immersed himself in research.[26] He read books about Amin, watched news and documentary footage featuring Amin, and spent time in Uganda meeting with Amin's friends, relatives, generals, and victims; he also learned Swahili and mastered Amin's East African accent.[1] His performance earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor, making him the fourth African-American actor in history to do so, joining the ranks of Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Jamie Foxx.[27] For that same role, he was also recognized with the British Academy Film Award, Golden Globe Award, National Board of Review Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and accolades from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, London Film Critics’ Circle Award, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, National Society of Film Critics, and New York Film Critics Circle among others.[28]

In 2007, Whitaker played Dr. James Farmer Sr. in The Great Debaters, for which he received an Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor.[29] In 2008, Whitaker appeared in three films, first as a business man known only as Happiness, who likes butterflies, in the film The Air I Breathe. He also portrayed a rogue police captain in Street Kings, and a heroic tourist in Vantage Point.

In 2013, after a small career slump where he starred in a few straight-to-video films, Whitaker has enjoyed a career resurgence, having played the lead role in Lee Daniels' The Butler, which has become one of his greatest critical and commercial successes to date.[30][31] Whitaker also starred in the film Black Nativity and co-starred in 2013's The Last Stand, playing an FBI agent chasing an escaped drug cartel leader.

Whitaker played Saw Gerrera in the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.[32][33]

Television work[edit]

After completing several films in the early 1980s, Whitaker gained additional roles in multiple television shows. On the series, Diff'rent Strokes, he played a bully in the 1985 episode "Bully for Arnold".[34] That same year, Whitaker also played the part of a comic book salesman in the Amazing Stories episode "Gather Ye Acorns".[35] He appeared in the first and second parts of North and South in 1985 and 1986. Throughout the 1990s, Whitaker mainly had roles in television films which aired on HBO, including Criminal Justice, The Enemy Within, and Witness Protection.

From 2002 to 2003, Whitaker was the host and narrator of 44 new episodes of the Rod Serling classic, The Twilight Zone, which lasted one season on UPN.[36] After working in several film roles, he returned to television in 2006 when he joined the cast of FX's police serial The Shield, as Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh, who was determined to prove that the lead character, Vic Mackey, is a dirty cop. As opposed to his previous character work, Whitaker stated that he merely had to draw on his childhood years growing up in South Central Los Angeles for the role.[3] He received rave reviews for his performance—Variety called it a "crackling-good guest stint"[37]—and he reprised the role in the show's 2007 season.

In the fall of 2006, Whitaker started a multi-episode story arc on ER as Curtis Ames, a man who comes into the ER with a cough, but quickly faces the long-term consequences of a paralyzing stroke; he sues, then takes out his anger on Dr. Luka Kovač, who he blames for the strokes. Whitaker received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance in the series.[38] Also in 2006, Whitaker appeared in T.I.'s music video "Live in the Sky" alongside Jamie Foxx.[39]

Whitaker was cast in the Criminal Minds spin-off, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, that was subsequently cancelled by CBS on May 17, 2011.[40]

In December 2016, it was announced that Whitaker would reprise his role as Saw Gerrera from Rogue One for the Star Wars Rebels animated series.[41] ...

Theatre[edit]

Whitaker made his Broadway debut in 2016 in a revival of Eugene O'Neill's play Hughie at the Booth Theatre, directed by Michael Grandage.[42]

Producing and directing[edit]

Whitaker branched out into producing and directing in the 1990s. He co-produced and co-starred in A Rage in Harlem in 1991. He made his directorial debut with a grim film about inner-city gun violence, Strapped, for HBO in 1993. In 1995, he directed his first theatrical feature, Waiting to Exhale, which was based on the Terry McMillan novel of the same name. Roger Ebert observed that the tone of the film resembled Whitaker's own acting style: "measured, serene, confident."[43] Whitaker also directed co-star Whitney Houston's music video of the movie's theme song, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)".

