• Forest Whitaker is a producer, director, and actor best known for his Academy Award winning performance in The Last King of Scotland.

  He studied music and drama at University of Southern California and graduated in 1982. His breakout role was the part of Charlie Parker in the 1988 Clint Eastwood directed film, Bird.

  He and his family are vegetarians, and have done public service announcements for PETA.

• 1. Born: July 15, 1961
  2. Birthplace: Longview, Texas
  3. Height: 6'2"
  4. Spouse: Keisha Nash
  5. Film Debut Role: Fast Times At Ridgemont High
  6. Awards: Cannes Film Festival, Academy Award, National Board Of Review, BAFTA, Golden Globes

• Notable Films

  1. Platoon (1986)
  2. Stakeout (1987)
  3. Bird (1988)
  4. The Crying Game (1992)
  5. Phenomenon (1996)
  6. Ghost Dog (1999)
  7. The Last King of Scotland (2006)
  8. The Great Debaters (2007)

• Quotes

  "I can play a man who's despicable. But I'll still look inside him to find a point of connection. If I can find that kernel, audiences will relate to me."

  "I have friends, African American actors, who've had more of a struggle; hopefully they're starting to see some air and light now. But in my directing career, in my acting career, in my producing career, I haven't been bound by a lot of limitations. When I first started doing these kinds of unique characters, these diverse characters, there was hardly anybody doing them. So I had this open road."

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