Forest Whitaker is an American actor, filmmaker, and activist.

Whitaker started his career in early roles in films such as Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Vision Quest (1985), (1986), Platoon (1986), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) before his leading role in Clint Eastwood's Bird (1988). Whitaker continued acting in films such as (1992), Blown Away (1994), Prêt-à-Porter (1994), Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), and Panic Room (2002) He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in (2006). He has since acted in (2007), Vantage Point (2008), Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013), Arrival (2016), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), The Forgiven (2017), and Black Panther (2018).

Whitaker made his television debut in the CBS sitcom Making the Grade (1982). He has since had roles as Curtis Ames in the NBC medical drama ER (2006–2007), Lt. Jon Kavanaugh in FX crime drama The Shield (2006–2007), and Sam Cooper in the CBS police drama Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior (2011). Whitaker's recent roles include Eddie Barker in the Fox musical drama series Empire (2017–2018) and Bumpy Johnson in the Epix crime drama Godfather of Harlem (2019–present). He made his Broadway debut in the revival of Eugene O'Neill's play Hughie (2016).

Film Actor Year Title Role Notes 1982 Tag: The Assassination Game Gowdy's Bodyguard Fast Times at Ridgemont High Charles Jefferson 1985 Vision Quest Jean-Pierre "Balldozer" Baldosier 1986 Amos Platoon Harold "Big Harold" 1987 Stakeout Detective Jack Pismo Good Morning, Vietnam Private Edward Garlick 1988 Bloodsport CID Agent Rawlins Bird Charlie "Bird" Parker, Jr. 1989 Johnny Handsome Dr. Steven Fisher 1990 Downtown Dennis Curren 1991 Diary of a Hitman Dekker Jackson Also co-producer 1992 Article 99 Dr. Sid Handleman Jody Consenting Adults David Duttonville 1993 Bank Robber Officer Battle Body Snatchers Major Matthew Collins 1994 Blown Away Officer Anthony Franklin Prêt-à-Porter Cy Bianco Jason's Lyric "Maddog" 1995 Species Dan Smithson Smoke Cyrus Cole Mr. Holland's Opus Adult Bobby Tidd Uncredited 1996 Phenomenon Nate Pope 1998 Body Count Crane 1999 Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai "Ghost Dog" Light It Up Officer Dante Jackson 2000 Battlefield Earth Ker Four Dogs Playing Poker Mr. Ellington 2001 FBI Agent Jules Bernard Jew Balloons Jeremiah Shultze Short film The Hire: The Follow The Employer Short film; uncredited Green Dragon Addie Also executive producer 2002 Panic Room Burnham Phone Booth Captain Ed Ramey 2004 Jiminy Glick in Lalawood Himself First Daughter Narrator Also director and executive producer 2005 A Little Trip to Heaven Abe Holt American Gun Carter Also executive producer Mary Ted Younger 2006 Even Money Clyde Snow The Marsh Geoffrey Hunt Everyone's Hero Lonnie Brewster Voice role Idi Amin 2007 Happiness Ripple Effect Philip Also executive producer James L. Farmer, Sr. 2008 Vantage Point Howard Lewis Street Kings Captain Jack Wander Dragon Hunters Lian Chu Voice role; English-language version Winged Creatures Charlie Archenault 2009 Powder Blue Charlie Also producer Where the Wild Things Are Ira Voice role Hurricane Season Al Collins Direct-to-video 2010 Repo Men Jake Freivald Lullaby for Pi George My Own Love Song Joey Barris Direct-to-video Our Family Wedding Bradford Boyd 2011 Catch .44 Ronny Direct-to-video 2012 Freelancers Dennis LaRue A Dark Truth Francisco Francis Ernest & Celestine Ernest Voice role; English-language version 2013 The Last Stand FBI Agent John Bannister Repentance Angel Sanchez Also producer Zulu Ali Sokhela Pawn Will Direct-to-video Lee Daniels' The Butler Cecil Gaines Black Nativity Reverend Cornell Out of the Furnace Chief Wesley Barnes 2014 Two Men in Town William Garnett Taken 3 Inspector Frank Dotzler 2015 Dope Narrator Also producer Southpaw Titus "Tick" Wills 2016 Arrival Colonel Weber Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Saw Gerrera 2017 The Forgiven Archbishop Desmond Tutu 2018 Sorry to Bother You First Equisapien / Demarius Also producer Burden Reverend David Kennedy Black Panther Zuri How It Ends Tom City of Lies Jack Jackson 2019 Finding Steve McQueen Howard Lambert 2020 Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Jeronicus Jangle 2021 Respect C. L. Franklin 2023 Big George Foreman Doc Broadus 2025 The King of Kings Peter Voice role Havoc Lawrence Beaumont 2026 Up Against It

