Age: 64
male
Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor, producer, director, and activist. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. After making his film debut in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Whitaker went on to earn a reputation for intensive character study work for films, such as Platoon (1986), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Bird (1988), The Crying Game (1992), Phenomenon (1996), Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), The Great Debaters (2007), The Butler (2013), Arrival (2016), and Respect (2021). He has also appeared in blockbusters, such as Panic Room (2002), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) as Saw Gerrera, and Black Panther (2018) as Zuri. For his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the British historical drama film The Last King of Scotland (2006), Whitaker won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Whitaker made his directorial debut with the television film Strapped (1993), and directed the films Waiting to Exhale (1995), Hope Floats (1998), and First Daughter (2004). Apart from his film career, Whitaker is also known for his humanitarian work and activism. In 2011, he was inducted as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, later receiving a promotion to Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, and serves as the CEO of Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI), a non-profit outreach program.
Jailbreak is a 2025 American prison action film written and directed by John McTiernan. Zack Snyder and Jerry Bruckheimer served as producers. The film stars Sasha Calle along with Colin Farrell, Michael Shannon, Angela Bassett, Billy Crudup, Forest Whitaker, Sterling K. Brown, Russell Crowe, Michael Keaton, and Alec Baldwin. It follows a young mercenary who is paid to be arrested in order to break an innocent man out of prison, only to realize that she has been betrayed. Despite this, she still decides to do the right thing and proceed with her plans, even as they are hindered by the cruel warden. Jailbreak opened in theaters on February 18th, 2025; the film received critical acclaim, with praise for its action sequences, visual style, and Calle's performance; many have deemed the film to be one of the best of her career. It was also a box-office success, grossing $983 million worldwide against a budget of $139 million. The film became one the first prison film to win all five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Original Score for Hans Zimmer, while Calle was awarded a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. A sequel was announced and is slated for release two years later.