Whitaker continued his directing career with the 1998 romantic comedy, Hope Floats, starring Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick, Jr. He directed Katie Holmes in the romantic comedy, First Daughter in 2004 while also serving as executive producer; he had previously co-starred with Holmes in Phone Booth in 2002. He had previously gained experience as the executive producer of several made-for-television movies, most notably the 2002 Emmy-award-winning Door to Door, starring William H. Macy. He produced these projects through his production company, Spirit Dance Entertainment, which he shut down in 2005 to concentrate on his acting career.[3][13]

For Significant Productions Whitaker and his partner Nina Yang Bongiovi produced the film Fruitvale Station, which won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award for U.S. dramatic film at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival,[44] as well as Repentance (2014), Dope (2015) and Sorry to Bother You (2018).[45] Significant also produced a documentary shot in the hospice at Angola prison in Louisiana, 'Serving Life'(2011) for Oprah Winfrey as the first commission for OWN and Oprah's Doc Club.[46]

JuntoBox Films[edit]

Whitaker plays an active role as co-chair of JuntoBox Films since his initial involvement as co-chair with the collaborative film studio starting in March 2012.[47] JuntoBox was developed as a social-media platform for filmmakers and fans to share ideas to create films and then collaborate to make them. Since Whitaker joined as co-chair, five projects have been greenlit for production.[48]

Honors[edit]

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."[49] He was honored at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2007, where he received the American Riviera Award.[50]

Previously, in 2005, the Deauville (France) Festival of American Film paid tribute to him.[51] On April 16, 2007, Whitaker was the recipient of the 2,335th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the motion pictures industry at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard.[52][53][54][55] He received the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Xavier University of Louisiana in 2009 at the 82nd Commencement Ceremony.[56] He received the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from California State University, Dominguez Hills on May 16, 2015.[57] He received the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts from University of Southern California on May 11, 2018 at the 135th Commencement Ceremony.[58]

Activism[edit]

Charity work[edit]

Whitaker, who is a vegetarian,[2] recorded a public service announcement with his daughter, True, promoting vegetarianism on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).[59] He is also a supporter and public advocate for Hope North, a boarding school and vocational training center in northern Uganda for escaped child soldiers, orphans, and other young victims of the country's civil war.[60] Whitaker founded the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), a non-governmental organization in 2012. WPDI implements peace-building programs in conflict affected communities in the different regions of the world, including Africa, Latin America and the United States.[61] In a 2015 interview with Grant Schreiber of Real Leaders,[62] Whitaker attributed his social impact work to the influence of his mother, a teacher at a school for children with learning disabilities. "I really learned how to care for people by watching my mother interact with autistic children," he said.

Politics[edit]

In politics, Whitaker supported and spoke on behalf of Senator Barack Obama in his 2008 presidential campaign.[63] On April 6, 2009, he was given a chieftaincy title in Imo State, Nigeria. Whitaker, who was named a chief among the Igbo community of Nkwerre, was given the title Nwannedinamba of Nkwerre, which means A Brother in a Foreign Land.

Whitaker was inducted as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation, in a ceremony at UNESCO headquarters on June 21, 2011. As Goodwill Ambassador, Whitaker works with UNESCO to support and develop initiatives that empower youths and keep them from entering or remaining in cycles of violence. At the induction ceremony, U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO David Killion described Whitaker as a "perfect choice as a Goodwill Ambassador... he has exemplified compassion in every area of his life, with humility and grace. He does this because it's the right thing to do."[64]

In 2010, Whitaker received the Artist Citizen of the World Award (France).[65]

Whitaker co-founded the International Institute for Peace (IIP) at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey.[66] Launched during the international Newark Peace Education Summit, IIP's mission is to develop programs and strategic partnerships to address issues such as increasing citizen security through community-building; the role of women and spiritual and religious leaders in peacebuilding; the impact of climate change; and the reduction of poverty. IIP operates under the auspices of UNESCO.[citation needed]

Personal life[edit]

In 1996, Whitaker married actress Keisha Nash, whom he met on the set of Blown Away.[2] They have four children: two daughters together (Sonnet and True), and his son (Ocean) and her daughter (Autumn) from their previous relationships.

Whitaker studies yoga and has a black belt in kenpō.[2] He also trains in eskrima under Dan Inosanto.

