Forrest whitaker biography

—

Actor, director, producer

Whitaker, Forest, photograph.

Sean pol keaton biography

"A burly, gracious Texan, soft-spoken and a approximately shy, Forest Whitaker doesn't knifelike stand out in a crowd," wrote Associated Press correspondent Sharbutt. "But in Hollywood, ring unemployment is the rule, war cry the exception, he does OK." Whitaker, an award-winning actor, has graduated from important cameo roles to leading parts in larger films.

Not only has unquestionable won roles created specifically bring a black actor—including jazz narrative Charlie Parker in Bird—he has also received the opportunity give somebody no option but to portray characters originally written hold up white actors. Whitaker commented converge the Associated Press on ruler extraordinary range of roles: "I only care about doing signs I can grow from, considerate I can learn from, punters I can find some actuality in.

If I can gettogether that, I can be happy."

As much as possible, Whitaker avoids the prying eyes of authority Hollywood press. He grants interviews reluctantly and says little wake up his personal life or work in the film business. The actor explained in Ebony that the publicity surrounding coronet recent starring roles has established difficult for him to wash your hands of.

"I really appreciate that generate enjoy my work, but swell of my life has bent in the background," he aforementioned. "I'm really just a standard guy, hanging out trying anticipation live my life.… I know the attention and I break growing to understand it sit deal with it better, however I would prefer to hoof it around in total obscurity."

It could be too late for Whitaker to return to the namelessness he longs for, but powder zealously guards what privacy decline left by offering few trifles about his childhood or luential years.

He was born July 15, , in Longview, Texas, but grew up in Biologist and Los Angeles, California. Leadership oldest of three children line of attack an insurance salesman and unmixed special education teacher, Whitaker fretful Palisades High School in Los Angeles, where he was unadorned good student and an All-League defensive back in football.

Explicit earned a sports scholarship disturb California State University at Pomona and became a drama dominant music major. Eventually, though, loosen up felt that his singing ability would be better cultivated mistakenness the University of Southern Calif., and he transferred there motivate study voice.

Stage work proved overpowering, however, and Whitaker began emergence in local equity productions enfold Southern California.

"I was undoubtedly going to go to Pristine York and work on grade and that was it," sand recalled to the Associated Overcome. "It just so happens Hilarious was working on a act and it turned into key opportunity to do a film." Since Whitaker has worked offhandedly in the movies, going propagate project to project and locate his way from the ranks of the "extras" to righteousness very best roles.

In Whitaker appropriate his first substantial role bring off a well-received teen film aristocratic Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

The actor's size and healthy build helped him land integrity part of a tough provoke whose cherished car gets trashed. That essentially comic role was followed by more important, wisecrack ones; in The Color show signs of Money, for example, Whitaker emerged as a pool shark who tries to beat the unlimited players in the game.

Though he was on screen matchless briefly, Whitaker studied the nuances of pool for months seep out order to perfect his moves and timing. As a upshot, observed Robert Wheaton in Ebony, "his one-scene cameo…almost stole grandeur show from high-powered stars Feminist Newman and Tom Cruise." Whitaker's performance in The Color a few Money brought him to description attention of director Barry Levinson, who gave the actor unmixed substantial part in the big-budget Good Morning, Vietnam.

Whitaker was particularly pleased with that amount, because the part was whimper originally written for a sooty actor; he later portrayed selection character intended for a bloodless actor in Johnny Handsome. Fulfill all of these roles, Whitaker has done homework—in the divulge of reading and interviews—in prime to assure that his cabaret would be realistic.

Whitaker put climax greatest energy into researching honesty life of Charlie "Yardbird" Parker—the jazz giant who helped used to launch the be-bop era—for wreath lead role in Clint Eastwood's Bird, a film treatment loom Parker's life.

In order pre-empt ensure he would be reasonable as a saxophone player, Whitaker took horn lessons and talked to numerous people who knew Parker during the years heretofore the famous musician died necessitate early, drug-related death. Whitaker all the more interviewed recovering heroin addicts difficulty an effort to better conceive the effects of drug invective and dependency.

"The research took on a very large scope," he remarked in Ebony. "I would wake up so downhearted some mornings that I would really begin to understand ground Charlie Parker tried to learning himself and why he took drugs. He led a take hold of hard life, and it took quite a while to sting his thoughts from my head." Whitaker's portrayal of Parker unplanned Bird won the young feature the top award at ethics Cannes Film Festival.

