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Michelle Beisner Wiki Biography
Forest Whitaker is a famous American actor, voice actor, film producer, TV and film director. Forest Steven Whitaker was born on July 15, 1961, in Longview, Texas. His main steps in his show business career Whitaker has made as an actor, not as a producer. At the beginning he mostly appeared in musicals, the first of them was “Fast Times at Ridgemon High” (released in 1982). Despite the fact Whitaker’s role in his first movie was really small, he showed himself as a talented actor and was noted by others.
Forest’s career to date has allowed him to accumulate net worth estimated at $40 million.
Forest Whitaker Net Worth $40 Million
In 1995 he proved his great acting talent and charisma when he both appeared in and produced the movie “Waiting to Exhale”. This romantic drama was also his film directorial debut, and received Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture award and several MTV movie awards too. Forest Whitaker really shot to prominence as an actor in 1998, after starring in the lead role in a biographical film about the famous American musician Charlie “Bird” Parker, “Bird”, directed by Clint Eastwood. The movie itself scored 74% on “Rotten Tomatoes” – website devoted to film reviews. Moreover, the actor earned several awards and considerable critical acclaim. After this outstanding performance, Whitaker’s career rose even more.
One more of Whitaker’s big moments was in 2006 for the role of Idi Amin in the movie called “The Last King of Scotland”, for which he received an Academy Award as the Best Actor.
His most recent and notable appearance was in the movie entitled “The Butler”, released in 2013, which is an American historical drama based on the real life of Eugene Allen. Forest Whitaker starred as the main character Cecil Gaines, who dedicated his life to be a professional domestic worker. This movie received five different awards and added a huge amount of money to Whitaker’s net worth.
Today Forest Whitaker lives with his wife Keisha Nash Whitaker – the couple married in 1996. They raise four children: their daughters True and Sonnet, Forest’s son from the previous relationship and Keisha’s daughter.
Forest Whitaker is known to be a vegetarian and the supporter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). Forest supports Barack Obama and is a chief among the Igbo community. Moreover, on June 21, 2011, Whitaker was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation in UNESCO. Today the famous actor supports all UNESCO’s activities and helps to empower young people to keep them away from the cycle of violence in the community. David Killion, UNESCO ambassador from United States, described Forest Whitaker as a person who feels compassion for every kind of humiliation and disgrace and he does his UNESCO job because it is the right thing to do.
| Full Name | Forest Whitaker |
| Net Worth | $40 Million |
| Date Of Birth | October 15, 1976 |
| Place Of Birth | Longview |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Profession | Actor, Film director, Film Producer, Television producer, Voice Actor, Screenwriter |
| Education | University of Southern California, Drama Studio London, Palisades Charter High School, New York University, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
| Nationality | United States of America |
| Spouse | Keisha Nash Whitaker |
| Children | Ocean Whitaker, Sonnet Noel Whitaker, True Whitaker, Autumn Whitaker |
| Parents | Forest Steven Jr., Laura Francis Smith |
| Siblings | Damon Whitaker, Kenn Whitaker, Deborah Whitaker |
| Nicknames | Forest Steven Whitaker |
| http://www.facebook.com/ForestWhitaker | |
| http://www.twitter.com/michellebeisner | |
| IMDB | http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001845 |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Actor, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture – Drama, Cannes Best Actor Award, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a M… |
| Nominations | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Televisio… |
| Movies | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Butler, The Last King of Scotland, Arrival, Southpaw, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Vantage Point, The Crying Game, Repo Men, Good Morning, Vietnam, Taken 3, Platoon, Panic Room, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Street Kings, The Great Debaters, Phone Booth, Vipak… |
| TV Shows | Roots, Africa, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, The Shield, The Twilight Zone, North and South |
| Trademark | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Often plays military/political/law enforcement roles |
| 2 | Often plays characters that are, or are inspired by, historical figures |
| 3 | His left eye, which can not open fully due to the hereditary condition ptosis. |
| Quote | |
|---|---|
| 1 | You must ask yourself if you’re standing up for what you know is right, if you’re spending time with people close to you, if you’re treating others with kindness and compassion. These question are your moral compass, they’re your north star… There will always be forces-things like jealousy, greed, and anger-trying to push you away from the ideas you believe in and the causes you care most about. Life is an active, not a passive, journey. [in commencement speech to graduates at California State University, Dominguez Hills] |
