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Trivia
Date of birth: 15 July 1961
Place of birth: Longview, Texas, USA
Birth name: Forest Steven Whitaker
Height: 6' 2" (1.88 m)
Nickname: DeForest
Spouse: Keisha Whitaker (4 May 1996 - present) 1 child.
He directed Whitney
Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" music video.
In 1988 he won the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actor award.
Brother of Kenn Whitaker
Brother of actor Damon Whitaker.
Was originally called upon to write and direct a live-action movie adaptation of Bill Cosby's cartoon, Fat Albert, but differences between the two led to Forest leaving production.
Whitaker debuted on screen in 1982's Fast Times at Ridgemont High alongside the likes of Judge Reinhold and Phoebe Cates. He followed with notable roles in Platoon, Good Morning, Vietnam, and The Color of Money. In 1988, Forest played the role of musician Charlie Parker in the Clint Eastwood directed film, Bird, for which he won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival.
Has been married to Keisha Simone Nash since May 4, 1996.
In 1996, Forest married fellow actress Keisha Whitaker from which they have two daughters named Sonnet and True. He has a son named Ocean from a previous relationship and a stepdaughter named Autumn previous relationship of Keisha's, named Ocean
Though there are few African-American male directors in Hollywood, some were disappointed that the director's role for Waiting to Exhale was given to a man, rather than an African-American woman.
Was set to direct a live-action film version of "Fat Albert"
but disagreed with Bill Cosby and has since left the production. [April
2002]
Attended University of Southern California (USC) School of Theater.
Is a vegetarian.
Was the inspiration for rapper Brother Ali's song, Forest Whitaker, on his debut album, Shadows on the Sun. Apparently, the song is named as such because of Ali's likeness to the actor, even though Ali is an albino.
Was the executive soundtrack producer for the 1995 film "Waiting to
Exhale" and the 1998 film "Hope Floats"
In 1999 he was nominated for a Black Film Award (from the Acapulco Black
Film Festival) for 'Best Director' (for Hope Floats)
He is the father of three children. He has two daughters, Sonnet and
True by his wife, Keisha and a son Ocean Whitaker, from a previous
relationship. He also has Autumn, a stepdaughter through his marriage
with Keisha.
Nominated for a Golden Globe in 1989 for "Bird"
Born with an eye condition called strabismus, commonly known as
"lazy eye"
In 1993 he was nominated for a Deauville Film Festival Critics Award and
won the Toronto International Film Festival's International Critics'
Award.
In 1997 he won a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for
"Phenomenon" and was nominated for an Image Award.
In 1995 he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for "The
Enemy Within".
Unlike many heterosexual actors who may play a gay role once, Whitaker has played a gay character twice, once in The Crying Game and once in Ready to Wear. Other actors to do this are Philip Seymour Hoffman, Whoopi Goldberg, and
Antonio
Banderas.
In 2006, Whitaker joined the cast of FX's cop serial The Shield, as Lieutenant John Kavanaugh. Whitaker's performance as the tormented internal affairs cop helped continue the show's popularity among viewers.
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