Forest Steven Whitaker III is an Academy Award-winning actor, director, and producer, popularly known for his portrayal of Idi Amin in the movie The Last King of Scotland (2006). The actor is generally seen in intensive roles and conducts extensive research to get under the skin of the characters, he is portraying. Some of his notable movies include Bird (1988), Phenomenon (1996), Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), Phone Booth (2002), and Lee Daniels The Butler (2013). Apart from movies, Whitaker has also achieved success on television with the series The Shield.