Forest Whitaker
Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961 in Longview , Texas ) is an American actor , film producer and director . In addition to numerous awards, he received the Oscar for best leading role in 2007 for his role as Idi Amin in the film The Last King of Scotland .
life and career
Whitaker received a football scholarship in his youth , but then moved to the University of Southern California at Los Angeles , where he successfully studied music and later came into contact with acting at the University of California at Berkeley . His drooping left eyelid ( ptosis ) quickly became his trademark. In 1982, Whitaker made his American cinema debut with a small appearance in Nick Castle's thriller TAG and the role of a football player in Amy Heckerling's high school comedy I Believe I Stand in the Woods , which Sean Penn used as a career springboard should serve. In the years that followed, Whitaker appeared in supporting roles in award-winning films such as Oliver Stone's Vietnam War drama Platoon (1986), Martin Scorsese's The Color of Money (1986) and Barry Levinson's tragic comedy Good Morning, Vietnam . He already played an important supporting role in Good Morning, Vietnam .
His first acclaimed leading role was in 1988 that of the legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker in Clint Eastwood's biography Bird , for which Whitaker received the Acting Award in Cannes and a nomination for the Golden Globe for best drama actor . Despite this success, he did not move up to the ranks of leading character actors.
His subsequent engagements were broad, including supporting roles in Neil Jordan's thriller The Crying Game (1992), Robert Altman's fashion satire Prêt-à-Porter or the independent film Smoke , but also engagements in action and science fiction films such as Bloodsport ( 1988), Explosiv - Blown Away (1994) or Species (1995). His critically acclaimed leading role in Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog (1999) was followed by a role in Battlefield Earth (2000), the film adaptation of a science fiction novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard that was panned by criticism and is considered the low point of his career.
After two successful roles in thrillers, Whitaker received his most important role to date as the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in Kevin Macdonald's feature film debut The Last King of Scotland - In the Clutches of Power . This role brought Whitaker an Oscar in 2007 and numerous prestigious film awards. Less than two months after winning an Oscar, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . In the years that followed, Whitaker was seen again in a wide variety of genres, including Denzel Washington's drama The Great Debaters , David Ayer's police thriller Street Kings and the science fiction film Repo Men .
In addition to productions for the cinema, Whitaker can also be seen regularly in television series. He has made many guest appearances on series such as Emergency Room , Hill Street Police Station and Trapper John, MD. His television film From Door to Door (2002) was awarded an Emmy . In The Twilight Zone he took on the role of presenter and narrator. In 2011 he starred for one season in the series Criminal Minds: Team Red . Tobias Meister has established himself as his German dubbing voice .
In August 2015 it was announced that Whitaker in Rogue One: A Star Wars story , the first Star Wars - a spin-off , as Saw Gerrera will play a leading role. The film was released in December 2016.
In 2018, Whitaker played the role of Zuri in the Marvel film adaptation of Black Panther .
family
Forest Whitaker married Keisha Simone Nash, who was eleven years his junior and who took his name. There are two daughters from the marriage. He already has a son from a previous relationship. He is also the stepfather of Keisha's daughter. He also has two younger brothers, Kenn and Damon Whitaker, who also work as actors.
Filmography (selection)
As an actor
- 1982: I think I'm standing in the woods (Fast Times at Ridgemont High)
- 1983: Cagney & Lacey (TV series, episode 2x12)
- 1985: A Colt for All Cases ( The Fall Guy , TV series, episode 4x20)
- 1985–1986: Torches in the Storm ( North And South , Miniseries)
- 1985: Crazy for You (Vision Quest)
- 1986: Platoon
- 1986: The Color of Money (The Color of Money)
- 1987: The night has many eyes (Stakeout)
- 1987: Good Morning, Vietnam
- 1988: Bird
- 1988: Bloodsport
- 1989: Johnny Handsome - The beautiful Johnny (Johnny Handsome)
- 1990: Downtown
- 1990: Criminal Justice
- 1991: A Rage in Harlem
- 1991: Nobody Can Get Out Of Here (Diary of a Hitman)
- 1992: The Crying Game
- 1992: No Surrender - Cry for Justice (Article 99)
- 1992: Consenting Adults
- 1993: Last Light
- 1993: Bank Robber
- 1993: Body Snatchers - Attack of the Body Eaters (Body Snatchers)
- 1994: Explosiv - Blown Away (Blown Away)
- 1994: Prêt-à-Porter
- 1994: The Enemy Within ( The Enemy Within , TV movie)
- 1994: Jason's Lyric
- 1995: Smoke
- 1995: Species
- 1996: Phenomenon - The impossible comes true (Phenomenon)
- 1998: Body Count - Escape to Miami (Body Count)
- 1999: Ghost Dog : The Way of the Samurai
- 1999: Light It Up
- 1999: Witness Protection program ( TV film)
- 2000: Battlefield Earth (Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000)
- 2000: Four Dogs Playing Poker
- 2001: Green Dragon
- 2001: The Fourth Angel (The Fourth Angel)
- 2001: The Hire : The Follow
- 2002: Don't hang up! (Phone booth)
- 2002: Panic Room
- 2002–2003: Twilight Zone (TV series, 44 episodes)
- 2005: American Gun
- 2005: Mary
- 2005: A Little Trip to Heaven
- 2006: Even Money
