Forest Whitaker is one of Hollywood’s most accomplished actors, directors, producers who has showcased his talents in a multitude of demanding and diverse roles. 

The year 2007 is a year to remember for Whitaker.  After winning almost every Critics Award, he received the Academy Award for Best Actor, Golden Globe for Best Actor, the Best Actor SAG and BAFTA Awards for his performance as Uganda dictator Idi Amin in Fox Searchlight’s “The Last King of Scotland.” The film is a historic drama which documents the regime’s brutality during the 1970’s as seen through the eyes of his personal physician. In addition to this acclaim, his independent film “American Gun,” a movie which in which he starred and produced, was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

Whitaker has garnered critical attention for his performance on last season’s “The Shield” opposite Michael Chiklis, as well as for his appearance on “ER” this season, for which he garnered an Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.  He recently wrapped “Where the Wild Things Are” for Warner Bros. and Playtone for director Spike Jonze, as well.  The film will be a mix of live-action, animation and puppetry and is an adaptation of the Maurice Sendak classic children’s book and will release this year. Whitaker is also in the post-production stage of the film “Winged Creatures” which tells the story of a diverse group of strangers who form a unique relationship with each other after surviving a shooting at a Los Angeles diner.  Alongside Whitaker stars Dakota Fanning, Jackie Earl Haley, Jennifer Hudson and Kate Beckinsale. Finally, Forest has completed filming of “Powder Blue” with Jessica Biel and Ray Liotta. Currently, Forest is filming “Repossession Mambo,” based on the novel by Eric Garcia also starring Jude Law. Whitaker was recently seen in “The Great Debaters” opposite Denzel Washington, for which he acquired an NAACP Image Award Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture. He was last seen in the suspense thriller “Vantage Point” for Sony Pictures opposite Dennis Quaid and Matthew Fox.

At the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival, Whitaker wowed audiences with three outstanding films. He starred in a compelling, dark thriller entitled “A Little Trip to Heaven” opposite Julia Stiles. Whitaker delivered a shuddering performance and proves that he is one of the best actors of his generation in the fundamentally subversive and religiously complex film “Mary” opposite Matthew Modine. Finally he executive produced and starred opposite Donald Sutherland in the film “American Gun” for IFC Films.

With three college scholarships already under his belt, Whitaker received a fourth scholarship, set up by Sir John Gielgud, upon his entrance to the drama program at Berkeley.  A seasoned stage veteran at 21, baby-faced Whitaker made his film debut in the 1982 film “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” From that point onward, Whitaker has been making history.  In 1988, Whitaker was named Best Actor at The Cannes Film Festival for his brilliant portrayal of jazz legend Charlie Parker in Clint Eastwood’s “Bird,” a role for which he also received a Golden Globe nomination.  Whitaker earned widespread recognition for his performance as “Jody,” the hostage British soldier in Neil Jordan’s Academy-Award winning film “The Crying Game.”  On the silver screen, Whitaker garnered a Cable Ace Award nomination for his performance in the Showtime original film, “Last Light,” directed by Kiefer Sutherland. He also starred in the HBO presentation “Criminal Justice,” for which he earned aCable Ace Award nomination, and “The Enemy Within,” for which Whitaker received a Screen Actor’s Guild nomination.

In 2000, Whitaker played the title role of a spiritual gangster in “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai,” directed by Jim Jarmusch.  The film premiered at the 1999 Cannes Festival and screened at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival to critical acclaim.  “Ghost Dog” was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature.  The film’s soundtrack was a co-venture with Whitaker’s own company Spirit Dance.

In 2001, Whitaker appeared in “Fourth Angel,” an action thriller set in London, opposite Jeremy Irons. Forest starred in and executive produced the TV mini-series “Feast of All Saints” which won an Emmy and was nominated in two other categories. Before that he starred in, and executive produced, “Green Dragon,” the first feature film production of this entity, which won the Humanitas Award in addition to the Audience Award at the South by Southwest Film Festival. He also produced “Door to Door” starring Bill Macy for TNT under the Spirit Dance banner.  This TV film was nominated for two Golden Globes, one Emmy, and was also honored by the American Film Institute.

In 2002, Whitaker starred in the ASCAP award winning film, “The Panic Room” by director David Fincher for Columbia Pictures and was nominated for a Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actor. Whitaker starred in Joel Schumacher’s “Phone Booth” for Twentieth Century Fox opposite Colin Farrell, where he received Black Reel and Image award nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a motion picture.

In 2003, Whitaker appeared to critical acclaim opposite Ossie Davis in the Showtime movie “Deacons for Defense”, where he received a SAG nomination for Best Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries. Forest produced “Chasing Papi,” the first major studio romantic comedy aimed squarely at the Hispanic movie going market for FOX 2000 through SDE. One of his most recent directorial endeavor was entitled “The First Daughter,” for New Regency, was a romantic comedy starring Katie Holmes

Whitaker made his feature-film directing debut with the critically acclaimed, box-office hit “Waiting to Exhale” for Twentieth Century Fox. He first gained recognition as a director for his debut film, the 1993 HBO original “Strapped,” for which he received the “Best New Director” honor at the Toronto Film Festival.  He also directed Twentieth Century Fox’s film “Hope Floats,” starring Sandra Bullock.  In addition, he acted as executive producer on each of these films’ multi-platinum soundtracks that sold over 12 million copies collectively and earned a combined total of 14 Grammy nominations. His short film, “John Henry,” was released in February 2002 for Black History Month in connection with Disney’s release of Peter Pan’s “Never Neverland.”

Whitaker also executive produced Anne Rice’s “Feast of All Saints” for Showtime.  His other credits include “Witness Protection” for HBO, “Light It Up,” Touchstone’s “Phenomenon,” “Species,” “Smoke,” “Ready to Wear, “Jason’s Lyric,” “Platoon,” “Good Morning Vietnam,” “Consenting Adults,” “Stakeout,” “The Color of Money,” “Johnny Handsome,” “Downtown,” “Diary of a Hit Man,” “Body Snatchers,” “Vision Quest” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.”

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