Forest Whitaker biography
Forest Whitaker is an American actor, born on 15 July 1961 in Longview.
Forest Whitaker's screen career began in 1982 with Making the Grade.
Forest Whitaker has appeared in 108 films and 37 television or streaming titles.
The most recent films are Up Against It (2026), Havoc (2025), The King of Kings (2025).
Honours include Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie, Academy Award for Best Actor and NAACP Image Award , Chairman's Award.
- Also known as
- Forest Steven Whitaker
- Born
- 15 July 1961 (age 65)
- Birthplace
- Longview
- Work
- Actor, Film producer, Film actor, Television director, Film director
- Film industries
- Hollywood and beyond
- Years active
- 1981 to present
- Awards
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie
- Academy Award for Best Actor
- NAACP Image Award , Chairman's Award
- BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
- Crystal Award
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Forest Whitaker filmography
108 films and 37 television or streaming titles, newest first.
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Up Against It | TBA | ||
| 2025 | Havoc | Lawrence Beaumont | ||
| 2025 | The King of Kings | Peter | Voice role | |
| 2025 | Lucky Lu | |||
| 2024 | Megalopolis | English | ||
| 2023 | Big George Foreman | Doc Broadus | ||
| 2023 | To Live and Die and Live | |||
| 2023 | Asgard's Wrath 2 | Djehuty | Voice | |
| 2021 | Respect | C. L. Franklin | ||
| 2021 | Passing | |||
| 2020 | Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey | Jeronicus Jangle | ||
| 2019 | Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order | Saw Gerrera | Voice, likeness, and motion capture | |
| 2019 | Finding Steve McQueen | Howard Lambert | ||
| 2018 | How It Ends | Tom | ||
| 2018 | Black Panther | Zuri | ||
| 2018 | Sorry to Bother You | First Equisapien / Demarius | Also producer | |
| 2018 | City of Lies | Jack Jackson | ||
| 2018 | Burden | Reverend David Kennedy | ||
| 2017 | The Forgiven | Archbishop Desmond Tutu | ||
| 2017 | Roxanne Roxanne | |||
| 2016 | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | Saw Gerrera | ||
| 2016 | Arrival | Colonel Weber | ||
| 2016 | Songs My Brothers Taught Me | |||
| 2015 | Southpaw | Titus "Tick" Wills | ||
| 2015 | Dope | Narrator | Also producer |
Show all 108 films
| Year | Title | Role | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Taken 3 | Inspector Frank Dotzler | ||
| 2014 | Two Men in Town | William Garnett | ||
| 2013 | Black Nativity | Reverend Cornell | ||
| 2013 | The Butler | English | ||
| 2013 | The Last Stand | FBI Agent John Bannister | ||
| 2013 | Zulu | Ali Sokhela | ||
| 2013 | Pawn | Will | Direct-to-video | |
| 2013 | Out of the Furnace | Chief Wesley Barnes | ||
| 2013 | Making a Scene | |||
| 2013 | Repentance | Angel Sanchez | Also producer | |
| 2013 | Lee Daniels' The Butler | Cecil Gaines | ||
| 2013 | Fruitvale Station | |||
| 2012 | Freelancers | Dennis LaRue | Direct-to-video | |
| 2012 | A Dark Truth | Francisco Francis | ||
| 2012 | Ernest & Celestine | Ernest | Voice role; English-language version | |
| 2011 | Catch .44 | Ronny | Direct-to-video | |
| 2010 | Repo Men | Jake Freivald | ||
| 2010 | The Experiment | Barris | Direct-to-video | |
| 2010 | Our Family Wedding | Bradford Boyd | ||
| 2010 | My Own Love Song | Joey | ||
| 2010 | Lullaby for Pi | George | ||
| 2010 | Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life | English | ||
| 2009 | Hurricane Season | Al Collins | Direct-to-video | |
| 2009 | Where the Wild Things Are | Ira | Voice role | |
| 2009 | Powder Blue | Charlie | Also producer | |
| 2008 | Vantage Point | Howard Lewis | ||
| 2008 | Street Kings | Captain Jack Wander | ||
| 2008 | Fragments | English | ||
| 2008 | Winged Creatures | Charlie Archenault | ||
| 2008 | Dragon Hunters | Lian Chu | Voice role; English-language version | |
| 2007 | The Great Debaters | James L. Farmer, Sr. | ||
| 2007 | The Air I Breathe | Happiness | ||
| 2007 | Murder Party | English | ||
| 2007 | Ripple Effect | Philip | Also executive producer | |
| 2006 | Even Money | Clyde Snow | ||
| 2006 | The Last King of Scotland | Idi Amin | ||
| 2006 | Before the Music Dies | English | ||
| 2006 | The Marsh | Geoffrey Hunt | ||
| 2006 | Everyone's Hero | Lonnie Brewster | Voice role | |
| 2005 | Mary | Ted Younger | ||
| 2005 | American Gun | Carter | Also executive producer | |
| 2005 | A Little Trip to Heaven | Abe Holt | ||
| 2004 | First Daughter | Narrator | Also director and executive producer | |
| 2004 | Jiminy Glick in Lalawood | English | ||
| 2003 | Chasing Papi | |||
