Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker has been married to actress Keisha Nash since 1996. The couple has two daughters, Sonnet and True from their marriage. Forest has a son, Ocean, and Keisha has a daughter, Autumn, from their respective previous relationships.

He is a vegetarian and promotes the same through People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). He was inducted as the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation in a ceremony that was held at UNESCO headquarters on June 21, 2011.

He co-founded the International Institute for Peace (IIP) at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey.

Forest Whitaker was born on July 15, 1961 in Longview, Texas, U.S. His mother, Laura Francis was a special education teacher while his father, Forest Steven Jr., was an insurance salesman. He has two younger brothers, Kenn and Damon and an older sister, Deborah.

He went to the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and was a college football player. A backbone injury made him shift his major to music. He later opted for major in drama and was accepted to study opera the Music Conservatory at the University of Southern California, and subsequently to the Drama Conservatory of the university. He graduated in 1982.

He was granted a scholarship to the Berkeley, California branch of the Drama Studio London. In the 1980s, he also toured England with Cal Poly Chamber Singers.

Forest Whitaker debuted in films in 1982 with ‘Tag: The Assassination Game’ and appeared in ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ later the same year. He appeared in ‘Vision Quest’ and ‘North and South’ in 1985.

Venturing into television as well, he appeared in minor roles in various popular television shows such as ‘Different Strokes’ (1985), ‘The Fall Guy’ (1985) and ‘Amazing Stories’ (1986).

He starred in ‘The Color of Money’ and ‘Platoon’ in 1986 followed by ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’ in 1987. After his release ‘Bloodsport’ in 1988, he played his first role as a lead actor in ‘Bird’ (1988). He received the Best Actor award for his performance at Cannes Film Festival, 1988, and was also nominated at the Golden Globe Awards.

He acted in ‘Downtown’ (1990), ‘Diary of a Hitman’ (1991), ‘A Rage in Harlem’ (1991), ‘Article 99’ (1992) and ‘Consenting Adults’ (1992). He played the role of a confused British soldier in ‘The Crying Game’ in 1992.

Forest Whitaker stepped into the world of direction with ‘Strapped’ in 1993. He gave powerful performances in ‘Bank Robber’ and ‘Body Snatchers’ in 1993 and ‘Blown Away’, ‘Prêt-à-Porter’ and ‘Jason’s Lyric’ in 1994. He starred as Colonel MacKenzie 'Mac' Casey in the television movie ‘The Enemy Within’ in 1994. His role in ‘Smoke’ in 1995 was characteristically emotional.

Forest Whitaker is best known for his role in ‘The Last King of Scotland’ which gave him an Academy Award for Best Actor in 2006 along with numerous other awards and nominations. The film was widely acclaimed by the critics and the audiences.

His performance as Cecil Gaines in ‘Lee Daniels' The Butler’ in 2013 earned him the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture along with various other awards and nominations. The film is one of his greatest critical and commercial successes till date.