Forest Whitaker

• Born: 15 July 1961
• Birthplace: Longview, Texas
• Best Known As: Oscar-winning star of The Last King of Scotland

Forest Whitaker won an Academy Award for his critically-acclaimed turn as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 feature film The Last King of Scotland. Big, black and with offset eyes, Whitaker has been a respected screen actor since his breakout roles in The Color of Money (1986, by Martin Scorsese) and The Crying Game (1988). Raised in California, Whitaker went to college to play football, then studied to be an operatic tenor before moving into the dramatic arts. He made his feature film debut in the 1982 comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High (starring Sean Penn). His small role as the soft-spoken hustler who outwits Paul Newman in The Color of Money earned him the respect of critics, and he was soon appearing in big movies such as Oliver Stone's Platoon (1986) and Good Morning, Vietnam (1987, starring Robin Williams). His portrayal of jazz great Charlie Parker in Clint Eastwood's Bird (1988), along with his role as a confused British soldier in The Crying Game (1992), proved his ability to play complex characters and gave him a reputation as a "serious" actor. During the 1990s Whitaker excelled at playing menacing gentle giants on screen while also producing and directing movies; he starred in Species (1995) and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), and he directed Waiting to Exhale (1995) and Hope Floats (1998). Already known for a quirky intensity, Whitaker cranked it up a notch in 2006 in a season-long role on the cable TV series The Shield (starring Michael Chiklis) before his Oscar success with The Last King of Scotland. His other films include A Rage in Harlem (1991), Panic Room (2000, starring Jodie Foster) and Phone Booth (2002, starring Colin Farrell).

Regarding his slightly droopy left eye, Whitaker once told Esquire magazine, simply, "It's a genetic thing. My dad had it and now I have it."

actor; movie director; movie producer

Personal Information

Born on July 15, 1961, in Longview, TX; son of Forest Jr. (in insurance sales) and Laura (a special education teacher) Whitaker; married Keisha Whitaker, 1996; children: two
Education: Attended California State Polytechnic University and University of Southern California.

Career

Actor on stage and in feature films, 1981-.

Life's Work

"A burly, good-natured Texan, soft-spoken and a little shy, Forest Whitaker doesn't exactly stand out in a crowd," wrote Associated Press correspondent Jay Sharbutt. "But in Hollywood, where unemployment is the rule, not the exception, he does OK." Whitaker, an award-winning actor, has graduated from important cameo roles to leading parts in major films. Not only has he won roles created specifically for a black actor--including jazz legend Charlie Parker in Bird--he has also received the opportunity to portray characters originally written for white actors. Whitaker commented to the Associated Press on his extraordinary range of roles: "I only care about doing characters I can grow from, someone I can learn from, people I can find some truth in. If I can do that, I can be happy."

As much as possible, Whitaker avoids the prying eyes of the Hollywood press. He grants interviews reluctantly and says little about his personal life or his work in the film industry. The actor explained in Ebony that the publicity surrounding his recent starring roles has proven difficult for him to accept. "I really appreciate that people enjoy my work, but most of my life has been in the background," he said. "I'm really just a normal guy, hanging out trying to live my life.... I appreciate the attention and I am growing to understand it and deal with it better, but I would prefer to walk around in total obscurity."

It may be too late for Whitaker to return to the anonymity he longs for, but he zealously guards what privacy is left by offering few details about his childhood or formative years. He was born July 15, 1961, in Longview, Texas, but grew up in Carson and Los Angeles, California. The oldest of three children of an insurance salesman and a special education teacher, Whitaker attended Palisades High School in Los Angeles, where he was a good student and an All-League defensive back in football. He earned a sports scholarship to California State University at Pomona and became a drama and music major. Eventually, though, he felt that his singing talent would be better cultivated at the University of Southern California, and he transferred there to study voice.

Stage work proved tempting, however, and Whitaker began appearing in local equity productions in Southern California. "I was probably going to go to New York and work on stage and that was it," he recalled to the Associated Press. "It just so happens I was working on a play and it turned into an opportunity to do a film." Since 1982 Whitaker has worked regularly in the movies, going from project to project and working his way from the ranks of the "extras" to the very best roles.

In 1982 Whitaker earned his first substantial role in a well-received teen film titled Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The actor's size and robust build helped him land the part of a tough guy whose cherished car gets trashed. That essentially comic role was followed by more important, serious ones; in The Color of Money, for example, Whitaker appeared as a pool shark who tries to beat the best players in the game. Although he was on screen only briefly, Whitaker studied the nuances of pool for months in order to perfect his moves and timing. As a result, observed Robert Wheaton in Ebony, "his one-scene cameo...almost stole the show from high-powered stars Paul Newman and Tom Cruise." Whitaker's performance inThe Color of Money brought him to the attention of director Barry Levinson, who gave the actor a substantial part in the big-budget Good Morning, Vietnam. Whitaker was particularly pleased with that opportunity, because the part was not originally written for a black actor; he later portrayed another character intended for a white actor in Johnny Handsome. For all of these roles, Whitaker has done homework--in the form of reading and interviews--in order to assure that his performance would be realistic.

