Biografia

Born with an eye condition called ptosis, which translates to "drooping eyelid."

He tried to be as bulky as possible to play Big Harold in Platoon (1986), but the vigorous boot-camping training, bad food and rough shoot caused him to lose a lot of weight. When he noticed Whitaker was getting thinner, Oliver Stone said to him, "What are you doing? You're supposed to be 'Big' Harold".

Holds a Black belt in Kenpo Karate.

He is a supporter and public advocate for Hope North, a boarding school and vocational training center in northern Uganda for escaped child soldiers, orphans, and other young victims of the country's civil war. He met the school's founder during the filming of The Last King of Scotland.

Originally cast in the role of "Sawyer" on Lost (2004), but opted out of the role when 20th Century Fox green lighted his film A Filha do Presidente (2004).

I can play a man who's despicable. But I'll still look inside him to find a point of connection. If I can find that kernel, audiences will relate to me.

[on his character in The Shield: Acima da Lei (2002)] I'm always blown away by people's negative reactions to Kavanaugh. He's a highly moral man who's brought to the breaking point. To me, he's like an angel. Yes, he's obsessive. Anal. Intense. But his goal is to get Vic Mackey off the street. This is somebody who beats people up on a weekly basis, steals money, blackmails people. But I'm the bad guy?

My parents moved to Los Angeles when I was really young, but I spent every summer with my grandparents, and I'd stay with my grandfather on the farm in Longview {Texas]. He was retired from the railroad, and he had a small farm with some cows and some pigs. I remember part of my youth was feeding hogs and plowing fields and stuff, so that's a part of me. And my parents raised me to say "sir" and "ma'am"' to open doors, things like that. That's the way I was brought up. Also, unfortunately, I was taught not to question too much. I didn't really question my mom and dad. That's usually what they told me to do.

[on being a black actor] I have friends, African-American actors, who've had more of a struggle; hopefully they're starting to see some air and light now. But in my directing career, in my acting career, in my producing career, I haven't been bound by a lot of limitations. When I first started doing these kinds of unique characters, these diverse characters, there was hardly anybody doing them. So I had this open road.

[on his children's names - True and Ocean - and his name and how it affected his childhood] I want those names to be their destiny, for my daughter to be honest and my son to be expansive. I try to be like a forest, revitalizing and constantly growing . . . . Kids would tease me, calling me Little Bush". But . . . I thought being called Forest helped me find my identity.