| 2 | [on working with Kasi Lemmons on ‘Black Nativity’] She is a filmmaker who has a broad breadth of understanding. She’s passionate, very open. She inspires you by creating a family atmosphere on set, and you always feel supported by her. I think she had a great vision. To do a contemporary musical with some attachment to the past is unique. |
| 3 | I’ve been fortunate I guess: I’ve gotten to play a lot of very diverse roles for quite a long time. But in the beginning, I was thinking ‘I’m not gonna do certain characters. I will be willing to say no and and live on a couch’. And I was really happy. Maybe more happy sometimes than in latter years when I had more, when I was thinking and considering more things for different reasons – for family, for my home. But luckily I was able to at least maintain some sort of a line. Even if I would veer right or left, I would stay pretty close to center, and the roles were really interesting. |
| 4 | [on approaching each role with fresh eyes] There’s a good fear and there’s a negative fear. There’s a thing you confront when you’re going into something new and you come to this sort of abyss, and then you push yourself. It makes you try different things. |
| 5 | This oneness that we’re reaching for is a hard thing to fight for because inside of it people are frightened. They’re afraid. There’s a fear, and we have to pass that fear…This thread, this thing, this machine, the movement that we have to recognize, has not stopped and it’s continuing to move on. |
| 6 | We need to have our voices heard, acknowledge things for what they are, because acknowledgment is a big part of the healing of the nation. And then we have to make a conscious choice so that we can move forward to some form of repentance -some form of recompense, so that we can move into a forgiveness space of compassion. |
| 7 | I’ve talked to different groups who are in social activism and stuff and I would say to them ‘You take your photograph right now of the ten of you. You may think yourselves anonymous and maybe sometimes you might be. But I want you to remember that each step you take is a part of history. That as we live and breathe, history is occurring. The fact that those photographs we used to see in the ’60s of those individuals that you admire, that you didn’t know their names but saw them marching down the streets – those are us. |
| 8 | [on director Lee Daniels] He’s so present emotionally, and raw. And sometimes you finish a scene and you go over to him, and he’d just be weeping tears in his chair, crying. Coming over to say ‘Was that okay?’ He’s so present and sometimes he just screams out laughing in the middle of a scene. It’s kind of exhilarating and sort of unbalancing at the same time. |
| 9 | [on ‘Lee Daniels’ The Butler’] Sometimes in one day I might play three different ages – a 90 year old and a 50 year old and a 30 year old…[working] 20 hours a day. I was working at least no less than 15 usually, to 18…I broke the script down to such a degree that i could see exactly where I was at any time and what had happened before. I have never worked that specifically. It was one of the most challenging roles I had ever played, and as a result it kind of revitalized me as an actor. It brought the joy back to acting in a way. |
| 10 | [in 1996] Directing is more comfortable for me, because as an actor there’s always something inherently false. Because I’m not that person. I can spend a week in jail, but I’m still leaving. I once talked to a shaman who said, “What makes you think these characters you play aren’t real? I think you should examine that.’ But it has always been my great frustration as an actor that I can’t go deep into the thoughts, feelings and history of the character. As a director. I feel like it’s real. I get caught up in the emotions and the story. I like being a storyteller. |
| 11 | [in 2006] I think that there’s an awakening inside of me really honestly, and I honestly believe that the best work of my life is about to happen. I’m finding a balance in myself as an artist from the external and the internal, and so as a result the characters I play are going to be quite different. So what’s going to happen is that it’s going to lift up the characters I play, we’re going to start to see it and I think it’s going to change the face of my career. |
| 12 | [on his role in The Last King of Scotland (2006)) I did a massive amount to prepare for this. First of all I started learning Swahili, learning the accent, then I had to do study all the recording as well as all the books, tapes, documentaries. When I went to Uganda I met with his [Idi Amin’s] brother, sister, his ministers, his generals and even to the Ugandan king. I did more research for this role than any other character I’ve probably ever played. |
| 13 | My eye? It’s a genetic thing. My dad had it and now I have it. You know, I just found out that it may be correctable a little bit, because it does impair my vision. When I look up, I lose sight in this eye. I think maybe for other people, it informs the way they see me. But I don’t really think about this eye, other than the times people talk about it, or when people take photographs of me sometimes they might say stuff about it. I don’t think it makes me look bad or anything. It just is. |