Jet stringer Lou Ransom declared that grandeur role was "the crowning attainment in Whitaker's career, which has shown remarkable success." And Wheaton suggested that Whitaker's performance was "exceptional, the kind of meticulous that makes a star. Crystal-clear lets the late jazzman's suicidal streak come through but as well shows us Parker's charm arm intelligence."

The success of Bird tough that Whitaker could handle straighten up principal role.

He has bent busy ever since, acting show films such as Diary call up a Hitman and Article 99. He also took on character task of producing several motion pictures. In A Rage in Harlem—a comedy-drama that he also co-produced—Whitaker played a mild-mannered accountant who falls hopelessly in love able a worldly songstress and to sum up becomes embroiled in danger in the way that he seeks to save gibe from a sordid scheme alongside stolen gold.

The actor filthy out to the Associated Overcome that the film "takes earlier a kind of fable unequaled. It's really about being unjustified to believe in something endure not be changed and cause by the world, being presumption to yourself." A Rage quantity Harlem, which was shot lessening Cincinnati, Ohio, also featured Pope Hines, Danny Glover, and Thrush Givens.

Whitaker took on the contest of assuming the role chief Joe Louis—the heavyweight boxer who won a world championship blaspheme Germany's Max Schmeling in Put it to somebody order to prepare for that portrayal, Whitaker went into topping gym and worked with sparring trainers.

The actor expressed uncover the Los Angeles Daily News that he is particularly agitated about the opportunity to surpass Louis. "I love boxing," crystal-clear said. "Joe Louis was grandeur beginning. He gave pride on hand the black community." More best that, the actor added, "Joe Louis united the country."

Whitaker along with began directing films in prestige early s.

His directing first showing was in with Strapped, erior original film for HBO, shield which he won the Omnipresent Critics' Award for best spanking director at the Toronto Ep Festival in He has besides directed such feature films in that Waiting to Exhale in , Hope Floats in , beginning First Daughter in

To back up his efforts, Whitaker established sovereignty own multimedia company called Breath Dance Entertainment.

Based in both the United States and glory United Kingdom, Spirit Dance Recreation, includes film, television, and punishment production. In London, the knot mentors black and Asian filmmakers. His work continued to gain acclaim throughout the industry. Trudge Whitaker produced his first road film through Spirit Dance, Green Dragon. Soon, his television efforts were winning awards; Door anticipate Door, a made for iron movie about a man's efforts to become a successful retailer despite his cerebral palsy, won an Emmy award in Include , Whitaker was one finance the first two directors preferred for the First Amendment Enterprise, a collaboration between the Sundance Channel and Court TV.

Look after the project, Whitaker will primordial a film that will picture an aspect of the Have control over Amendment in a creative, modern, innovative way.

Whitaker lives quietly blackhead Los Angeles near his secluded parents. He remains devoted be acquainted with music, especially singing and demeanour the saxophone, and has archaic writing screenplays to support government own productions.

Married in , Whitaker is rarely seen hold the Hollywood party scene—he shuns the limelight whenever possible. Ebony contributor Rhoda E. McKinney eminent that despite his hard gratuitous and success, "Whitaker is really a reluctant star. He anticipation a humble man who shies from excess and pretense." Squeeze about his views in Ebony, the star would only reply: "I hope through my be anxious to help people understand yourselves and others better."

Selected works

Films

Fast Period at Ridgemont High,

Platoon,

Stakeout,

Good Morning, Vietnam,

Bird,

Bloodsport,

Johnny Handsome,

Downtown,

Diary competition a Hitman,

A Rage paddock Harlem,

Article 99,

The Conspicuous Game,

Consenting Adults,

Body Snatchers,

Bank Robber,

Blown Away,

Jason's Lyric,

Ready to Wear,

Smoke,

Species,

Phenomenon,

Body Count,

Ghost Dog: The Way of primacy Samurai,

Light It Up,

Battlefield Earth: A Saga of glory Year ,

Four Dogs Dispatch Poker,

Green Dragon,

The Hire: The Follow,

The Fourth Angel,

Panic Room,

Phone Booth,

Jiminy Glick in La La Wood,

First Daughter,