Forest Whitaker attended college on a football scholarship, then, interested in Opera, transferred to U.S.C. on two more scholarships to study Music and Theater. He landed small roles on television and in two films, beginning with Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). He got his big break when he appeared in Oliver Stone's Platoon and Martin Scorsese's The Color of Money (both 1986). After a few more supporting roles, Whitaker got his first lead in Clint Eastwood's Bird (1988), in which he played the title role -- heroin-addicted jazz great Charlie Parker, a performance which won him the 1988 Cannes Film Festival Best Actor award. Although now better-known as an lead actor, he was unable to greatly capitalize on his success and remained primarily a supporting player in films. He is the older brother of actor Damon Whitaker.
| Title | Year | Editors' Rating | User Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Butler
Actor |
2013 | NOT YET RELEASED | ||
|
The Last Stand
Actor |
2013 | NOT YET RELEASED | ||
|
What a Wonderful World
Actor, Director |
2012 | NOT YET RELEASED | ||
|
Catch .44
Actor |
2011 | |||
| 2011 | ||||
|
Monte Carlo
Executive Producer |
2011 | |||
|
Serving Life
Executive Producer, Voice |
2011 | |||
| 2010 | ||||
|
My Own Love Song
Actor |
2010 | |||
|
Our Family Wedding
Actor |
2010 | |||
|
Repo Men
Actor |
2010 | |||
|
The Experiment
Actor |
2010 | |||
|
Hurricane Season
Actor |
2009 | |||
|
Lullaby for Pi
Actor |
2009 | |||
|
Powder Blue
Actor, Producer |
2009 | |||
|
The Official Inaugural Celebration
Participant |
2009 | |||
|
Toys in the Attic
Voice |
2009 | |||
| 2009 | ||||
|
Chasseurs de dragons
Voice |
2008 | |||
| 2008 | ||||
|
Fragments
Actor |
2008 | |||
|
Kassim the Dream
Executive Producer |
2008 | |||
|
King
Participant |
2008 | |||
|
Street Kings
Actor |
2008 | |||
|
Vantage Point
Actor |
2008 | |||
|
Even Money
Actor |
2007 | |||
|
Ripple Effect
Actor, Executive Producer |
2007 | |||
|
Saturday Night Live: Forest Whitaker
Performance |
2007 | |||
|
The Air I Breathe
Actor |
2007 | |||
|
The Great Debaters
Actor |
2007 | |||
|
Before the Music Dies
Voice |
2006 | |||
|
Everyone's Hero
Voice |
2006 | |||
| 2006 | ||||
|
The Marsh
Actor |
2006 | |||
|
A Little Trip to Heaven
Actor |
2005 | |||
|
American Gun
Actor, Executive Producer |
2005 | |||
|
Mary
Actor |
2005 | |||
|
Special Thanks to Roy London
Participant |
2005 | |||
|
First Daughter
Director, Executive Music Producer, Executive Producer, Voice |
2004 | |||
| 2004 | ||||
|
Chasing Papi
Producer |
2003 | |||
|
Deacons for Defense
Actor |
2003 | |||
|
Phone Booth
Actor |
2003 | |||
|
Door to Door
Executive Producer |
2002 | |||
|
Green Dragon
Actor, Executive Producer |
2002 | |||
|
Panic Room
Actor |
2002 | |||
| 2002 | ||||
|
The Feast of All Saints
Actor |
2001 | |||
|
The Follow
Actor |
2001 | |||
|
The Fourth Angel
Actor |
2001 | |||
|
American Storytellers
Interviewee |
2000 | |||
|
Battlefield Earth
Actor |
2000 | |||
|
Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows
Interviewee |
2000 | |||
|
Duke Ellington
Voice |
2000 | |||
|
Four Dogs Playing Poker
Actor |
2000 | |||
|
The Paperboy
Voice |
2000 | |||
| 1999 | ||||
|
Light It Up
Actor |
1999 | |||
|
Witness Protection
Actor |
1999 | |||
|
Body Count
Actor |
1998 | |||
|
Hope Floats
Director, Music Producer |
1998 | |||
| 1996 | ||||
|
Phenomenon
Actor |
1996 | |||
| 1996 | ||||
|
Smoke
Actor |
1995 | |||
|
Species
Actor |
1995 | |||
|
Waiting to Exhale
Director |
1995 | |||
|
Blown Away
Actor |
1994 | |||
|
Jason's Lyric
Actor |
1994 | |||
|
Lush Life
Actor |
1994 | |||
|
Prêt-à-Porter
Actor |
1994 | |||
|
The Enemy Within
Actor |
1994 | |||
|
Bank Robber
Actor |
1993 | |||
|
Body Snatchers
Actor |
1993 | |||
|
Last Light
Actor |
1993 | |||
|
Strapped
Director |
1993 | |||
|
Article 99
Actor |
1992 | |||
|
Consenting Adults
Actor |
1992 | |||
|
The Crying Game
Actor |
1992 | |||
|
A Rage in Harlem
Actor, Co-producer |
1991 | |||
|
Diary of a Hit Man
Actor |
1991 | |||
|
Criminal Justice
Actor |
1990 | |||
|
Downtown
Actor |
1989 | |||
|
Johnny Handsome
Actor |
1989 | |||
|
Bird
Actor |
1988 | |||
|
Good Morning, Vietnam
Actor |
1987 | |||
|
Hands of a Stranger
Actor |
1987 | |||
|
Stakeout
Actor |
1987 | |||
|
Bloodsport
Actor |
1986 | |||
|
Platoon
Actor |
1986 | |||
|
The Color of Money
Actor |
1986 | |||
|
Vision Quest
Actor |
1985 | |||
| 1982 | ||||
| 1982 |























































