Forest Whittaker has had an amazing film career over the past few decades. He is one of those actors who can fill the character actor role while still playing the lead in movies effectively. While he is getting great reviews now for his new series Godfather of Harlem, Whitaker has also appeared in some of the most acclaimed and popular films of all time.
Whether it's turning in award-winning performances in prestige dramas, lending some gravitas to big blockbusters, or appearing in smaller indie films, Whitaker has played some amazing roles. While some might fly under the radar, there are plenty that have made their mark on cinema history. Here are Forest Whitaker's most groundbreaking movie performances.
Charles Jefferson (Fast Times At Ridgemont High)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is an 80s comedy known for introducing actors who would go on to great success, like Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Nicholas Cage. The film follows various students of the titular high school as they have their own teenage misadventures.
Whitaker is just one small part of the large ensemble, but he does make an impression. He plays the school's most fearsome football player who gets a little motivation for the big game after his car is totaled. Whitaker's small appearance was memorable enough to get people's attention in Hollywood.
Zuri (Black Panther)
Whitaker has long been a champion of getting diverse stories told on the big screen so it's fitting that he would be involved in this groundbreaking film. Black Panther introduced Wakanda to the MCU with Chadwick Boseman returning as T'Challa as he takes over as king and tries to protect the thrown.
Whitaker plays Zuri, Wakanda's spiritual leader and close confidant of the king. He is also a man with dark secrets about Wakanda's past. The overwhelming critical and box office success of this film allowed many doors to be opened and emphasized the importance of diverse stories in Hollywood.
Big Harold (Platoon)
Platoon is often regarded as the best film made about the Vietnam War. Director Oliver Stone served in that war and he brings the honestly and brutality of his experiences to this story. The film stars Charlie Sheen as a newly arrived soldier who is quickly introduced to the horrors of war.
Whitaker has a supporting role as one of the many soldiers in the platoon. Though he can sometimes get lost in the very large cast, he does have some standout moments in which he shares thoughtful and heartbreaking views of the world.
Jody (The Crying Game)
The Crying Game was one of the most talked-about films of the 90s thanks to an unforgettable twist. However, the film is much more interesting than that. The film follows a member of the IRA who becomes drawn into the world of a captured British soldier, especially the man's lover.
Whitaker plays the British soldier who is taken hostage by the IRA. Even to have a supporting role in a movie that caused such a stir was a huge boost for Whitaker. The role shows his skills as a character actor, fitting into a variety of stories.
Saw Gerrera (Rogue One)
Star Wars has grown to such a phenomenal cinematic franchise that it can get pretty much any actor to join its massive universe. Whitaker got his chance to travel to a galaxy far, far away in the spin-off film, Rogue One. The movie deals with the untold story of the brave rebels who stole the plans for the Death Star.
Whitaker plays Saw Gerrera, a Rebel fighter who is one of the more ambiguous characters in the Star Wars universe. Though he fights for a noble cause, Gerrera is willing to do evil things to ensure victory. Whitaker once again proved his talents are as effective in the bigger films.
Burnham (Panic Room)
David Fincher is one of the most celebrated filmmakers of the modern era and his films always draw a lot of attention. Panic Room is one of his smaller films but remains a thoroughly entertaining thriller. Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart star as a mother and daughter who lock themselves in a panic room when thieves break into their home.
Whitaker plays the more sympathetic of the thieves. The small ensemble real lets Whitaker shine in the high-profile project. He once again proves that no matter the genre he is in, he gives a powerful and compelling performance.
Ghost Dog (Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai)
Jim Jarmusch is one of the most prolific indie directors around and his list of films are incredibly varied in their subject matter. Ghost Dog is one of his more popular films and one of Whitaker's most popular performance. He stars as a mafia hitman who lives his life in the way of the samurai.
The unusual crime story allowed Whitaker to show a new side of himself of the poetic and deadly man. Though not a mainstream hit, the movie has achieved cult status and provided Whitaker with an iconic leading man role.
Charlie 'Bird' Parker (Bird)
Whitaker has played real-life figures many times in his career and such stories seem to be a favorite of Clint Eastwood as a director. The two artists came together to tell the story of the legendary jazz musician, Charlie Parker in Bird.
Not only was Whitaker tasked with bringing a beloved and complex character to life, but this also marks his first time headlining a film. He proved to be more than up to the task, giving a powerful performance that helped launch his film career to great heights.
Cecil Gaines (The Butler)
Whitaker has an amazing ability to convey and communicate so much without speaking. That tremendous skill was very beneficial for Whitaker's performance as Cecil Gaines in The Butler. Gaines was a real-life White House butler who served under five different presidents and saw many of the defining moments in American history.
Whitaker is the star of the show, but he plays a character who must often remain in the background as an observer and someone largely overlooked. Whitaker pulls off the difficult task while still be a compelling figure to watch.
Idi Amin (The Last King Of Scotland)
Idi Amin is probably the most infamous and complex character Whitaker portrayed in his career. Amin was the brutal Ugandan dictator and this film explores his reign of power through the eyes of his physician.
This is an incredibly difficult role to pull off as Whitaker is required to be charismatic and charming as well as paranoid, violent and terrifying. He achieves this balancing act wonderfully and the role earned Whitaker his first Oscar for Best Actor.