Forest Whitaker Biography (1961-)

Full name, Forest Steven Whitaker; born July 15, 1961, in Longview, TX; son of Forest, Jr. (in insurance sales) and Laura (a special education teacher) Whitaker; brother of Damon Whitaker and Kenn Whitaker (actors); married KeishaSimone Nash (a model and actress), May 4, 1996; children: (with Nash) SonnetNoel, True Isabella Summer, Autumn (stepdaughter); Ocean Alexander, Denzel (an actor). Addresses: Office: Spirit Dance Entertainment, 1023 North Orange Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90038.; Agent: Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.; Publicist: Heidi Slan, PMK/HBH, 8500 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

Actor, director, producer

Birth Details

July 15, 1961

Longview, Texas, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Film Appearances
• Charles Jefferson, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Universal, 1982
• Gowdy's bodyguard, Tag: The Assassination Game (also known as Everybody Gets It in the End, Kiss Me, Kill Me, and T.A.G.: TheAssassination Game), 1982
• Bulldozer, Vision Quest (also known as Crazy for You), Warner Bros., 1985
• Amos, The Color of Money, Buena Vista, 1986
• Big Harold, Platoon, Orion, 1986
• Edward Montesque Garlick, Good Morning, Vietnam, Buena Vista, 1987
• Jack Pismo, Stakeout, Buena Vista, 1987
• Charlie "Bird" Parker, Bird, Warner Bros., 1988
• Rawlins, Bloodsport, Cannon, 1988
• Dr. Steven Resher (some sources cite Steven Fisher), Johnny Handsome, TriStar, 1989
• Dennis Curren, Downtown, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1990
• Jackson, A Rage in Harlem, Miramax, 1991
• David Duttonville, Consenting Adults, Buena Vista, 1992
• Dekker, Diary of a Hitman, Vision International, 1992
• Dr. Sid Handleman, Article 99, Orion, 1992
• Jody, The Crying Game, Miramax, 1992
• Officer Battle, Bank Robber, IRS Releasing, 1993
• Anthony Franklin, Blown Away, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1994
• Cy Bianco, Pret-a-Porter (also known as Pret-a-Porter: Ready toWear and Ready to Wear), Miramax, 1994
• Maddog, Jason's Lyric, Gramercy, 1994
• Major Collins (a doctor), Body Snatchers, Warner Bros., 1994
• Cyrus Cole, Smoke (also known as Smoke--Raucher unter sich), Miramax, 1995
• Dan Smithson, Species, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1995
• Nate Pope, Phenomenon, Buena Vista, 1996
• Crane, Body Count, 1998
• Officer Dante Jackson, Light It Up, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1999
• Ghost Dog, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (also known as Ghost Dog--Der Weg des Samurai and Ghost Dog, la voie du samourai), Artisan Entertainment, 2000
• Ker, Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 (also known as Battlefield: Earth), Warner Bros., 2000
• Mr. Ellington, Four Dogs Playing Poker, 2000
• Agent Jules Bernard, The Fourth Angel (also known as Vengeancesecrete), Artisan Entertainment, 2001
• (Uncredited) The Hire: The Follow, BMW Films, 2001
• Addie, Green Dragon, Silver Nitrate Films, 2002
• Burnham, Panic Room, Columbia, 2002
• Captain Ramey, Phone Booth, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2003
• Himself, American Storytellers, Indican Pictures, 2003
• Himself, The Making of "Invasion of the Freedom Snatchers," Behindthe Scenes Productions, 2003
• Himself, In Search of Ted Demme, IFC Films, 2004
• American Gun, IFC Films, c. 2005
• Film Director
• Waiting to Exhale, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1995
• Hope Floats, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998
• First Daughter, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2004
• Film Executive Producer
• Green Dragon, Silver Nitrate Films, 2002
• First Daughter, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2004
• Film Producer
• (With others) A Rage in Harlem, Miramax, 1991
• Chasing Papi, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2003
• Film Soundtrack Executive Producer
• Waiting to Exhale, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1995
• Hope Floats, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998
• Television Appearances
• Series
• Host, The Twilight Zone, UPN, 2002-2003
• Miniseries
• Cuffey, North and South, ABC, 1985
• Cuffey, North and South, Book II, ABC, 1986
• Sergeant Delaney, Hands of a Stranger, CBS, 1987
• Daguerreotypist Picard, Feast of All Saints (also known as AnneRice's The Feast of All Saints), ABC, 2001
• Movies