Whitaker's left eye ptosis has been called "intriguing" by some critics[67] and gives him "a lazy, contemplative look".[68] 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.[69]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Actor
Year Title Role Notes
1982 Tag: The Assassination Game Gowdy's Bodyguard
1982 Fast Times at Ridgemont High Charles Jefferson
1985 Vision Quest Balldozer
1985 North and South Cuffey
1986 The Color of Money Amos
1986 North and South, Book II Cuffey
1986 Platoon Big Harold
1987 Stakeout Jack Pismo
1987 Good Morning, Vietnam Edward Garlick
1988 Bird Charlie "Bird" Parker, Jr. Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
1988 Bloodsport Rawlins
1989 Johnny Handsome Dr. Steven Fisher
1990 Downtown Dennis Curren
1991 Diary of a Hitman Dekker
1991 A Rage in Harlem Jackson
1992 Article 99 Dr. Sid Handleman
1992 The Crying Game Jody
1992 Consenting Adults David Duttonville
1993 Bank Robber Officer Battle
1993 Body Snatchers Major Collins
1994 Blown Away Anthony Franklin
1994 Prêt-à-Porter Cy Bianco National Board of Review Award for Best Cast
1994 Jason's Lyric Maddog
1995 Species Dan Smithson, Empath
1995 Smoke Cyrus Cole
1996 Phenomenon Nate Pope Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor – Drama
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
1998 Body Count Crane
1999 Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai Ghost Dog
1999 Light It Up Officer Dante Jackson
1999 Witness Protection US Marshal Steven Beck
2000 Battlefield Earth Ker Nominated – Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor
2000 Four Dogs Playing Poker Mr. Ellington
2001 The Fourth Angel Agent Jules Bernard
2001 The Hire: The Follow The Employer Uncredited[70]
2001 Green Dragon Addie
2002 Panic Room Burnham Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actor
2002 Phone Booth Captain Ed Ramey Theatrical release was delayed due to the Beltway sniper attacks in October 2002[71]
Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
2004 First Daughter Narrator Also directed
2005 A Little Trip to Heaven Abe Holt
2005 American Gun Carter Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
2005 Mary Ted Younger
2006 Even Money Clyde Snow
2006 The Marsh Geoffrey Hunt
2006 Everyone's Hero Lonnie Brewster (voice)
2006 The Last King of Scotland Idi Amin Academy Award for Best Actor
African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
BET Award for Best Actor
Black Reel Award for Best Actor
Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Hollywood Film Award for Actor of the Year
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
London Film Critics' Circle Award for Actor of the Year
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
National Board of Review Award for Best Actor
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association for Best Actor
Nominated – BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film
Nominated – Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
2nd Place – Awards Circuit Community Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
2007 The Air I Breathe Happiness
2007 Ripple Effect
2007 The Great Debaters James L. Farmer, Sr. Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
2008 Vantage Point Howard Lewis
2008 Street Kings Capt. Jack Wander
2008 Dragon Hunters Lian Chu (voice – English version)
2008 Winged Creatures Charlie Archenault
2009 Powder Blue Charlie Direct-to-video
2009 Where the Wild Things Are Ira (voice) Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Voice Performance
2009 Hurricane Season Al Collins Direct-to-video
2010 Repo Men Jake Freivald
2010 Lullaby for Pi George
2010 My Own Love Song Joey
2010 The Experiment Barris Direct-to-video
2010 Our Family Wedding Bradford Boyd
2011 Catch .44 Ronny Direct-to-video
2012 Freelancers Dennis LaRue Direct-to-video
2012 A Dark Truth Francisco Francis Direct-to-video
2012 Ernest & Celestine Ernest (voice)
2013 Fruitvale Station Producer
Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Artist of the Year
Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Movie of the Year
AFI Award for Movie of the Year
2013 The Last Stand Agent John Bannister
2013 Zulu Ali Sokhela
2013 Pawn Will Direct-to-video
2013 Lee Daniels' The Butler Cecil Gaines African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Actor
AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Grownup Love Story
Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Actor
Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Artist of the Year
Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble Cast
Nominated – Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Ensemble Cast
Nominated – BET Award for Best Actor
Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2013 Black Nativity Reverend Cornell Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Artist of the Year
Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble Cast
2013 Out of the Furnace Wesley Barnes Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Artist of the Year
2014 Repentance[72] Angel Sanchez
2014 Two Men in Town William Garnett
2015 Taken 3 Franck Dotzler
2015 Dope Narrator Also producer
2015 Southpaw Titus "Tick" Wills Nominated – Indiana Film Journalist Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
2016 Songs My Brother Taught Me Producer
2016 Arrival Colonel Weber
2016 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Saw Gerrera
2018 Sorry to Bother You First Equisapien/Demarius Also producer
2018 Burden Reverend Kennedy
2018 Black Panther Zuri
2018 The Forgiven Archbishop Desmond Tutu
2018 How It Ends Tom
2018 Finding Steve McQueen Howard Lambert Post-production
TBA City of Lies Jack Jackson Post-production
Director
Year Title Notes
1993 Strapped
1995 Waiting to Exhale
1998 Hope Floats Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Director
Nominated – Black Film Award for Best Director
2004 First Daughter

