Forest Whitaker

Forest Steven Whitaker III was born on July 15, 1961 in Longview, Texas. His first notable movie role was in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). He went on to star in war movies Platoon (1986) and Good Morning Vietnam (1987).

Whitaker’s first lead role came in Bird (1988), directed by Clint Eastwood. His portrayal of jazz musician Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker won him plaudits from critics and a Best Actor Award at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival. He also won praise for his role as a soldier in The Crying Game (1992). During the early 2000s he starred in thriller movies such as Phone Booth (2002) with Colin Farrell and Panic Room (2002) with Jodie Foster.

His most critically acclaimed role was playing Dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland (2006). It was a role he prepared for by gaining lots of weight, meeting those who knew Amin, and learning Swahili. Whitaker won many awards for this performance, most notably a Best Actor Oscar. Away from the big screen he has also appeared in crime drama, The Shield.