Quick Summary
Full name: Forest Steven Whitaker
Date of birth: July 15, 1961
Birthplace: Longview, Texas
Profession: Actor, Voicing artist, Director, Producer, and Screenwriter
Height: 1.88m or 6 feet 2 inches
Weight: NA
Net worth: $100 Million
Forest Whitaker Net Worth
Forest Whitaker’s net worth is estimated to be $40 million.
Bio
Forest Whitaker was born on July 15, 1961, in Longview, Texas. He is the son of Laura Francis (née Smith) and Forest Steven Whitaker, Sr., a construction worker. Whitaker has two older sisters, Deborah and Angela. He attended the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, where he studied film production.
Whitaker began his acting career in the early 1980s, appearing in small roles in films such as “”Fast Times at Ridgemont High”” (1982) and “”The Color Purple”” (1985). He received critical acclaim for his performance in the 1988 film “”Bird””, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Whitaker has gone on to star in a number of successful films, including “”Good Morning, Vietnam”” (1987), “”The Crying Game”” (1992), “”Phone Booth”” (2002), “”The Last King of Scotland”” (2006), and “”The Butler”” (2013). He has also directed several films, including “”Waiting to Exhale”” (1995) and “”Miracle at St. Anna”” (2008).
Whitaker is a vocal advocate for human rights and social justice. He has served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations and has worked with a number of organizations to promote peace and equality.
Early Life
Forest Whitaker was born on July 15, 1961, in Longview, Texas, to Laura Francis (née Smith) and Forest Whitaker, Sr. His father was a college professor and his mother was a nurse. Whitaker has two older sisters, Deborah and Deborah Ann. He grew up in South Central Los Angeles, California.
Whitaker attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he studied theater arts. He graduated in 1982.
After graduating from UCLA, Whitaker moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting. He made his Broadway debut in the 1984 production of “”The Song of Jacob Zulu””.
Whitaker’s first major film role was in the 1986 film “”Platoon””. He played the role of a young soldier who is struggling to adjust to the horrors of war. His performance in the film was critically acclaimed and he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Whitaker continued to appear in a variety of films throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He starred in such films as “”Bird”” (1988), “”Good Morning, Vietnam”” (1987), “”The Crying Game”” (1992), and “”The Last King of Scotland”” (2006).
Whitaker’s performance in “”The Last King of Scotland”” earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. He is the only African-American actor to have won an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Acting Career
Forest Whitaker began his acting career in the early 1980s, appearing in such films as Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), The Color Purple (1985), and Platoon (1986). He received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Bird (1988).
In the 1990s, Whitaker starred in such films as Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), The Crying Game (1992), Body Snatchers (1993), The Crying Game (1992), The Pentagon Wars (1997), and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999). He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in The Last King of Scotland (2006).
In the 2010s, Whitaker starred in such films as The Butler (2013), Southpaw (2015), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), and Black Panther (2018). He received his second Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in The Butler (2013).
Whitaker has also directed several films, including Waiting to Exhale (1995), Hope Floats (1998), Bird (1988), and Miracle at St. Anna (2008). He has also received numerous awards and honors, including two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Awards and Honors
Forest Whitaker has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He has also been nominated for two Tony Awards.
In 2006, Whitaker won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the film “”The Last King of Scotland.”” He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his roles in the films “”Platoon”” (1986) and “”Bird”” (1988).
Whitaker has won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama twice, for his roles in “”The Last King of Scotland”” (2006) and “”Bird”” (1988). He has also been nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role in the film “”Hope Floats”” (1998).
Whitaker has won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor twice, for his roles in “”The Last King of Scotland”” (2006) and “”Bird”” (1988). He has also been nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film “”Platoon”” (1986).
Whitaker has won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role twice, for his roles in “”The Last King of Scotland”” (2006) and “”Bird”” (1988). He has also been nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in the film “”Platoon”” (1986).
Whitaker has been nominated for two Tony Awards, for his roles in the plays “”Henry IV, Part I”” (1986) and “”Henry IV, Part II”” (1987).
In addition to his awards and honors, Whitaker has also been recognized for his humanitarian work. In 2011, he was appointed as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. He has also founded the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, a non-profit organization that works to promote peace and development in Africa.
Personal Life
Forest Whitaker has been married twice. His first marriage was to actress Joanna Going from 1996 to 1998. They have one son together, Jeremy. His second marriage was to actress Keisha Nash from 2005 to 2016. They have two children together, Sonnet and True.
Whitaker is a practicing Buddhist. He has been involved in several charitable organizations, including the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, which he founded in 2005.
In 2015, Whitaker was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He underwent surgery and is now in remission.
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