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Oscar-winning actor and humanitarian
He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2007 for his transformative performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland.
Forest Whitaker is an Academy Award-winning American actor, filmmaker, and humanitarian born July 15, 1961, in Longview, Texas. He won the Oscar for Best Actor in 2007 for his powerful portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall, Whitaker is recognized by his distinctive left eye ptosis and an acclaimed career spanning over four decades, including roles in Platoon, The Crying Game, Ghost Dog, Black Panther, and the series Godfather of Harlem.
Whitaker was born to Laura Francis, a special education teacher, and Forest E. Whitaker Jr., an insurance salesman, moving with his family from Texas to Carson, California, when he was in elementary school. He attended California State Polytechnic University on a football scholarship, but a back injury redirected him to study music and opera at the University of Southern California, where he later transferred to the Drama Conservatory and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting in 1982. His first acting role was the lead in Dylan Thomas's play Under Milk Wood during high school, and he toured England with the Cal Poly Chamber Singers in 1980 before discovering his passion for dramatic performance.
Whitaker married actress Keisha Nash in 1996 after meeting her on the set of Blown Away, and they raised four children together before divorcing in 2021. His younger brother Kenn Whitaker is also an actor, often mistaken for Forest's twin due to their strong resemblance, though Forest is the eldest of four siblings including two brothers and an older sister. Beyond acting, Whitaker serves as a UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation and founded the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative, reflecting his deep commitment to humanitarian work; he practices yoga, holds a black belt in karate, and follows a vegetarian lifestyle.
He has a hereditary condition called ptosis that causes his left eyelid to droop, which he has chosen not to correct surgically and considers part of his identity.
Whitaker studied opera as a tenor at USC before switching to acting, touring England with the Cal Poly Chamber Singers in 1980.
He became the fourth Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor when he won for The Last King of Scotland in 2007.
His younger brother Kenn Whitaker is also an actor, and their resemblance is so strong that people frequently mistake them for twins.
He holds a black belt in karate and is a committed vegetarian who practices yoga regularly.
Whitaker won the Best Actor award at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival for his portrayal of jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker in Bird, preparing by taking saxophone lessons and sequestering himself in a loft with only a bed, couch, and saxophone.
I care about people. In the end, I think they feel it. It comes across, regardless of the character I'm portraying.
I think the most important thing is just to be yourself and to be honest. People respond to that.
The true power of love is found in selfless attitudes and actions that seek the best for others.
Made film debut in Fast Times at Ridgemont High and graduated from USC with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting
Appeared in Martin Scorsese's The Color of Money and Oliver Stone's Platoon
Won Best Actor at Cannes Film Festival for portraying Charlie Parker in Clint Eastwood's Bird
Starred in The Crying Game as Jody, earning critical acclaim
Won National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble for Prêt-à-Porter
Starred in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, one of his most iconic roles
Won Emmy Award for his performance in Door to Door
Won Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA for Best Actor for The Last King of Scotland
Inducted as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, later promoted to Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation
Appeared in Star Wars: Rogue One as Saw Gerrera and made Broadway debut in Hughie
Played Zuri in Marvel's Black Panther
Began starring as Bumpy Johnson in Godfather of Harlem on Epix
Named Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres by the French government
Received Global Citizen Award and reprised role as Saw Gerrera in Andor