| 2002 | Phone Booth | Captain Ed Ramey | ||
| 2002 | Panic Room | Burnham | ||
| 2001 | The Hire: The Follow | The Employer | Short film; uncredited | |
| 2001 | The Fourth Angel | FBI Agent Jules Bernard | ||
| 2001 | Green Dragon | Addie | Also executive producer | |
| 2001 | Jew Balloons | Jeremiah Shultze | Short film | |
| 2000 | Four Dogs Playing Poker | Mr. Ellington | ||
| 2000 | Battlefield Earth | Ker | ||
| 1999 | Light It Up | Officer Dante Jackson | ||
| 1999 | Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai | "Ghost Dog" | ||
| 1998 | Body Count | Crane | ||
| 1998 | Hope Floats | |||
| 1996 | Phenomenon | Nate Pope | ||
| 1995 | Species | Dan Smithson | ||
| 1995 | Smoke | Cyrus Cole | ||
| 1995 | Waiting to Exhale | |||
| 1995 | Mr. Holland's Opus | Adult Bobby Tidd | Uncredited | |
| 1994 | Jason's Lyric | "Maddog" | ||
| 1994 | Prêt-à-Porter | Cy Bianco | ||
| 1994 | Blown Away | Officer Anthony Franklin | ||
| 1993 | Body Snatchers | Major Matthew Collins | ||
| 1993 | Bank Robber | Officer Battle | ||
| 1992 | Consenting Adults | David Duttonville | ||
| 1992 | The Crying Game | Jody | ||
| 1992 | Article 99 | Dr. Sid Handleman | ||
| 1991 | Diary of a Hitman | Dekker | ||
| 1991 | A Rage in Harlem | Jackson | Also co-producer | |
| 1990 | Downtown | Dennis Curren | ||
| 1989 | Johnny Handsome | Dr. Steven Fisher | ||
| 1988 | Bird | Charlie "Bird" Parker, Jr. | ||
| 1988 | Bloodsport | CID Agent Rawlins | ||
| 1987 | Good Morning, Vietnam | Private Edward Garlick | ||
| 1987 | Stakeout | Detective Jack Pismo | ||
| 1986 | The Color of Money | Amos | ||
| 1986 | Platoon | Harold "Big Harold" | ||
| 1985 | Vision Quest | Jean-Pierre "Balldozer" Baldosier | ||
| 1982 | Fast Times at Ridgemont High | Charles Jefferson | ||
| 1982 | Tag: The Assassination Game | Gowdy's Bodyguard |
Television and streaming
| Year | Title | Role | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | The Emperor of Ocean Park | Judge Oliver Garland | 10 episodes | |
| 2023 | Extrapolations | August Bolo | Episode: "2068: The Going-Away Party" | |
| 2022 | Andor | Saw Gerrera | 5 episodes | |
| 2019 | Godfather of Harlem | Bumpy Johnson | 40 episodes; also executive producer | |
| 2017 | Star Wars Rebels | Saw Gerrera | Voice; 4 episodes | |
| 2017 | Empire | Eddie Barker | 11 episodes | |
| 2016 | Roots | Henry (Fiddler) | 3 episodes | |
| 2013 | Africa | Narrator | Documentary series | |
| 2012 | Serving Life | Narrator | Documentary; also executive producer | |
| 2011 | Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior | Sam Cooper | Lead role; 13 episodes | |
| 2010 | Criminal Minds | Sam Cooper | Episode: "The Fight" | |
| 2010 | Brick City | , N/a | 11 episodes; executive producer | |
| 2007 | American Dad! | The Turlingtons | Voice role; 3 episodes | |
| 2006 | The Shield | Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh | 13 episodes (seasons 5 and 6) | |
| 2006 | ER | Curtis Ames | 6 episodes | |
| 2003 | Deacons for Defense | Marcus Clay | Television film | |
| 2002 | The Twilight Zone | Host / Narrator | 44 episodes; also consulting producer | |
| 2002 | Door to Door | , N/a | Television film; co-executive producer | |
| 2001 | Feast of All Saints | Daguerreotypist Picard | Television film; also executive producer | |
| 1999 | Witness Protection | US Marshal Steve Beck | Television film | |
| 1996 | Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault | Mr. Rucker | Television film | |
| 1994 | The Enemy Within | Colonel MacKenzie "Mac" Casey | Television film | |
| 1993 | Strapped | , N/a | Television film; director | |
| 1993 | Lush Life | Buddy Chester | Television film | |
| 1993 | Last Light | Fred Whitmore | Television film |
Show all 37 titles
| Year | Title | Role | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Criminal Justice | Jessie Williams | Television film | |
| 1987 | Hands of a Stranger | Sergeant Delaney | Television film | |
| 1986 | North and South, Book II | Cuffey | Miniseries | |
| 1986 | Amazing Stories | Jerry | Episode: "Gather Ye Acorns" | |
| 1985 | North and South | Cuffey | Miniseries | |
| 1985 | The Grand Baby | Unknown role | Television film | |
| 1985 | The Fall Guy | Friend | Episode: "Spring Break" | |
| 1985 | Diff'rent Strokes | Herman | Episode: "Bully for Arnold" | |
| 1984 | Trapper John, M.D | Lewis Jordan | Episode: "School Nurse" | |
| 1984 | Hill Street Blues | Floyd Green | Episode: "Blues for Mr. Green" | |
| 1983 | Cagney & Lacey | Night Manager | Episode: "The Grandest Jewel Thief of Them All" | |
| 1982 | Making the Grade | Unknown role | Episode: "Marriage David Style" |