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.
Relentless is a 2025 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Chad Stahelski and the first installment in the Relentless film series. A co-production between Legendary Pictures and RatPac-Dune Entertainment and distributed by Lionsgate, it stars Dove Cameron as Aaliyah Rivers, a 17-year-old girl who, despite her 18th birthday being around the corner, takes matters into her own hands after her mother is hospitalized and her grandfather is murdered in an incident by a Russian assassin; her mission becomes complicated when she develops an attraction for a slightly older student. Bella Thorne portrays Bailey Logan, Aaliyah's lover, while the supporting cast includes Michael Shannon, Anna Paquin, Will Patton, Forest Whitaker, Alfre Woodard, Neal McDonough, Jonathan Banks, and Morgan Freeman. Relentless had its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on November 27th, 2025; the film became a box-office success, grossing $882 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews, mainly for Cameron's performance and chemistry with Thorne, Hans Zimmer's musical score, visual style and action sequences, along with its plotline and direction, though the film's usage of the word "russki" and the extreme violence drew heavy controversy. A sequel is in development with Cameron and Thorne set to reprise their roles.
