Forest Whitaker
Known for
One of the great contemporary American actors. Best Actor Oscar winner for 'The Last King of Scotland' (2006), where he played dictator Idi Amin. He became established with Clint Eastwood's 'Bird' (1988), for which he was awarded at Cannes, and shone in 'Platoon' (1986), 'The Crying Game' (1992), 'Arrival' (2016) and 'Black Panther' (2018). American actor, director and activist of imposing presence and extremely wide range, recognized for his interpretive intensity and his depth, considered one of the great performers of American cinema of recent decades.
Forest Whitaker
86 Movies
16 Series
One of the great contemporary American actors. Best Actor Oscar winner for 'The Last King of Scotland' (2006), where he played dictator Idi Amin. He became established with Clint Eastwood's 'Bird' (1988), for which he was awarded at Cannes, and shone in 'Platoon' (1986), 'The Crying Game' (1992), 'Arrival' (2016) and 'Black Panther' (2018). American actor, director and activist of imposing presence and extremely wide range, recognized for his interpretive intensity and his depth, considered one of the great performers of American cinema of recent decades.
Movies
Plays Zuri
Black Panther
2018
Plays Colonel Weber
Arrival
2016
Plays Inspector Frank Dotzler
Taken 3
2014
Plays Titus 'Tick' Wills
Southpaw
2015
Plays Rawlins
Bloodsport
1988
Plays Big Harold
Platoon
1986
Plays Saw Gerrera
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
2016
Plays Captain Ramey
Phone Booth
2003
Plays Burnham
Panic Room
2002
Plays Lawrence Beaumont
Havoc
2025
Plays Charles Jefferson
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
1982
Plays Dan Smithson, Empath
Species
1995
Plays Howard Lewis
Vantage Point
2008
Plays Jake
Repo Men
2010
Plays Edward Garlick
Good Morning, Vietnam
1987
Plays Captain Jack Wander
Street Kings
2008
Plays Agent John Bannister
The Last Stand
2013
Producer
Plays First Equisapien / Demarius
Sorry to Bother You
2018
Plays Peter (voice)
The King of Kings
2025
Plays Anthony Franklin
Blown Away
1994
Plays Nate Pope
Phenomenon
1996
Plays Ghost Dog
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
1999
Plays Dr. Steven Fisher
Johnny Handsome
1989
Plays Ali Sokhela
Zulu
2013
Plays Ira (voice)
Where the Wild Things Are
2009
Plays Idi Amin
The Last King of Scotland
2006
Plays Doc Broadus
Big George Foreman
2023
Plays Ronny
Catch.44
2011
Plays Cecil Gaines
The Butler
2013
Plays Lonnie Brewster (voice)
Everyone's Hero
2006
Plays Tom
How It Ends
2018
Plays Dr. James Farmer Sr.
The Great Debaters
2007
Plays Chief Wesley Barnes
Out of the Furnace
2013
Plays Amos
The Color of Money
1986
Plays Major Collins
Body Snatchers
1993
Plays Jody
The Crying Game
1992
Plays Ker
Battlefield Earth
2000
Plays C. L. Franklin
Respect
2021
Plays Jack Jackson
City of Lies
2018
Plays Will
Pawn
2013
Plays Barris
The Experiment
2010
Producer
Plays Charlie
Powder Blue
2009
Plays Det. Jack Pismo
Stakeout
1987
Plays Cy Bianco
Prêt-à-Porter
1994
Plays Jeronicus Jangle
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
2020
Plays Abe Holt
A Little Trip to Heaven
2005
Plays Balldozer
Vision Quest
1985
Plays Happiness
The Air I Breathe
2007
Plays Cyrus Cole
Smoke
1995
Plays Dennis Larue
Freelancers
2012
TV Shows
Plays Self - Host
The Twilight Zone
2002
Producer
Plays Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson
Godfather of Harlem
2019
Plays Jon Kavanaugh
The Shield
2002
Plays Sam Cooper
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior
2011
Plays Judge Oliver Garland
The Emperor of Ocean Park
2024
Plays Cuffey
North and South
1985
Plays Saw Gerrera
Andor
2022
Plays Saw Gerrera (voice)
Star Wars: Go Rogue
2016
Plays Curtis Ames
ER
1994
Plays Fiddler
Roots
2016
Plays Saw Gerrera (voice)
Star Wars Rebels
2014
Plays Turlington (voice)
American Dad!
2005
Plays Sam Cooper
Criminal Minds
2005
Plays Night Manager
Cagney & Lacey
1982
Plays Jerry
Amazing Stories
1985
Plays The Employer
The Hire
2001
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Havoc
Full Filmography
Andor
Saw Gerrera · 5 episodes
2022–2025
TV
Havoc
Lawrence Beaumont
2025
Film
The King of Kings
Peter (voice)
2025
Film
The Emperor of Ocean Park
Judge Oliver Garland · 10 episodes
2024
TV
Big George Foreman
Doc Broadus
2023
Film
Respect
C. L. Franklin
2021
Film
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Jeronicus Jangle
2020
Film
Godfather of Harlem
Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson · 40 episodes
2019–
TV
Finding Steve McQueen
Howard Lambert
2019
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Forest Whitaker and where are they from?
Forest Whitaker is 65 years old, born on July 15, 1961 in Longview, Texas, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Forest Whitaker?
Forest Whitaker is best known for roles in Black Panther, Arrival, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
How many movies has Forest Whitaker been in?
Over a 44-year career (since 1982), Forest Whitaker has appeared in 85 movies and 14 TV shows.
What was Forest Whitaker's first movie?
The career of Forest Whitaker began with Tag: The Assassination Game (1982).
What is Forest Whitaker's most recent movie or series?
Forest Whitaker's most recent release is Havoc, which premiered on April 25, 2025.
What TV shows has Forest Whitaker appeared in?
On television, Forest Whitaker has appeared in Criminal Minds, American Dad!, Andor, Star Wars Rebels.
Does Forest Whitaker have any upcoming projects?
Yes, Forest Whitaker's upcoming work includes: Rose's Baby (2027).
Forest Whitaker
1961-07-15 · Longview, Texas, USA
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.