- 2006: The Last King of Scotland - In the clutches of power (The Last King of Scotland)
- 2006: Everyone's Hero (voice)
- 2006: The Marsh: Der Sumpf (The Marsh)
- 2006–2007: The Shield - Law of Violence ( The Shield , TV series, 13 episodes)
- 2006–2007: Emergency Room - Die Notaufnahme ( ER , TV series, 6 episodes)
- 2007: The Air I Breathe - The Power of Fate (The Air I Breathe)
- 2007: The Great Debaters
- 2008: 8 angles (Vantage Point)
- 2008: Street Kings
- 2008: Winged Creatures
- 2008: Crips and Bloods ( Made in America: Crips and Bloods , narrator)
- 2009: Stormy Times - Never Give Up (Hurricane Season)
- 2009: Powder Blue
- 2009: Where the Wild Things Are ( Where the Wild Things Are , Voice)
- 2010: Criminal Minds (TV series, episode 5x18 The Fight )
- 2010: Our Family Wedding
- 2010: Lullaby for Pi
- 2010: Repo Men
- 2010: The Experiment
- 2011: Criminal Minds: Team Red ( Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior , TV series, 13 episodes)
- 2011: Catch .44 - The really big coup (Catch .44)
- 2012: Freelancers
- 2012: The Truth
- 2013: The Last Stand
- 2013: The Butler (The Butler)
- 2013: Pawn - Who Can You Trust? (Pawn)
- 2013: An Eye for an Eye (Out of the Furnace)
- 2013: Zulu
- 2013: Black Nativity
- 2014: La voie de l'ennemi
- 2013: Repentance
- 2014: 96 Hours - Taken 3 (Taken 3)
- 2015: Southpaw
- 2016: Roots (TV series)
- 2016: Arrival
- 2016: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- 2017: Star Wars Rebels (TV series)
- since 2017: Empire (TV series)
- 2018: Black Panther
- 2018: How it Ends
As a director
- 1993: School of Violence (Strapped)
- 1995: Waiting to Exhale (Waiting to Exhale)
- 1998: A Second Chance (Hope Floats)
- 1998: Black Jag
- 2004: First Daughter - Date with Obstacles ( First Daughter , also producer)
As a producer
- 2013: Next stop: Fruitvale Station (Fruitvale Station)
- 2015: Dope
- 2017: Roxanne Roxanne
Awards
- 1988: Actor Award at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival for Bird
- 2001: Nomination for: Golden Raspberry for Worst Supporting Actor for Battlefield Earth
- 2004: Twilight Tyler Award for Lifetime Achievement
- 2006/2007 for The Last King of Scotland - In the Clutches of Power :
- National Board of Review for Best Actor
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association for Best Actor
- New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
- Satellite Award for Best Actor
- Golden Globe Award
- British Academy Film Award
- Oscar for best actor
- BET Award for the best leading actor
- Black Reel Award for Best Actor
- Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
- Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
- Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
- Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
- Hollywood Film Award for Best Actor of the Year
- Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
- Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
- London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
- NAACP Image Award for Best Actor in a Feature Film
- National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
- Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
- Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
- Satellite Award for Best Actor - in a Feature Film
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor
- Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
- Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
- Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
- British Independent Film Awards nomination for Best Actor in a British Independent Film
- Nomination for Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
- 2013 for The Butler :
- African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
- NAACP Image Award for Best Actor - Feature Film
- AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Actor
- AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Adult Love Story
- Nomination for American Black Film Festival for Best Actor
- Nomination for American Black Film Festival for Artist of the Year
- Nomination for American Black Film Festival for Best Ensemble
- Nomination for Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Ensemble
- Nomination for BET Awards for Best Actor
- Nomination for Satellite Award for Best Actor - Feature Film
- Nomination for Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor
- Nomination for Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble
literature
- Melvin Burke Donalson: Black directors in Hollywood . University of Texas Press, Austin 2003, ISBN 0-292-70178-0 (English edition).
- George Alexander: Why we make movies: Black filmmakers talk about the magic of cinema . Harlem Moon, New York 2003, ISBN 0-7679-1181-4 (English edition).
Web links
- Forest Whitaker in theInternet Movie Database(English)
- Forest Whitaker on Prism-online
Interviews
- "Idi Amin was a very charming person" , Die Welt , February 26, 2007
- “Dictators are people too” , Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung , March 12, 2007
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://film-dienst.kim-info.de/artikel.php?nr=152612&dest=frei&pos=artikel ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Rogue One — The Daring Mission Has Begun: Cast and Crew Announced . In: StarWars.com . August 15, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Whitaker, Forest |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Whitaker, Forest Steven (full name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American actor, producer and director |
DATE OF BIRTH | July 15, 1961 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Longview , Texas, United States |