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Forest Whitaker
Actor, Producer, Director, Additional CreditsBorn July 15, 1961 (63 years)
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.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Forest Whitaker, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Forest Whitaker, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Movies & Shows on Plex
Known For
Featured Videos
Filmography
| 2025 | Havoc · as Lawrence Beaumont |
| 2025 | The King of Kings · as Peter (voice) |
| 2025 | Andor Season 2 | A Special Look · as Saw Gerrera (archive Footage) (uncredited) |
| 2024 | Emperor of Ocean Park (TV Series) · as Oliver Garland |
| 2023 | Big George Foreman · as Doc Broadus |
| 2023 | Extrapolations (TV Series) · as Auggie Bolo |
| 2022 | Andor (TV Series) · as Saw Gerrera |
| 2022 | Andor: A Disney+ Day Special Look · as Saw Gerrera (archive Footage) (uncredited) |
| 2021 | Respect · as C. L. Franklin |
| 2020 | Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey · as Jeronicus Jangle |
| 2019 | Godfather of Harlem (TV Series) · as Ellsworth 'bumpy' Johnson |
| 2019 | Finding Steve McQueen · as Howard Lambert |
| 2018 | City of Lies · as Jack Jackson |
| 2018 | Sorry to Bother You · as First Equisapien / Demarius |
| 2018 | How It Ends · as Tom |
| 2018 | Black Panther · as Zuri |
| 2018 | Burden · as Reverend Kennedy |
| 2017 | The Forgiven · as Desmond Tutu |
| 2017 | We Are One · as Narrator (voice) |
| 2016 | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story · as Saw Gerrera |
| 2016 | Arrival · as Colonel Weber |
| 2016 | Star Wars: Go Rogue (TV Series) · as Saw Gerrera (voice) |
| 2016 | Roots: A New Vision · as Fiddler |
| 2016 | Roots: A History Revealed · as Fiddler |
| 2016 | Roots (2016) (TV Series) · as Fiddler |
| 2015 | Southpaw · as Titus 'tick' Wills |
| 2015 | Dope · as The Narrator (voice) |
| 2015 | Empire (2015) (TV Series) · as Eddie Barker |
| 2014 | Taken 3 · as Inspector Frank Dotzler |
| 2014 | Star Wars Rebels (TV Series) · as Saw Gerrera (voice) |
| 2014 | Two Men in Town · as William Garnett |
| 2014 | |
| 2013 | Repentance · as Angel |
| 2013 | Out of the Furnace · as Chief Wesley Barnes |
| 2013 | |
| 2013 | Black Nativity · as Reverend Cornell Cobbs |
| 2013 | Making a Scene · as Man |
| 2013 | Mysteries of the Unseen World · as Narrator |
| 2013 | |
| 2013 | The Butler · as Cecil Gaines |
| 2013 | The Last Stand · as Agent John Bannister |
| 2012 | Ernest & Celestine · as Ernest |
| 2012 | A Dark Truth · as Francisco Francis |
| 2012 | Rising from Ashes · as Narrator |
| 2012 | Freelancers · as Dennis Larue |
| 2011 | |
| 2011 | Serving Life · as Narrator (voice) |
| 2011 | Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (TV Series) · as Sam Cooper |
| 2011 | National Memorial Day Concert · as Cast |
| 2010 | Lullaby for Pi · as George |
| 2010 | The Experiment · as Barris |
| 2010 | 2 Everything 2 Terrible 2: Tokyo Drift · as (archive Footage) |
| 2010 | My Own Love Song · as Joey |
| 2010 | Repo Men · as Jake |
| 2010 | Our Family Wedding · as Brad Boyd |
| 2010 | |
| 2009 | Hurricane Season · as Al Collins |
| 2009 | Where the Wild Things Are · as Ira (voice) |
| 2009 | Powder Blue · as Charlie |
| 2009 | Toys in the Attic · as Teddy |
| 2008 | Winged Creatures · as Charlie Archenault |
| 2008 | Street Kings · as Captain Jack Wander |
| 2008 | Dragon Hunters · as Lian-Chu |
| 2008 | Vantage Point · as Howard Lewis |
| 2008 | Crips and Bloods: Made in America · as Narrator |
