Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker is an American actor, director, producer and humanitarian, born on July 15, 1961, in Longview, Texas. A football scholarship took him to college, but a back injury redirected him toward opera and drama at the University of Southern California. After Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Whitaker became a celebrated character actor through Platoon, Bird, The Crying Game and Ghost Dog. His portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland earned the Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor. Later roles include Arrival, Rogue One, Andor and Godfather of Harlem. He directed Waiting to Exhale and Hope Floats. As UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, Whitaker founded the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, which helps young people in conflict-affected communities develop skills in mediation, education and entrepreneurship.