Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker is one of Hollywood’s most talented and versatile actors. His dedication to acting has not only seen him deliver intense performances but has also earned him accolades. As a leading man or in a supporting role, Whitaker breathes fresh air into every character.
Since making his on-screen debut in 1982, Whitaker has starred in over 130 productions in film and television. With a career spanning over four decades, Whitaker has worked with several award-winning directors, producers, and actors. For more about the actor, these are 9 things you didn’t know about Big George Foreman‘s Forest Whitaker.
He Took A DNA Test To Trace His Ancestry
Forest Whitaker was born in Longview, Texas, on July 15, 1961. His father, Forest E. Whitaker Jr., worked as an Insurance salesman to support the family. Whitaker’s mother, Laura Francis Whitaker, worked as a Special Education teacher. Besides supporting the family with her salary, she put herself into college and obtained two Master’s degrees. When Whitaker became older, especially with the exposure he had gotten traveling to Africa and working as an actor, he took a DNA test to trace his ancestry. It was revealed that Forest Whitaker had roots in West Africa.
From his mother’s side, Whitaker had Akan ancestry. The Akan people are a Kwa group living primarily in present-day Ghana and parts of Ivory Coast and Togo. Whitaker is of Igbo descent from his father, traced to Nkwerre in Imo State, in the South-East of Nigeria. Whitaker traveled to Nigeria to familiarize himself with the people of his ancestry. He was conferred with a chieftaincy title by the Igbo community of Nkwerre on April 6, 2009. Whitaker was given the title of Nwannedinamba of Nkwerre, meaning A Brother in a Foreign Land.
He Attended A Popular Los Angeles’ Independent Charter High School
Although born in Longview, Texas, Forest Whitaker moved with his parents to Carson, California, when he was in elementary school. However, every summer, he returned to visit his grandparents in Longview, Texas. Whitaker attended and graduated in 1979 from Palisades Charter High School in California. The school is an independent charter secondary school that has produced several notable alumni. These include filmmaker J. J. Abrams, actress Lauren London, actress Katey Sagal, and actress Amy Smart.
A Younger Forest Whitaker Wanted To Play Professional Football
Forest Whitaker was quite active in high school. He was a member of and sang in Palisades Charter High School’s choir. He was also a part of the school’s football team. Whitaker was a star athlete, gaining admission on a football scholarship to study at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. At that point in his life, Whitaker dreamed of becoming a professional football player and playing in the NFL. However, he had a career change after a brutal back injury. Interestingly, he turned his focus and course major to Music.
Besides football, Whitaker loves to sing. He was part of the Cal Poly Chamber Singers’ England tour in 1980. With a passion for the performing arts, Whitaker briefly changed his major from Music to Drama while still at California State Polytechnic University. To improve on music, he later transferred to Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California to study opera as a tenor. While at Thornton School of Music, he applied to study Drama at USC’s Drama Conservatory, graduating with a BFA in 1982.
He Became The Fourth African-American Male Actor to Win An Oscar For Best Actor
Since the first Academy Awards presentation in 1929, only 15 black actors have been nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (as of 2023). Of the 15 black actors who have been nominated, only 5 have won in that category. Forest Whitaker became the fourth African-American actor to win it. He joined the short list of winners, including Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Jamie Foxx, in 2007. Whitaker won for portraying Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland (2006) at the 79th Academy Awards.
Forest Whitaker Isn’t The Only Actor In The Family
Forest Whitaker has three siblings, an older sister and two younger brothers. Whitaker’s two younger brothers are also actors. Kenn Whitaker, born on June 8, 1963, made his acting debut in 1997. Damon Whitaker, Forest Whitaker’s youngest sibling, was born on October 21, 1970. Damon made his debut in 1988 and has more acting credit than his older brother, Kenn.
Forest Whitaker Has Portrayed Several Historical Figures
Many of Forest Whitaker’s roles have been portraying several historical figures. Over the years, his ability to connect to each character has made him critics’ favorite. Whitaker portrayed American jazz saxophonist, band leader, and composer Charlie “Bird” Parker, Jr. in Bird (1988), Ugandan military officer and politician Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland (2006), and American author, theologian, and educator James L. Farmer, Sr. in The Great Debaters (2007). He also portrayed White House waiter and butler Cecil Gaines in Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013), Archbishop Desmond Tutu in The Forgiven (2017), and American Baptist minister and civil rights activist C. L. Franklin in Respect (2021).
He’s A Humanitarian At Heart
Besides pursuing a degree in “The Core of Conflict: Studies in Peace and Reconciliation” at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2004, Forest Whitaker has always had a soft spot for humanity. He founded a non-governmental organization, Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI, in 2012 to promote peace-building programs in areas of conflict worldwide. In June 2011, Whitaker was inducted as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation. With his commitment to promoting peace all over the world, he was promoted to a UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation. In September 2014, he addressed the UN Security Council as an Advocate for Children Affected by War.
Nominations And Awards Forest Whitaker Has Received
Forest Whitaker has received nominations from all the major acting award nominations, bagging several wins along the way. He won his only Academy Awards nomination in 2007, as well as his only BAFTA for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the same performance in The Last King of Scotland (2006). He has received two Golden Globe Award nominations (1989 and 2007), winning his 2007 nomination. Whitaker has also received three Primetime Emmy Awards nominations (winning one), two Critics’ Choice Awards (winning both of them), and six Screen Actors Guild Awards (winning 2).
He Received A Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star In 2007
Forest Whitaker was the recipient of the 2,335th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 16, 2007. He was awarded the star for this contribution to film and television in the Motion Picture category. Forest Whitaker’s star is located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.
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