Forest Whitaker
Though actor Forest Whitaker started college on an athletic scholarship, the charismatic and award-winning performer made the unlikely shift from football to studying to become a classical tenor and eventually, an actor. After gaining some attention in several stage musicals, Whitaker made an immediate impression with a small, but memorable role in his feature debut, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982). Following a quick succession of supporting roles in features and on television, he earned his first wave of critical accolades for his portrayal of drug-addicted jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker in "Bird" (1988). Once he was established as a viable leading man, Whitaker easily oscillated between low-budget and studio projects, earning equal acclaim for his performances. Taking his career to the next level, he made several forays into feature directing - most notably "Waiting to Exhale" (1995) - but continued to churn out one sterling performance after another until finally reaching new heights with his Oscar-winning portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland" (2006), which came hot on the heels of another mesmerizing performance as an obsessive internal affairs officer on season five of "The Shield" (FX, 2002-08). Both roles only confirmed that Whitaker was one of Hollywood's most versatile, surprising and talented actors of his day. His work as a producer on films like "Fruitvale Station" (2013) and "Dope" (2015) helped shepherd a new generation of African-American filmmakers while his work in hits like "The Butler" (2013), "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (2016) and "Black Panther" (2018) kept him firmly in audiences' minds.
Photos
Forest Whitaker
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
92% | No Score Yet | Layla | Executive Producer | - | 2024 |
96% |
|
Fancy Dance | Executive Producer | - | 2023 |
43% |
|
Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World | Doc Broadus (Character) | $5.3M | 2023 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | For the Sake of Peace | Producer | - | 2022 |
91% |
|
Passing | Producer | - | 2021 |
68% |
|
Respect | Rev. C.L. Franklin (Character) | $24.3M | 2021 |
91% |
|
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey | Jeronicus (Character) | - | 2020 |
20% | No Score Yet | A Fall From Grace | Unknown (Character) | - | 2019 |
50% |
|
City of Lies | Jack Jackson (Character) | $565.7K | 2018 |
49% |
|
Burden | Reverend Kennedy (Character) | $134.1K | 2018 |
46% |
|
Finding Steve McQueen | Howard Lambert (Character) | - | 2018 |
17% |
|
How It Ends | Tom (Character) | - | 2018 |
93% |
|
Sorry to Bother You |
First Equisapien/ Producer |
$17.5M | 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Triumph: The Untold Story of Perry Wallace | Narrator | - | 2018 |
96% |
|
Black Panther | Zuri (Character) | $700.2M | 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | We Are One |
Narrator, Executive Producer |
- | 2017 |
68% |
|
Roxanne Roxanne | Producer | - | 2017 |
55% |
|
The Forgiven | Desmond Tutu (Character) | - | 2017 |
84% |
|
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | Saw Gerrera (Character) | $533.2M | 2016 |
94% |
|
Arrival | Colonel Weber (Character) | $100.5M | 2016 |
94% |
|
Songs My Brothers Taught Me | Producer | $34.2K | 2015 |
60% |
|
Southpaw | Tick Willis (Character) | $52.4M | 2015 |
88% |
|
Dope |
Narrator, Producer |
$17.5M | 2015 |
50% |
|
Two Men in Town | William Garnett (Character) | - | 2014 |
13% |
|
Taken 3 | Inspector Frank Dotzler (Character) | $89.3M | 2014 |
91% |
|
Food Chains | Narrator | - | 2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sewing Hope | Narrator | - | 2013 |
100% |
|
Mysteries of the Unseen World | Narrator | - | 2013 |
No Score Yet |
|
Zulu | Ali (Character) | - | 2013 |
33% |
|
Repentance |
Angel (Character), Producer |
$1.2M | 2013 |
53% |
|
Out of the Furnace | Wesley Barnes (Character) | $11.3M | 2013 |
51% |
|
Black Nativity | Rev. Cornell Cobbs (Character) | $7.0M | 2013 |
71% |
|
Lee Daniels' The Butler | Cecil Gaines (Character) | $116.6M | 2013 |
94% |
|
Fruitvale Station | Producer | $16.1M | 2013 |
No Score Yet |
|
Pawn | Will (Character) | $2.1K | 2013 |
61% |
|
