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Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker 2014.jpg
Whitaker in February 2014
Born Forest Steven Whitaker III
(1961-07-15) July 15, 1961 (age 55)
Longview, Texas, U.S.
Occupation Actor, producer, director
Years active 1982–present
Spouse(s) Keisha Nash (m. 1996)
Children 4
Relatives Kenn Whitaker (brother)

Forest Steven Whitaker III (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor, producer, and director.

Whitaker has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird, Platoon, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and The Butler, and for his work in independent films and for his recurring role as LAPD Internal Affairs Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the Emmy Award-winning television series The Shield. He portrays Saw Gerrera in the Star Wars spin-off film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

For his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland, Whitaker won the Academy Award, British Academy Film Award, Golden Globe Award, National Board of Review Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and various critics groups awards.

Whitaker was born in Longview, Texas, the son of Laura Francis (née Smith), a special education teacher who put herself through college and earned two master's degrees while raising her children, and Forest Steven Jr., an insurance salesman. According to DNA tests, his father was of Igbo descent, while his mother had Akan ancestry. When Whitaker was four, his family moved to Carson, California. Whitaker has two younger brothers, Kenn Whitaker, an actor, and Damon, and an older sister, Deborah. Whitaker's first role as an actor was the lead in Dylan Thomas' play Under Milk Wood.


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