Forest Whitaker Pictures

Forest Whitaker holds the distinction of being the fourth African American to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, after Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Jamie Foxx. His performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in film The Last King of Scotland brought him the Oscar, as well as a Golden Globe and a BAFTA award. A veteran actor and director, he has starred in a number of landmark films such as Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Platoon, and The Crying Game, and directed the films Waiting to Exhale and Hope Floats.