Whitaker put his greatest energy into researching the life of Charlie "Yardbird" Parker--the jazz giant who helped to launch the be-bop era--for his lead role in Clint Eastwood's Bird, a film treatment of Parker's life. In order to ensure he would be believable as a saxophone player, Whitaker took horn lessons and talked to numerous people who knew Parker during the years before the famous musician died an early, drug-related death. Whitaker even interviewed recovering heroin addicts in an effort to better understand the effects of drug abuse and dependency. "The research took on a very large scope," he remarked in Ebony. "I would wake up so depressed some mornings that I would really begin to understand why Charlie Parker tried to kill himself and why he took drugs. He led a very hard life, and it took quite a while to shake his thoughts from my head." Whitaker's portrayal of Parker in Bird won the young actor the top award at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival. Jet correspondent Lou Ransom declared that the role was "the crowning achievement in Whitaker's career, which has shown remarkable success." And Wheaton suggested that Whitaker's performance was "exceptional, the kind of acting that makes a star. He lets the late jazzman's self-destructive streak come through but also shows us Parker's charm and intelligence."

The success of Bird proved that Whitaker could handle a principal role. He has been busy ever since, acting in films such as Diary of a Hitman and Article 99. He also took on the task of producing several films. In A Rage in Harlem--a 1991 comedy-drama that he also co-produced--Whitaker played a mild-mannered accountant who falls hopelessly in love with a worldly songstress and subsequently becomes embroiled in danger when he seeks to save her from a sordid scheme involving stolen gold. The actor pointed out to the Associated Press that the film "takes on a kind of fable quality. It's really about being able to believe in something and not be changed and structured by the world, being true to yourself." A Rage in Harlem, which was shot in Cincinnati, Ohio, also featured Gregory Hines, Danny Glover, and Robin Givens.

Whitaker took on the challenge of assuming the role of Joe Louis--the heavyweight boxer who won a world championship against Germany's Max Schmeling in 1938. In order to prepare for this portrayal, Whitaker went into a gym and worked with boxing trainers. The actor expressed in the Los Angeles Daily News that he is particularly excited about the opportunity to play Louis. "I love boxing," he said. "Joe Louis was the beginning. He gave pride to the black community." More than that, the actor added, "Joe Louis united the country."

Whitaker also began directing films in the early 1990s. His directing debut was in 1993 with Strapped, an original film for HBO, for which he won the International Critics' Award for best new director at the Toronto Film Festival in 1993. He has also directed such feature films as Waiting to Exhale in 1995, Hope Floats in 1998, and First Daughter in 2004.

To support his efforts, Whitaker established his own multimedia company called Spirit Dance Entertainment. Based in both the United States and the United Kingdom, Spirit Dance Entertainment, includes film, television, and music production. In London, the company mentors black and Asian filmmakers. His work continued to earn acclaim throughout the industry. In 2001 Whitaker produced his first feature film through Spirit Dance, Green Dragon. Soon, his television efforts were winning awards; Door to Door, a made for television movie about a man's efforts to become a successful salesman despite his cerebral palsy, won an Emmy award in 2003. In 2004, Whitaker was one of the first two directors selected for the First Amendment Project, a collaboration between the Sundance Channel and Court TV. For the project, Whitaker will direct a film that will portray an aspect of the First Amendment in a creative, fresh, innovative way.

Whitaker lives quietly in Los Angeles near his retired parents. He remains devoted to music, especially singing and playing the saxophone, and has been writing screenplays to support his own productions. Married in 1996, Whitaker is rarely seen on the Hollywood party scene--he shuns the limelight whenever possible. Ebony contributor Rhoda E. McKinney noted that despite his hard work and success, "Whitaker is truly a reluctant star. He is a humble man who shies from excess and pretense." Pressed about his views in Ebony, the star would only reply: "I hope through my work to help people understand themselves and others better."

Awards

Cannes Film Festival award for best actor, 1988, for Bird; International Critics' Award for best new director, Toronto Film Festival, 1993; Emmy award for best Made for Television Move, for Door to Door, 2003.

