Trivia

Here you’ll find all sort of Trivia about Forest Whitaker and his career. Have fun reading this and feel free to contribute additional trivial information about Forest Whitaker if you have any.

Childhood Early-Stage Trivia

Raised in Los Angeles by an insurance-salesman father and schoolteacher mother.  Whitaker got the acting bug in a production of Dylan Thomas` “Under Milk Wood”.   Whitaker hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 1975 only about 14 years of age.  Forest studied opera at the University of Southern California, graduating in 1982.   He also played college football at California State Polytechnic University, before his acting career took off .  In 1996, Forest married fellow actress Keisha Whitaker with whom he has two daughters named Sonnet and True. He has a son named Ocean from a previous relationship and a stepdaughter named Autumn.

Career Trivia

Forest´s claim to fame: Played the role of musician Charlie Parker in the Clint Eastwood directed film, Bird (1988)  In that movie Whitaker is in the role of a Saxophone player Charlie Parker who comes to New York in 1940.

Trivia – Various Subjects

Forest turned down the role of “Cameron Thayer” in the movie Crash, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 2006 ceremony.

In 2006, Forest appeared in “T.I.’s” music video “Live in The Sky” along with Jamie Foxx.

Whitney Houston’s music video Shoop Shoop was directed by Forest, which was the soundtrack to the movie “Waiting to Exhale” , which Forest directed.

Forest was in the beginning considered for the role of “Sawyer” in the hit ABC show Lost.  He opted out of the role to shoot his directorial debut First Daughter and the producers eventually settled for Josh Holloway who isn’t African-American and speaks with a Southern American accent.

Forest is a vegetarian

Forest attended California State Polytechnic University in Pomona on a football scholarship but he left due to a very serious back injury.

Forest is fond of martial arts and he is a 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate.

To prepare for his role in The Last King of Scotland; Forest mastered the East African accent and learned Swahili.

Forest Whitaker and his wife Keisha appeared at the London Film Festival (Oct 06) to promote “The Last King of Scotland”, where he plays the lead role, Idi Amin.

True Whitaker the daughter of Forest, recorded a public service announcement promoting vegetarianism with her father on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Uganda was the first african contry Forest visited. He spent a total of three and a half months in Uganda researching and filming The Last King of Scotland (2006).

Trivia – Nominations, Awards and Honors

Nominated for a Golden Globe twice in the category of Best Actor in a Drama in a Motion Picture; in 1989 for Bird, and in 2006 for The Last King of Scotland which he won.

Nominated In 1995, 2004 and 2007,  for a SAG Award. In 1995, he was nominated for “Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries for The Enemy Within. In 2004, Forest was nominated for “Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries” for Deacons for Defense. In 2007, he won the SAG Award for “Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role” for his movie The Last King of Scotland.

The Magazine named Forest on December 27, 2006 as its “Actor of the Year” in their 2006 “Year in Review” issue. 

Nominated for the 2008 Academy Awards were announced by Forest Whitaker on Thursday, January 22 2009.

Forest was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 17, 2007.

Forest won the ’Best Actor’ award In 2007, at the British film awards for his portrayal of the Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin, in The Last King of Scotland.

Whitaker became Executive Director of the No Dance Film Festival in 2003, a festival that celebrates the alternative digital film culture with an emphasis on first-time filmmakers and digital film making. Originally held in Park City, Utah, No Dance has recently relaunched in Los Angeles and holds the distinction of being the world’s first DVD-projected film festival.