Contents
Forest Whitaker
Winning an Oscar as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland.
Bird · Ghost Dog
- Born
- 15 July 1961
- Birthplace
- Longview, Texas, United States
More people
Forest Whitaker
An American actor, filmmaker and peace advocate known for detailed character preparation. His films range from intimate musical portraits to crime stories and large franchises.
Early life
Los Angeles upbringing
Moved from Texas to California as a child.
Sport and music
Studied on a football scholarship before moving toward music and drama.
Career
- 1982
Film debut
Appeared in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
- 1988
Bird
His portrayal of Charlie Parker won the Cannes acting prize.
- 1990s
Acting and directing
Expanded into directing while continuing major character roles.
- 2007
Academy Award
Won Best Actor for The Last King of Scotland.
Selected work
Bird
Played saxophonist Charlie Parker.
Ghost Dog
Portrayed a solitary hitman guided by a personal code.
The Last King of Scotland
Played Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
Beyond acting
Peacebuilding
Founded the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative.
UNESCO
Became a goodwill ambassador supporting peace and reconciliation.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Academy Awards ceremony ↗Photo: Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