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1982 Making the Grade Episode: "Marriage David Style"
1983 Cagney & Lacey Night Manager Episode: "The Grandest Jewel Thief of Them All"
1984 Trapper John, M.D. Lewis Jordan Episode: "School Nurse"
1984 Hill Street Blues Floyd Green Episode: "Blues for Mr. Green"
1985 Diff'rent Strokes Herman Episode: "Bully for Arnold"
1985 The Grand Baby Television movie
1985 The Fall Guy Friend Episode: "Spring Break"
1986 Amazing Stories Jerry Episode: "Gather Ye Acorns"
1987 Hands of a Stranger Sergeant Delaney Television movie
1990 Criminal Justice Jessie Williams Television movie
Biarritz International Festival of Audiovisual Programming Award for Fiction: Actor
1993 Lush Life Buddy Chester Television movie
1993 Last Light Fred Whitmore Television movie
Nominated – CableACE Award for Actor in a Movie or Miniseries
1994 The Enemy Within Colonel MacKenzie 'Mac' Casey Television movie
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
1996 Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault Mr. Rucker Television movie
1999 Witness Protection Steven Beck Television movie
2001 Feast of All Saints Daguerreotypist Picard Television movie
2002 Door to Door Television movie
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie
2003 Deacons for Defense Marcus Clay Television movie
Black Reel Award for Best Actor: T.V. Movie/Cable
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
2002–
2003 		The Twilight Zone Host / Narrator 44 episodes
2006–
2007 		ER Curtis Ames 6 episodes
Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
2006–
2007 		The Shield Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh (Seasons 5 and 6)
Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
2007–
2009 		American Dad! Daniel Turlington 3 episodes
Voice role
2010 Criminal Minds Sam Cooper Episode: "The Fight"
2010 Brick City Television movie
Executive producer
Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking
2011 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior Sam Cooper Lead Role; 13 episodes
2012 Serving Life Narrator Documentary; executive producer
2013 Africa Narrator Documentary series
2016 Roots Henry (Fiddler) 4 episodes
2017 Star Wars Rebels Saw Gerrera Voice role
2017–present Empire Eddie Barker Recurring role (10 episodes)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "In general, he rules." The Boston Globe. October 1, 2006.
  2. ^ a b c d "Forest Whitaker: The King Of The Oscars?". January 31, 2007.
  3. ^ a b c d e Sternbergh, Adam. "Out of the Woods: How Forest Whitaker escaped his career slump." New York. January 9, 2006.
  4. ^ "Forest Whitaker".
  5. ^ "Forest Whitaker Biography (1961–)." FilmReference.com.
  6. ^ a b c "Forest Whitaker". Inside the Actors Studio. Season 13. Episode 1. December 11, 2006. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008.
  7. ^ James Lipton (Himself – Host), Forest Whitaker (Himself) (December 11, 2006). "Inside the Actors Studio: Forest Whitaker (2006)". Inside the Actors Studio. Season 13. New York City, New York, U.S. Bravomedia. Bravotv.
  8. ^ a b c Patterson, John. "The bigger picture." The Guardian. April 20, 2002.
  9. ^ "Cal Poly Pomona". CSU Mentor. Retrieved September 12, 2008.
  10. ^ "100 Celebrities with College Degrees". Rasmussen College. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  11. ^ Joshua Rich. "Spotlight: Forest Whitaker." Entertainment Weekly.
  12. ^ Laura Randall "BLACKBOARD: Independent Study; A Twin Peek: What The Stars Do at N.Y.U." The New York Times, November 7, 2004.
  13. ^ a b Longino, Bob. "The power of Forest Whitaker." Archived July 31, 2007, at Archive.is The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. October 12, 2006.
