Forest Whitaker’s Best Roles on Film and TV

Most people would agree that Forest Whitaker is an amazing actor. In 1982, Whitaker landed a small role in the 1982 film “Fast Times At Ridgemont High” as Charles Jefferson, the school’s fearsome football player. The film was a huge success and it launched the movie careers of Whitaker, Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, and Nicolas Cage. Whitaker went on to become that rare Hollywood gem: a man who can do anything. That includes directing, producing in addition to acting. Acting, however, is where Forest Whitaker excels.

What Makes Forest Whitaker So Special As An Actor?

Fans, friends and colleagues alike agree that Forest Whitaker’s talents are special due to his ability to become the characters he portrays in his films. Fellow actors also say that although he is an A list actor with many high profile awards, he is humble and makes everyone feel at ease on a movie or television set. Here’s a 2019 interview where Whitaker talks about his approach to acting with Jimmy Kimmel (who is talking way too loud, or maybe it just seems that way because Whitaker is so soft-spoken).

Notable Forest Whitaker Movies

Forest Whitaker won the Academy Award for Best Actor, among many other honors, for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film, “The Last King of Scotland.” It was an astonishing portrayal of the mercurial personality of the Ugandan strongman. Whitaker ran the gamut of Amin’s moods that could turn on a dime from charming friend to intimidating menace. This film is based upon the same-titled novel (historical fiction) by Giles Foden, so it’s not a biopic. Perhaps the best experience connected to the film is the one written by Giles Foden himself, describing the film’s premiere in Uganda with President Yoweri Museveni in attendance.

As Zuri in “Black Panther” (2018), Whitaker played Wakanda’s spiritual leader and ally to kings, a man with dark secrets about Wakanda’s past. In character, Whitaker wore face paint inspired by shamans and warriors in Papua New Guinea. “Black Panther” was a huge box office hit and Forest Whitaker spoke well of his experience in its making on several talk shows.

As the character Saw Gerrera in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2018), Whitaker played a Rebel leader who has long led a rebellion against the Empire. Star Wars fans were delighted to see Whitaker bring Saw to life but disappointed that he didn’t have a larger part. Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, indicated that there’s a possibility the character will be developed further in the future. Whitaker also provided Saw’s voice in other Star Wars series.

As Cecil Gaines in “Lee Daniel’s The Butler” (2013), Whitaker was the title character. He also narrated the film, telling the story of his 34-year career as a White House butler and the heartbreaking conflicts that developed within his own family. Some criticized the film for dramatizing the story of the real life butler, Eugene Allen. Some watched the film for the performances of the notable actors who played the U.S. Presidents but very few could find fault with Forest Whitaker’s compelling performance.

As Burnham in the 2002 film “Panic Room”, Whitaker plays a highly skilled home security expert who agrees to use his knowledge to pull of a multi-million dollar robbery. The money to be stolen is located in a safe in the panic room of a New York City brownstone. Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart are the mother and daughter who bought the pricey building. They lock themselves in the panic room when the thieves break in. This is far from the only unanticipated thing to occur as Whitaker’s character finds himself in way over his head with his unstable (to put it mildly) partners in crime.

Other movie roles that are worth a look include “Platoon” (1986). Whitaker plays Big Harold. “Bird” (1988) explores the life and career of Charlie “Bird” Parker, with Forest Whitaker as the troubled jazz musician. The film was produced and directed by Clint Eastwood. Whitaker isn’t even in “The Crying Game” (1992) for very long yet Roger Ebert singled him out with “Fine performances, most notably Whitaker.” High praise, indeed. In “The Forgiven” (2017), Whitaker is Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Rather than being judged for his performance in this one, he got a lot of ridicule about the prosthetic proboscis he was sporting and, by some, for the South African accent.

Notable Forest Whitaker TV Roles

Whitaker has regularly appeared in popular TV series since 1982, including “Cagney & Lacey”, “Diff’rent Strokes”, as well as a recurring role in “North and South” and “North and South, Book 2”. Starting in the 1990s, Whitaker played roles on the HBO channel and included regular characters in “Criminal Justice”, “The Enemy Within” and “Witness Protection”. From 2002 – 2003, Whitaker narrated and hosted 44 new episodes of the Rod Sterling classic, “The Twilight Zone” on UPN. In 2016, he took on the role of Fiddler in “Roots” (2016), originally played by Lou Gossett, Jr. in 1977. Whitaker has also produced TV movies and acclaimed documentaries, such as “Brick City” (2010).

Since 2019, Whitaker has starred in “Godfather of Harlem” as Bumpy Johnson. The EPIX series has been renewed for Season 3 and fans are awaiting the release date announcement.

Whitaker has also directed some amazing films that include: “Strapped” in 1993, “Waiting to Exhale” in 1995 and “Hope Floats” in 1998. He has stated that he seeks work that will challenge his mind and will challenge the minds of his audiences. Never one to rest on his laurels, Forest Whitaker is always on the lookout for a special script that will drive his acting to be better than it is. This is a sign of a true giant in the industry.

We may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made from Amazon.com links at no cost to our visitors. Learn more: Affiliate Disclosure.