• Jesse Williams, "Criminal Justice," HBO Showcase, HBO, 1990
• Fred Whitmore, Last Light, Showtime, 1993
• Buddy Chester, Lush Life, Showtime, 1994
• Colonel MacKenzie "Mac" Casey, The Enemy Within, HBO, 1994
• Holcolm Rucker, Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault (also known as Angel of Harlem and Rebound), HBO, 1996
• Crane, The Split (also known as Body Count), The Movie Channel, 1998
• U.S. Marshal Steven "Steve" Beck, Witness Protection, HBO, 1999
• Marcus Clay, Deacons for Defense, Showtime, 2003
• Specials
• Himself, "Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows," American Masters, PBS, 2000
• Himself, The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 2000
• Himself, The Making of "Panic Room," 2002
• Awards Presentations
• Himself, The 21st Annual NAACP Image Awards, NBC, 1989
• Himself, American Film Institute Salute to Clint Eastwood, ABC, 1996
• Himself, The 27th Annual NAACP Image Awards, 1996
• Himself, Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, UPN, 1997
• Presenter, The 15th Annual IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards, Bravo and Independent Film Channel, 2000
• (Uncredited) Presenter, The 2001 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (also known as The 16th Annual IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards),Independent Film Channel, 2001
• Himself, The 30th Annual People's Choice Awards, 2004
• Himself, The 35th Annual NAACP Image Awards, Fox, 2004
• Presenter, 2004 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards, Bravo, 2004
• Episodic
• Making the Grade, CBS, 1982
• Floyd Green, "Blues for Mr. Green," Hill Street Blues, NBC, 1984
• Lewis Jordan, "School Nurse," Trapper John, M.D., CBS, 1984
• Herman, "Bully for Arnold," Diff'rent Strokes, NBC, 1985
• "Spring Break," The Fall Guy, ABC, 1985
• Cagney and Lacey, CBS, 1985
• Jerry, "Gather Ye Acorns," Amazing Stories, NBC, 1986
• Harris, He's the Mayor, ABC, 1986
• ABC in Concert, ABC, c. 1991
• Himself, "Clint Eastwood--The Man from Malpaso," Crazy about the Movies, Cinemax, 1993
• Himself, Intimate Portrait: Lela Rochon Fuqua (also known as Intimate Portrait: Lela Rochon), Lifetime, 2001
• Himself, "John Travolta," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2003
• Himself, The Wayne Brady Show, syndicated, 2004
• Other
• The Grand Baby, 1985
• Television Work
• Movies
• Director, "Strapped," HBO Showcase, HBO, 1993
• Co-executive producer, Door to Door, TNT, 2002
• Other
• Director and executive producer, Black Jaq (pilot), ABC, 1998
• Executive producer, Feast of All Saints (miniseries; also known asAnne Rice's The Feast of All Saints), ABC, 2001
• Stage Appearances
• Appeared in Craig's Wife, The Greeks, Hamlet, Ring around the Moon, Romeo and Juliet, and Whose Life Is It Anyway?, all Drama Studio London; in Swan, Drama Studio London, Inner City Cultural Center, Los Angeles; in Patchwork Shakespeare, CaliforniaYouth Theatre; in School Talk, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles; and inBeggar's Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar.
• Stage Director
• Drums across the Realm, 1986
• Also directed a production of Look Back in Anger.
• RECORDINGS
• Videos
• (And in archive footage) Himself, Battlefield Earth: Evolution & Creation, Warner Home Video, 2000
• (And in archive footage) Himself, A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting "Platoon," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists Home Entertainment, 2001
• Himself, Shooting "Panic Room," Columbia/TriStar Home Entertainment, 2004
• Video Executive Producer
• The Making of "Green Dragon," Columbia/TriStar Home Video, 2002
• Music Video Director
• "Thanks for My Child," by Cheryl Pepsii Riley, 1989
• "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)," by Whitney Houston, 1995
• "Goodbye," by Jagged Edge, 2001
• Director of music videos by Low Key, Soula, and MC Supreme.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

• Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 2, Gale, 1992

• Biography, September, 2002
• Black Men, July, 2000, pp. 58-59
• Ebony, April, 1995
• Interview, June, 1998, p. 28
• Jet, December 14, 1998, p. 33
• Los Angeles Times, May 24, 1998
• Movieline, December, 1996; May, 1998, pp. 76-79
• New York Post, December 11, 1999
• New York Times, August 17, 1993
• People Weekly, June 1, 1998, p. 31
• Playboy, March, 1992, pp. 140-44
• Premiere, September, 2000, p. 86
• Yolk, January, 2002, pp. 24-26, 63