The Last Stand | Agent John Bannister (Character) | $12.0M | 2013 |
79% |
|
Rising From Ashes |
Narrator, Executive Producer |
$37.7K | 2012 |
98% |
|
Ernest & Celestine | Ernest (Voice) | $71.4K | 2012 |
0% |
|
A Dark Truth | Francisco Francis (Character) | $5.8K | 2012 |
No Score Yet |
|
Freelancers | LaRue (Character) | - | 2012 |
No Score Yet |
|
Catch .44 | Ronny (Character) | - | 2011 |
41% |
|
Monte Carlo | Executive Producer | $23.2M | 2011 |
No Score Yet |
|
Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life | Lion (Voice) | - | 2010 |
No Score Yet |
|
Lullaby for Pi | George (Character) | - | 2010 |
No Score Yet |
|
My Own Love Song | Joey (Character) | - | 2010 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Experiment | Barris (Character) | - | 2010 |
15% |
|
Our Family Wedding | Bradford Boyd (Character) | $20.2M | 2010 |
22% |
|
Repo Men | Jake (Character) | $13.8M | 2010 |
No Score Yet |
|
Toys in the Attic | Teddy (Voice) | - | 2009 |
No Score Yet |
|
Hurricane Season | Al Collins (Character) | - | 2009 |
73% |
|
Where the Wild Things Are | Ira (Voice) | $77.2M | 2009 |
25% |
|
Powder Blue |
Charlie (Character), Producer |
- | 2009 |
45% |
|
Winged Creatures | Charlie Archenault (Character) | - | 2008 |
67% |
|
Dragon Hunters | Lian-Chu (Voice) | - | 2008 |
76% |
|
Crips and Bloods: Made in America | Narrator | $69.6K | 2008 |
37% |
|
Street Kings | Capt. Jack Wander (Character) | $26.4M | 2008 |
34% |
|
Vantage Point | Howard Lewis (Character) | $72.3M | 2008 |
29% | No Score Yet | Ripple Effect |
Philip (Character), Executive Producer |
$13.8K | 2007 |
11% |
|
The Air I Breathe | Happiness (Character) | $19.5K | 2007 |
80% |
|
The Great Debaters | Dr. James Farmer Sr. (Character) | $30.2M | 2007 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Marsh | Geoffrey Hunt (Character) | - | 2006 |
24% |
|
Even Money | Clyde Snow (Character) | - | 2006 |
87% |
|
The Last King of Scotland | Idi Amin (Character) | $17.6M | 2006 |
42% |
|
Everyone's Hero | Lonnie Brewster (Voice) | $14.5M | 2006 |
33% |
|
A Little Trip to Heaven | Holt (Character) | - | 2005 |
39% |
|
American Gun |
Carter (Character), Executive Producer |
$24.0K | 2005 |
59% |
|
Mary | Ted Younger (Character) | - | 2005 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Odyssey in Rome | Unknown (Character) | - | 2005 |
23% |
|
Jiminy Glick in Lalawood | Self | $25.7K | 2004 |
8% |
|
First Daughter |
Director, Executive Producer |
$9.1M | 2004 |
No Score Yet |
|
Deacons for Defense | Marcus Clay (Character) | - | 2003 |
15% |
|
Chasing Papi | Producer | $6.1M | 2003 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | American Storytellers | Unknown (Character) | - | 2003 |
72% |
|
Phone Booth | Captain Ramey (Character) | $46.6M | 2002 |
76% |
|
Panic Room | Burnham (Character) | $95.3M | 2002 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Fourth Angel | Agent Jules Bernard (Character) | - | 2001 |
63% |
|
Green Dragon |
Addie (Character), Executive Producer |
$146.1K | 2001 |
3% |
|
Battlefield Earth | Ker (Character) | $21.5M | 2000 |
No Score Yet |
|
Four Dogs Playing Poker | Mr. Ellington (Character) | - | 2000 |
60% |
|
Witness Protection | Steven Beck (Character) | - | 1999 |
84% |
|
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai | Ghost Dog (Character) | $3.3M | 1999 |
40% |
|
Light It Up | Officer Dante Jackson (Character) | $5.9M | 1999 |
No Score Yet |
|
Body Count | Crane (Character) | - | 1998 |
27% |
|
Hope Floats | Director | $60.0M | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Split | Crane (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
|
Rebound -- The Legend of Earl The Goat Manigault | Mr. Rucker (Character) | - | 1996 |
49% |
|
Phenomenon | Nate Pope (Character) | $104.6M | 1996 |
42% |
|
Species | Dan Smithson, Empath (Character) | $58.7M | 1995 |
56% |
|
Waiting to Exhale | Director | $64.2M | 1995 |
88% |
|
Smoke | Cyrus Cole (Character) | $8.3M | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Enemy Within | Col. MacKenzie "Mac" Casey (Character) | - | 1994 |
21% |
|
Ready to Wear (Pret-a-Porter) | Cy Bianco (Character) | $10.7M | 1994 |
38% |
|
Blown Away | Anthony Franklin (Character) | $30.1M | 1994 |
58% |
|
Jason's Lyric | Maddog (Character) | $20.3M | 1994 |