Filmmaker Year Title Director Producer 1995 Waiting to Exhale 1998 Hope Floats 2003 Chasing Papi 2004 First Daughter 2009 Powder Blue 2013Fruitvale Station Repentance 2015 Dope 2016 Songs My Brothers Taught Me 2017 Roxanne Roxanne 2018 Sorry to Bother You 2021 Passing 2023 To Live and Die and Live 2025 Lucky Lu

Television Year Title Role Notes 1982 Making the Grade Unknown role Episode: "Marriage David Style" 1983 Cagney & Lacey Night Manager Episode: "The Grandest Jewel Thief of Them All" 1984 Trapper John, M.D. Lewis Jordan Episode: "School Nurse" Hill Street Blues Floyd Green Episode: "Blues for Mr. Green" 1985 Diff'rent Strokes Herman Episode: "Bully for Arnold" Unknown role Television film Friend Episode: "Spring Break" North and South Cuffey Miniseries 1986 Amazing Stories Jerry Episode: "Gather Ye Acorns" North and South, Book II Cuffey Miniseries 1987 Hands of a Stranger Sergeant Delaney Television film 1990 Criminal Justice Jessie Williams 1993 Lush Life Buddy Chester Strapped Television film; director Last Light Fred Whitmore Television film 1994 The Enemy Within Colonel MacKenzie "Mac" Casey 1996 Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault Mr. Rucker 1999 Witness Protection US Marshal Steve Beck 2001 Feast of All Saints Daguerreotypist Picard Television film; also executive producer 2002 Door to Door Television film; co-executive producer 2002–2003 Host / Narrator 44 episodes; also consulting producer 2003 Deacons for Defense Marcus Clay Television film 2006–2007 ER Curtis Ames 6 episodes 2006–2007 The Shield Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh 13 episodes (seasons 5 and 6) 2007–2009 American Dad! The Turlingtons Voice role; 3 episodes 2010 Criminal Minds Sam Cooper Episode: "The Fight" Brick City 11 episodes; executive producer 2011 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior Sam Cooper Lead role; 13 episodes 2012 Serving Life Narrator Documentary; also executive producer 2013 Africa Narrator Documentary series 2016 Roots Henry (Fiddler) 3 episodes 2017 Star Wars Rebels Saw Gerrera Voice; 4 episodes 2017–2018 Empire Eddie Barker 11 episodes 2019–present Godfather of Harlem Bumpy Johnson 40 episodes; also executive producer 2022 Young Rock Himself 3 episodes 2022–2025 Andor Saw Gerrera 5 episodes 2023 Extrapolations August Bolo Episode: "2068: The Going-Away Party" 2024 The Emperor of Ocean Park Judge Oliver Garland 10 episodes Gossamer TBA Voice role

Theatre Year Title Playwright Role Venue2016 Hughie Eugene O'Neill Erie Smith Booth Theatre, Broadway debut

Video games Year Title Voice role Notes 2019 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Saw Gerrera Voice, likeness, and motion capture 2023Asgard's Wrath 2DjehutyVoice

Music videos Year Artist Title Notes 1995 Whitney Houston "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" Director 2001 Jagged Edge "Goodbye" 2009 Jamie Foxx ft. T-Pain "Blame It" 2019 Bring Me the Horizon "In the Dark"

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