Whitaker, Forest 1961–

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WHITAKER, Forest 1961–

PERSONAL

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 Keisha Simone Nash (a model and actress), May 4, 1996; children: (with Nash) Sonnet Noel, True Isabella Summer, Autumn (stepdaughter); Ocean Alexander, Denzel (an actor). Education: Attended California State Polytechnic Institute and University of Southern California; trained at Drama Studio London, Berkeley Branch, Berkeley, CA. Avocational Interests: Singing, playing the saxophone, reading philosophy.

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.

Career: Actor, director, and producer. Spirit Dance Entertainment, Los Angeles, principal. Involved with charitable projects, such as serving as an honorary board member of Penny Lane, an organization helping abused teenagers; affiliated with 4–D All Stars (a mentoring program) and Watts Cinema Project.

Awards, Honors: Cannes International Film Festival Award, best actor, 1988, Sant Jordi Award, best foreign actor, 1989, and Golden Globe Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a motion picture drama, 1989, all for Bird; International Critics' Award, Toronto International Film Festival, best new director, and nomination for Critics Award, Deauville International Film Festival, both 1993, for "Strapped," HBO Showcase; National Board of Review Award (with others), best ensemble performance, 1994, for Pret–a–Porter; Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or miniseries, 1995, for The Enemy Within; Blockbuster Entertainment Award, favorite supporting actor—drama, and Image Award nomination, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, outstanding supporting actor in a motion picture, both 1997, for Phenomenon; Black Film Award nomination, Acapulco Black Film Festival, best director, 1999, for Hope Floats; Black Reel Award nomination, best supporting actor in a theatrical film, 2003, for Panic Room; Emmy Award (with others), outstanding made for television movie, 2003, for Door to Door; Black Reel Award, best television actor, Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or miniseries, and Image Award nomination, outstanding actor in a television movie, miniseries, or dramatic special, all 2004, for Deacons for Defense; Image Award nomination, outstanding supporting actor in a motion picture, and Black Reel Award nomination, best supporting actor in a film, 2004, for Phone Booth.

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.: The Assassination 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 to Wear 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 Vengeance secrete ), 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," Behind the 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.

Television Appearances; 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 Anne Rice's The Feast of All Saints ), ABC, 2001.

Television Appearances; 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.

Television Appearances; 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.

Television Appearances; 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.

Television Appearances; 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.

Television Appearances; Other:

The Grand Baby, 1985.

Television Work; Movies:

Director, "Strapped," HBO Showcase, HBO, 1993.

Co–executive producer, Door to Door, TNT, 2002.

Television Work; Other:

Director and executive producer, Black Jaq (pilot), ABC, 1998.

Executive producer, Feast of All Saints (miniseries; also known as Anne 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, California Youth Theatre; in School Talk, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles; and in Beggar's Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar.