Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker | |
|---|---|
 Whitaker in February 2014 | |
| Born | Forest Steven Whitaker III (1961-07-15) July 15, 1961 Longview, Texas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Cal Poly Pomona University of Southern California New York University |
| Occupation | Actor, producer, director |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Height | 6'2" |
| Spouse(s) | Keisha Nash (m. 1996) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Kenn Whitaker (brother) Damon Whitaker (brother) Deborah Whitaker (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.
Contents
1 Early life and education
2 Career
2.1 Film work
2.2 Television work
2.3 Theatre
2.4 Producing and directing
2.5 JuntoBox Films
3 Honours
4 Activism
4.1 Charity work
4.2 Politics
5 Personal life
6 Filmography
6.1 Film
6.2 Television
7 References
8 External links
Early life and education
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
Film work
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
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
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
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
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]
Honours
In addition to the numerous awards Whitaker won for his performance in The Last King of Scotland, he has also received several other honours. 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
Charity work
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
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
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
Film
| 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 |
| 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
| 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
^ abcd "In general, he rules." The Boston Globe. October 1, 2006.
^ abcd "Forest Whitaker: The King Of The Oscars?". January 31, 2007..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
^ abcde Sternbergh, Adam. "Out of the Woods: How Forest Whitaker escaped his career slump." New York. January 9, 2006.
^ "Forest Whitaker".
^ "Forest Whitaker Biography (1961–)." FilmReference.com.
^ abc "Forest Whitaker". Inside the Actors Studio. Season 13. Episode 1. December 11, 2006. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008.
^ 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.
^ abc Patterson, John. "The bigger picture." The Guardian. April 20, 2002.
^ "Cal Poly Pomona". CSU Mentor. Retrieved September 12, 2008.
^ "100 Celebrities with College Degrees". Rasmussen College. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
^ Joshua Rich. "Spotlight: Forest Whitaker." Entertainment Weekly.
^ Laura Randall "BLACKBOARD: Independent Study; A Twin Peek: What The Stars Do at N.Y.U." The New York Times, November 7, 2004.
^ ab Longino, Bob. "The power of Forest Whitaker." Archived July 31, 2007, at Archive.is The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. October 12, 2006.
^ "Festival de Cannes: Bird". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
^ McCarthy, Todd. "The Crying Game (Review)." Variety. September 11, 1992.
^ Stratton, David. "Smoke (Review)." Variety. February 20, 1995.
^ Scott, A.O. "Ghost Dog: Passions of Emptiness in an Essay on Brutality." The New York Times. March 3, 2000.
^ ab Campbell, Duncan. "Cult Classic." Guardian Unlimited. May 31, 2005.
^ Ebert, Roger. "Battlefield Earth." Chicago Sun-Times. May 12, 2000.
^ Graham, Bob. "What on Earth Are These Guys Doing?" San Francisco Chronicle. April 30, 2000. Archived November 4, 2003, at the Wayback Machine.
^ "Hollywood honours its worst". BBC News. March 25, 2001. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
^ "Battlefield Earth (2000)". IMDb.
^ The Follow. MSN Movies.
^ 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.
^ Hall, Sandra (February 2, 2007). "The Last King of Scotland". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
^ "Forest Whitaker: The King Of The Oscars?" CBS News/ February 4, 2007.
^ Cocks, Tim (February 26, 2007). "Ugandans laud Whitaker for Oscar". Independent Online. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
^ 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)).
^ "'Great Debaters' scores 8 Image Award nods". MSNBC. Associated Press. January 8, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
^ Feinberg, Scott (August 17, 2013). "'The Butler' Builds Oscar Credentials With Strong Critical, Commercial Debut (Analysis)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
^ "Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
^ 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.
^ Breznican, Anthony (June 22, 2016). "Rogue One: Forest Whitaker's character has a rich Star Wars history". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
^ Grover, Ronald (February 15, 2007). "The Academy Should Reward Whitaker". BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
^ 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.
^ The Twilight Zone (2002). epguides.com.
^ Lowry, Brian. "The Shield (Review)." Variety. March 27, 2007.
^ Kings, Susan (July 19, 2007). "Emmy nominations unveiled". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ "See Saw Gerrera From 'Rogue One' Return in Animated 'Star Wars: Rebels'". December 20, 2016.
^ "Gambling on O'Neill: Forest Whitaker Makes His Broadway Debut in Hughie" by Michael Paulson, The New York Times, February 3, 2016
^ Ebert, Roger. "Waiting to Exhale (review)." Chicago Sun-Times. December 22, 1995.
^ Makinen, Julie (January 26, 2013). "Sundance 2013: 'Fruitvale' wins Grand Jury Prize". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
^ Busch, Anita (June 15, 2017). "Tessa Thompson, Lakeith Stanfield, Steven Yeun To Star In 'Sorry To Bother You'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
^ Forest Whitaker on IMDb
^ Graser, Marc (March 1, 2012). "Forest Whitaker to co-chair JuntoBox Films". Variety.
^ "JuntoBox Films – An online community for filmmakers, film fans and talent".
^ "Press release." Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Hollywood Film Festival News. September 28, 2006.
^ "Festival 2007 Tributes." Archived November 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Santa Barbara International Film Festival. sbiff.org.
^ Nesselson, Lisa. "Deauville tips hat." Archived December 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Variety. August 18, 2005.
^ "Forest Whitaker Gets Star On Walk Of Fame."[dead link]The Insider. April 17, 2007. Accessed January 9, 2009.
^ "Forest Whitaker Gets Walk of Fame Star". Fox News. Associated Press. April 16, 2007. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
^ "Forest Whitaker | Hollywood Walk of Fame". www.walkoffame.com. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
^ "Forest Whitaker". latimes.com. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
^ "Commencement 2009". Archived May 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Xavier University of Louisiana. Accessed January 9, 2009.
^ "CSU Dominguez Hills to bestow honorary doctorate on actor, humanitarian Forest Whitaker". Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
^ "USC announces five honorary degree recipients for 2018 commencement".
^ PSA for PETA PETA TV.
^ "Hope North". Hope North. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
^ http://wpdi.org%7Caccessdate[permanent dead link]
^ "Forest Whitaker seeks the humanity in each one of us". October 4, 2015.
^ "Actor Forest Whitaker campaigns for Barack Obama at Grand Rapids Community College". The Grand Rapids Press. October 9, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
^ "Forest Whitaker Named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation Archived February 2, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.." "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2013.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link) U.S. Mission to UNESCO. June 22, 2011.
^ https://institutcitoyenducinema.wordpress.com/artiste-citoyen-du-monde/ Archived April 18, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Institut Citoyen du Cinéma – Artist winners Prize Citizen of the World
^ "UNESCO and International Institute for Peace co-founded by Forest Whitaker sign an agreement". UNESCO. February 9, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
^ Wloszczyna, Susan. "'Last King' demanded obedience to their craft." USA Today. October 2, 2006.
^ Zackarek, Stephanie. "Jim Jarmusch adds lyrical violence to a Zen meditation on warriors hip-hop and ancient." Salon.com. March 9, 2000.
^ Sager, Mike. "What I've Learned: Forest Whitaker." Esquire. February 26, 2007.
^ "The Follow". Cinearchive.org. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
^ "'Phone' release delayed". Amarillo.com. Associated Press. October 18, 2002. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
^ "REPENTANCE – IN THEATERS FEBRUARY 28, 2014". Codeblack.com. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
External links
 | Wikiquote has quotations related to: Forest Whitaker |
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Forest Whitaker. |
Forest Whitaker on IMDb- Forest Whitaker lighting a candle for Rwanda
Authority control  |
|
|---|
