Forest Steven Whitaker III (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor, producer, and director.
He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Lee Daniels' The Butler, Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, for his work in direct-to-video films and for his recurring role as LAPD Internal Affairs Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the award-winning television series The Shield.
Whitaker won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland.
Early life
Whitaker was born in Dallas, Texas. His family moved to Carson, California when he was four. His father, Forest Steven Jr., was an insurance salesman. Forest's mother, Laura Francis (née Smith), was a special education teacher who put herself through college and earned two Master's degrees while raising her children
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