Forest Whitaker
Movies.


"Blown Away": in this 1994 thriller, Forest Whitaker plays police detective Anthony Franklin, the new partner of explosives expert Jimmy Dove (Jeff Bridges); and he has a lot to learn.  Jeff is under siege from a mad bomber (played by Tommy Lee Jones), and Forest is soon caught up in the explosive situation. Buy it on video at


"Bird":
Forest Whitaker won critical acclaim for his lead role in the 1988 film, "Bird," "a humane and moving exploration of the life of jazz legend Charlie "Bird" Parker by director Clint Eastwood. The film is outstanding not only in its acting (Forest Whitaker is excellent) but in its studied depiction of key incidents in Parker's life..."
Buy it on video at



"A Rage in Harlem":  In one of his most memorable starring roles, Forest Whitaker plays 'Jackson' in this 1991 comedy/adventure, "a big, bashful, sweet and innocent kid" who falls victim to the wiles of Goldy (Robin Givens), a gangster's beautiful moll, who has fled to Harlem with a trunkload of gold after a shootout. She sees Franklin was the perfect patsy, but his loving nature eventually melts her heart. The movie also stars Gregory Hines and Danny Glover. Buy it on video at



"The Color of Money":  Forest Whitaker made the most of a small role in this 1986 Academy Award-winning sequel to"The Hustler."  He played Amos, a young pool player who out-hustles Paul Newman at his own game, causing Paul to abandon his apprentice Tom Cruise on the verge of an important championship game in Atlantic City.
Buy it on video at




"Smoke": this 1995 sleeper cast Forest as Cyrus Cole, a man who lost an arm, and who has run away from his past and tried to start over, after accidentally killing the woman he loves. He is the father of a troubled young man who thought his farther was dead, but who finally manages to find him in a small-town gas station. Critics praised his performance: "Forest Whitaker, as the one-armed man, is also affecting. He gives a powerful undercurrent of rage and grief to a monologue about the loss of his arm, one of the movie's many long speeches." Buy it on video at



"Johnny Handsome":  In this 1989 crime thriller, Forest plays Doctor Steven Fisher, a thoughtful surgeon who meets disfigured convict Mickey Rourke and suggests that plastic surgery could turn Johnny into a normal person.  But instead of going straight, Johnny set out for revenge on those who crossed him.  The movie also stars Ellen Barkin, Elizabeth McGovern, and Morgan Freeman. Buy it on video at



"Jason's Lyric":  Forest is only seen in flashbacks scenes in this 1994 romantic tragedy about a modern Romeo & Juliet trapped by life in the big city. He plays the dead father of Jason. Known as "Mad Dog," Forest's character is not a bad man to begin with, but the Vietnam war destroys him, leaving him without a leg and turning him into an abusive alcoholic. His son is haunted by nightmares after he is forced to shoot his father while he attacks Jason's mother. Buy it on video at





"Fast Times at Ridgemont High":
in his first big-movie role, Forest played Charles Jefferson, the star football player in this classic 1984 comedy about high school life in Southern California. This movie marked the debut of a number of actors who went on to stardom. Beside Forest Whitaker, "Fast Times" featured Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Eric Stoltz, Nicolas Cage, Anthony Edwards and Ray Walston. Buy it on video at




"Diary of a Hit Man":
Forest Whitaker turns in one of his strongest performances in this sleeper about a hit man hired by a wealthy man to kill the man's young wife (Sherilyn Fenn). What follows is a gripping emotional/psychological confrontation between the professional killer and the woman desperately trying to survive. It also features James Belushi and Sharon Stone. Buy it on video.


OTHER FOREST WHITAKER FILMS
(click on the posters to order the videos)



SPECIES




GOOD MORNING
VIETNAM



PLATOON



STAKEOUT




BODY
SNATCHERS




THE
ENEMY WITHIN




BANK ROBBER




LUSH LIFE




LAST LIGHT



DOWNTOWN




CRIMINAL
JUSTICE



ARTICLE 99



BLOODSPORT




STRAPPED
(director)




CONSENTING
ADULTS


GHOST DOG


LIGHT IT UP



BATTLEFIELD
EARTH



  • Forest's most recent acting venture is "Battlefield Earth," a major sci-fi thriller/action film starring John Travolta. He plays one of the alien invaders, named Ker.

  • Mr. Whitaker recently finished "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai," described as a spiritual gangster film. Forest has the title role.
  • Before that, he directed Sandra Bullock in the comedy/drama "Hope Floats," which was released on May 29, 1998, from Fox.
  • He recently signed a first-look production deal with Sony (Columbia/TriStar) television, where he has two TV drama series projects in the works for ABC and Showtime. The deal covers his work as a producer and director, but not as an actor. He is set to to direct the ABC drama pilot "Black Jaq," a New Orleans-based drama revolving around a female super-agent. For Showtime, he is developing a legal drama, "Conventional Wisdom."
  • He recently signed a three-year, first-look deal with Propaganda Films (a division of Polygram). He will direct one of his next three pictures for Propaganda and will produce feature films for the PolyGram Filmed Entertainment label.
  • Forest Whitaker is also developing a semi-autobiographical animated children's series dubbed "The Village" featuring the voices of Boyz II Men.
  • Forest's multimedia company, Spirit Dance, has just opened a music arm designed to sign and promote music acts; it will have its own label (in conjunction with SONY 550), which will probably be called Spirit Dance Records.



Click here to return to the
main Forest Whitaker page

DISCLAIMER: This web-site is not part of the Carson Online website.
I run this page privately as an personal fan page for a fellow Carson citizen.

/disclaimers.shtml#images">Disclaimer about graphics / images