| 2007 | The Great Debaters · as Dr. James Farmer Sr. |
| 2007 | Ripple Effect · as Philip |
| 2007 | The Air I Breathe · as Happiness |
| 2006 | Everyone's Hero · as Lonnie Brewster (voice) |
| 2006 | The Marsh · as Geoffrey Hunt |
| 2006 | Even Money · as Clyde Snow |
| 2006 | The Last King of Scotland · as Idi Amin |
| 2005 | A Little Trip to Heaven · as Abe Holt |
| 2005 | Mary · as Ted Younger |
| 2005 | Criminal Minds (TV Series) · as Sam Cooper |
| 2005 | Venecia 2005: Crónica de Carlos Boyero · as Ted Younger |
| 2005 | American Gun · as Carter |
| 2005 | American Dad! (TV Series) · as Turlington (voice) |
| 2004 | First Daughter · as Narrator (voice) |
| 2003 | Deacons for Defense · as Marcus Clay |
| 2003 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! (TV Series) |
| 2002 | Phone Booth · as Captain Ramey |
| 2002 | Panic Room · as Burnham |
| 2002 | The Shield (TV Series) · as Jon Kavanaugh |
| 2001 | The Feast of All Saints · as Daguerreotypist Picard |
| 2001 | The Fourth Angel · as Agent Jules Bernard |
| 2001 | The Follow · as The Employer |
| 2001 | Green Dragon · as Addie |
| 2001 | The Hire (TV Series) · as The Employer |
| 2000 | Four Dogs Playing Poker · as Mr. Ellington |
| 2000 | Battlefield Earth · as Ker |
| 2000 | The Paperboy · as Narrator |
| 1999 | Witness Protection · as Steven Beck |
| 1999 | Light It Up · as Officer Dante Jackson |
| 1999 | Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai · as Ghost Dog |
| 1999 | Independent Lens (TV Series) · as Narrator |
| 1998 | Body Count · as Crane |
| 1996 | Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault · as Mr. Rucker |
| 1996 | Phenomenon · as Nate Pope |
| 1995 | Mr. Holland's Opus · as Bobby Tidd As An Adult (uncredited) |
| 1995 | Species · as Dan Smithson, Empath |
| 1995 | Smoke · as Cyrus Cole |
| 1994 | Ready to Wear · as Cy Bianco |
| 1994 | Jason's Lyric · as Maddog |
| 1994 | ER (TV Series) · as Curtis Ames |
| 1994 | The Enemy Within · as Col. Mackenzie Casey |
| 1994 | Blown Away · as Anthony Franklin |
| 1993 | Bank Robber · as Officer Battle |
| 1993 | Lush Life · as Buddy Chester |
| 1993 | Last Light · as Fred Whitmore |
| 1993 | Body Snatchers · as Major Collins |
| 1992 | The Crying Game · as Jody |
| 1992 | Consenting Adults · as David Duttonville |
| 1992 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (TV Series) |
| 1992 | Article 99 · as Dr. Sid Handleman |
| 1991 | Diary of a Hitman · as Dekker |
| 1991 | A Rage in Harlem · as Jackson |
| 1990 | Criminal Justice · as Jessie Williams |
| 1990 | Downtown · as Dennis Curren |
| 1989 | Johnny Handsome · as Dr. Steven Fisher |
| 1988 | LIVE with Kelly and Mark (TV Series) |
| 1988 | Bird · as Charlie 'bird' Parker |
| 1988 | Bloodsport · as Rawlins |
| 1987 | Good Morning, Vietnam · as Edward Garlick |
| 1987 | Stakeout · as Det. Jack Pismo |
| 1987 | Hands of a Stranger · as Sergeant Delaney |
| 1986 | Platoon · as Big Harold |
| 1986 | The Color of Money · as Amos |
| 1985 | North and South (TV Series) · as Cuffey |
| 1985 | American Masters (TV Series) · as Director |
| 1985 | Amazing Stories (1985) (TV Series) · as Jerry |
| 1985 | Vision Quest · as Balldozer |
| 1982 | Fast Times at Ridgemont High · as Charles Jefferson |
| 1982 | Tag: The Assassination Game · as Gowdy's Bodyguard |
| 1981 | The Fall Guy (TV Series) · as Friend |
| 1981 | Cagney & Lacey (TV Series) |
| 1981 | Hill Street Blues (TV Series) |
| 1979 | Trapper John, M.D. (TV Series) · as Lewis Jordan |
| 1978 | Diff'rent Strokes (TV Series) |