  14. ^ "Festival de Cannes: Bird". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  15. ^ McCarthy, Todd. "The Crying Game (Review)." Variety. September 11, 1992.
  16. ^ Stratton, David. "Smoke (Review)." Variety. February 20, 1995.
  17. ^ Scott, A.O. "Ghost Dog: Passions of Emptiness in an Essay on Brutality." The New York Times. March 3, 2000.
  18. ^ a b Campbell, Duncan. "Cult Classic." Guardian Unlimited. May 31, 2005.
  19. ^ Ebert, Roger. "Battlefield Earth." Chicago Sun-Times. May 12, 2000.
  20. ^ Graham, Bob. "What on Earth Are These Guys Doing?" San Francisco Chronicle. April 30, 2000. Archived November 4, 2003, at the Wayback Machine.
  21. ^ "Hollywood honours its worst". BBC News. March 25, 2001. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  22. ^ "Battlefield Earth (2000)". IMDb.
  23. ^ The Follow. MSN Movies.
  24. ^ Hirshon, Nicholas (September 17, 2006). "Reel Study of a Tyrant". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  25. ^ Hall, Sandra (February 2, 2007). "The Last King of Scotland". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  26. ^ "Forest Whitaker: The King Of The Oscars?" CBS News/ February 4, 2007.
  27. ^ Cocks, Tim (February 26, 2007). "Ugandans laud Whitaker for Oscar". Independent Online. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  28. ^ Foley, Doug (February 24, 2007). "Here's a list of what honours the top movies and Oscar nominees have won". The Spectator. Retrieved January 14, 2010. (Registration required (help)).
  29. ^ "'Great Debaters' scores 8 Image Award nods". MSNBC. Associated Press. January 8, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  30. ^ Feinberg, Scott (August 17, 2013). "'The Butler' Builds Oscar Credentials With Strong Critical, Commercial Debut (Analysis)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  31. ^ "Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  32. ^ Daisy Wyatt (August 17, 2015). "Star Wars Rogue One cast confirmed: Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn and Forest Whitaker to star in first spin-off". The Independent. Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  33. ^ Breznican, Anthony (June 22, 2016). "Rogue One: Forest Whitaker's character has a rich Star Wars history". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  34. ^ Grover, Ronald (February 15, 2007). "The Academy Should Reward Whitaker". BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  35. ^ Schultz, Paul (August 28, 2006). "VD Review: Amazing Stories – The Complete First Season". The Trades. Archived from the original on November 10, 2006. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  36. ^ The Twilight Zone (2002). epguides.com.
  37. ^ Lowry, Brian. "The Shield (Review)." Variety. March 27, 2007.
  38. ^ Kings, Susan (July 19, 2007). "Emmy nominations unveiled". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  39. ^ Reid, Shaheem; Yasmine Richard (August 14, 2006). "T.I. Gets Vulnerable, Jamie Foxx Provides Comic Relief On 'Live In The Sky' Video Set". MTV. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  40. ^ Michael Ausiello (January 25, 2010). "Scoop: Forest Whitaker to headline Criminal Minds spin-off!". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 28, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
  41. ^ "See Saw Gerrera From 'Rogue One' Return in Animated 'Star Wars: Rebels'". December 20, 2016.
  42. ^ "Gambling on O'Neill: Forest Whitaker Makes His Broadway Debut in Hughie" by Michael Paulson, The New York Times, February 3, 2016
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  44. ^ Makinen, Julie (January 26, 2013). "Sundance 2013: 'Fruitvale' wins Grand Jury Prize". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
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External links[edit]

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