No Score Yet |
|
Lush Life | Buddy Chester (Character) | - | 1994 |
No Score Yet |
|
Bank Robber | Officer Battle (Character) | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet |
|
Strapped | Director | - | 1993 |
71% |
|
Body Snatchers | Major Collins (Character) | $54.8K | 1993 |
No Score Yet |
|
Last Light | Fred Whitmore (Character) | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet |
|
Diary of a Hitman | Dekker (Character) | - | 1992 |
43% |
|
Article 99 | Dr. Sid Handleman (Character) | $6.2M | 1992 |
23% |
|
Consenting Adults | David Duttonville (Character) | $21.6M | 1992 |
95% |
|
The Crying Game | Jody (Character) | $60.7M | 1992 |
68% |
|
A Rage in Harlem | Jackson (Character) | $8.8M | 1991 |
No Score Yet |
|
Downtown | Dennis Curren (Character) | $2.2M | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Criminal Justice | Jessie Williams (Character) | - | 1990 |
60% |
|
Johnny Handsome | Dr. Steven Fisher (Character) | $6.6M | 1989 |
77% |
|
Bird | Charlie 'Bird' Parker (Character) | $1.5M | 1988 |
48% |
|
Bloodsport | Rawlins (Character) | $10.8M | 1988 |
90% |
|
Good Morning, Vietnam | Edward Garlick (Character) | $123.9M | 1987 |
89% |
|
Stakeout | Jack Pismo (Character) | $65.4M | 1987 |
87% |
|
The Color of Money | Amos (Character) | $52.3M | 1986 |
89% |
|
Platoon | Big Harold (Character) | $138.5M | 1986 |
60% |
|
Vision Quest | Bulldozer (Character) | - | 1985 |
78% |
|
Fast Times at Ridgemont High | Charles Jefferson (Character) | - | 1982 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
63% | 86% | Emperor of Ocean Park | Judge Oliver Garland (Character) | 2024 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | North and South, Book II |
Cuffey (Character), Unknown (Guest Star) |
1986 2024 |
44% | 59% | Extrapolations | Augustin (Character) | 2023 |
No Score Yet | 87% | Godfather of Harlem |
Bumpy Johnson (Character), Executive Producer |
2019 2021 2023 |
96% | 87% | Andor | Saw Gerrera (Character) | 2022 |
No Score Yet | 91% | Young Rock | Forest Whitaker (Guest Star) | 2022 |
No Score Yet | 55% | The Kelly Clarkson Show | Guest | 2021 |
No Score Yet | 18% | The Late Late Show With James Corden | Guest | 2021 |
No Score Yet | 42% | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Guest | 2019 |
84% | 47% | Empire | Eddie Barker (Guest Star) | 2017-2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rachael Ray | Guest | 2010-2011 2018 |
98% | 85% | Star Wars Rebels | Saw Gerrera (Voice) | 2017-2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Larry King Now | Guest | 2013 2018 |
96% | 75% | Roots | Fiddler (Character) | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Wendy Williams Show | Guest | 2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tavis Smiley | Guest | 2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Late Night With Jimmy Fallon | Guest | 2010-2011 2013 |
No Score Yet | 95% | Africa | Narrator | 2013 |
42% | 27% | Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour | Special Agent Sam Cooper (Character) | 2011 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lopez Tonight | Guest | 2011 |
No Score Yet | 83% | Criminal Minds | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2010 |
No Score Yet | 90% | American Dad! | Daniel Turlington (Guest Voice) | 2007 2009 |
90% | 96% | The Shield | Lt. Jon Kavanaugh (Character) | 2006-2008 |
No Score Yet | 54% | American Idol | Guest | 2008 |
No Score Yet | 57% | Saturday Night Live | Host | 2007 |
No Score Yet | 85% | ER | Curtis Ames (Guest Star) | 2006-2007 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Inside the Actors Studio | Guest | 2006 |
50% | 77% | The Twilight Zone | Host | 2002-2003 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Daily Show | Guest | 2000 |
No Score Yet | 82% | Amazing Stories | Unknown (Character) | 1986 |
No Score Yet | 75% | North and South | Cuffey (Guest Star) | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Diff'rent Strokes | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Fall Guy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1985 |
97% | 85% | Hill Street Blues | Floyd Green (Guest Star) | 1984 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Trapper John, M.D. | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1984 |