Works

Selected works

Films

• Fast Times at Ridgemont High, 1982.
• Platoon, 1986.
• Stakeout, 1987.
• Good Morning, Vietnam, 1987.
• Bird, 1988.
• Bloodsport, 1988.
• Johnny Handsome, 1989.
• Downtown, 1990.
• Diary of a Hitman, 1991.
• A Rage in Harlem, 1991.
• Article 99, 1992.
• The Crying Game, 1992.
• Consenting Adults, 1992.
• Body Snatchers, 1993.
• Bank Robber, 1993.
• Blown Away, 1994.
• Jason's Lyric, 1994.
• Ready to Wear, 1994.
• Smoke, 1995.
• Species, 1995.
• Phenomenon, 1996.
• Body Count, 1998.
• Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, 1999.
• Light It Up, 1999.
• Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000, 2000.
• Four Dogs Playing Poker, 2000.
• Green Dragon, 2001.
• The Hire: The Follow, 2001.
• The Fourth Angel, 2001.
• Panic Room, 2002.
• Phone Booth, 2002.
• Jiminy Glick in La La Wood, 2004.
• First Daughter, 2004.

Further Reading

Periodicals

• Associated Press wire reports, October 16, 1988; September 6, 1990; May 5, 1991.
• Business Wire, January 15, 2004.
• Chicago Tribune, May 25, 1988; May 3, 1991.
• Daily News (Los Angeles), May 7, 1991.
• Ebony, October 1988; November 1988.
• Jet, November 7, 1988.
• Journal and Constitution (Atlanta), November 5, 1988.
• Los Angeles Times, May 3, 1991.
• New York Times, May 24, 1988; September 11, 1988; May 3, 1991.
• Phoenix Gazette, June 8, 1991.
• Post and Courier (Charleston, SC), March 6, 2003.
• Washington Post, August 2, 1990; May 3, 1991.

— Mark Kram and Sara Pendergast

Quotes:

"I'm an actor. And I guess I've done so many movies I've achieved some high visibility. But a star? I guess I still think of myself as kind of a worker ant."

• Born: Jul 15, 1961 in Longview, Texas
• Occupation: Actor, Director
• Active: '80s-2000s
• Major Genres: Drama, Thriller
• Career Highlights: Platoon, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Waiting to Exhale
• First Major Screen Credit: Bloodsport (1986)

Biography

The hulking, unmistakably burly Forest Whitaker initially got into college on a football scholarship, but upon transferring to the University of Southern California, he majored in music, winning two more scholarships in that field. Still another scholarship, this one in the name of Sir John Gielgud, came Whitaker's way when he entered the drama program at Berkeley. A seasoned stage veteran at 21, the baby-faced Whitaker appeared in his first film, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, in 1982, coincidentally making his debut in the role of a football player.

Four years later, Whitaker attracted critical attention in the role of the young pool player who flummoxes Fast Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) in The Color of Money (1986). He was subsequently selected by director Clint Eastwood for the prize role of jazz great Charlie "Bird" Parker in Bird (1988), which won him the Best Actor award at Cannes. In 1992, Whitaker gained further fame for his role as a captured British soldier whose prior relationship with the mysterious Dil (Jaye Davidson) catalyzes the plot of The Crying Game.

Whitaker went on to work steadily throughout the rest of the decade in films of almost every possible genre. For Robert Altman's meandering, often-reviled fashion exposé Prêt-à-Porter (1994), the actor portrayed a fashion designer who has a tryst with fellow designer Richard E. Grant; the sci-fi thriller Species (1995) featured him as an empath on the trail of an alien; while in Smoke (1995), Wayne Wang's fine adaptation of several of Paul Auster stories, Whitaker portrayed an errant father confronted by his long-estranged son. He ended the century by portraying the title character in Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), and began the 21st century by starring, appropriately enough, in the futuristic action flop Battlefield Earth (2000).

In addition to his work in front of the camera, Whitaker has also stepped behind it, surprising many by choosing to direct relatively unchallenging chick-flick scripts. In 1995, he made his feature directorial debut with Waiting to Exhale, the popular adaptation of Terry McMillan's novel of the same name. Three years later, he was at the helm of Hope Floats, another melodrama starring Sandra Bullock as a woman who moves back to her Texas hometown. In 2004, he directed the comedy First Daughter, starring Katie Holmes as the daughter of the president, played by Michael Keaton.

Although the first half of the next decade found Whitaker working primarily in independent films, he did stay in the public eye thanks to a part as a sympathetic burglar in David Fincher's thriller Panic Room (2002). Fortunately for fans of the versatile actor, Whitaker achieved one of the great successes of his career playing the grandstanding dictator Idi Amin in 2006's The Last King of Scotland, a film that earned him numerous industry and critics' awards, including the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama, and a long-overdue Oscar for Best Actor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

First Daughter Buy this Movie	Phone Booth Buy this Movie	Deacons for Defense Buy this Movie	Green Dragon Buy this Movie
Panic Room Buy this Movie	The Feast of All Saints Buy this Movie	Battlefield Earth Buy this Movie	Four Dogs Playing Poker Buy this Movie

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