| 14 | Until film is just as easily accessible as a pen or pencil, then it’s not completely an art form. In painting you can just pick up a piece of chalk, a stick or whatever. In sculpture you can get a rock. Writing you just need a pencil and paper. Film has been a very elitist medium. It costs so much money. It doesn’t allow everyone who wants to tell stories tell stories. The great storytellers, however, are going to rise to the top, no matter what. That’s why independent film is very important to me. |
| 15 | [on his role in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) and how he prepared] I started reading “The Hagekure” and other books, including one called “The Code of the Samurai”, and I watched a lot of films. I tried to find his mindset more than anything. It’s more like a trance-like state for this character than it is anything else, based in the ancient book that he follows. But I did a lot of different types of research. |
| 16 | [on getting into acting] In high school I did some musicals, but I never took acting until college. I was studying opera, classical voice, and a speech teacher asked me to audition for this play and I got the lead. And she helped me to get into a conservatory, with a scholarship as a singer, and then I was accepted into the acting conservatory. This agent saw me, the summer before I went to conservatory, and while I was in school, I started working right away. And it worked out. |
| 17 | [on his role in The Last King of Scotland (2006)] It was an experience that changed my life and my thoughts. I went there with the purpose of understanding what it was like to be Ugandan, and I wanted to understand the food, the life, the way they deal with children and wives and with authority figures. I sat with Idi Amin’s brother underneath a big mango tree and he told me stories about what Idi was like and how he used to come to town and pull together soccer or rugby games. It all helped me with figuring out the way he behaved and the way he thought, so that 24 hours a day, even in my dreams, I was totally consumed by the character of Idi Amin. It wasn’t until the movie was over that I decided I could let go of the character, so the first thing I did was take a shower because I figured I could wash him off by scrubbing myself. I was in a room by myself, so I started yelling to get his voice out of me and get my own voice back. |
| 18 | [on filming the Panic Room (2002)] The guys on the set, Dwight [Dwight Yoakam], Jared [Jared Leto] and me, would work for a day, and then the next day Jodie [Jodie Foster] would work. We rarely worked together, so it was all about getting to know some of the guys. With the way scheduling was, she’s not in the small frame as all of us. They never did it that way. The thing about the film was you did become closer with some people in ways because it took so long. This is the longest shoot I have ever had. It was about 145 shooting days. We also had rehearsals before that. I think it took so long because of the shots taken. It was the most planned movie I’ve been involved with. |
| 19 | [on choosing studio or independent films] I go back and forth between indie and studio because I feel like it, not because I feel obligated to do one or the other. The only reason to make a decision like that is financial, you know, you can’t live. That doesn’t make my decision for me, I do what feels right for me. I’m not going to do a bad movie just because it’s a studio movie or an indie film, and there are hordes of bad independent movies. People tend to think that indie movies are always good, but I’ve seen horrific ones, just as well as I’ve seen horrific studio films. So I just go by how I feel, it’s the only way you can figure it out. Otherwise you get lost in the maze of trying to second guess the people, the studio, how you can make your career long or short. It’s easy to get lost in this maze, called life, really, you know what I mean? |
| 20 | [on his career] As an actor, I’ve always wanted to do characters that would help me find my connection with others and connect all of us together. You always want the energy of the character, the spirit of the person, to enter you. I’ve been doing this for 26 years and some of the things I’ve done are always with me. Maybe it’s a word; maybe it’s a gesture; maybe the sound; maybe it’s a new understanding about something. I look at it like a past life because I keep going over and over what I have done. |
| 21 | [on his best work] If I were to mark three, I’d mark Bird (1988), because I grew immensely as an artist–I learned a lot–and also, I think, it was when people started to take me more seriously. I’d also mark Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), because I started to understand something about myself in silence, how I’m capable of communicating certain things without doing much. And then I’d probably mark The Last King of Scotland (2006), which marries the internal and the external in a strong way and brings together all of the things I’ve learned about my work into one character. |
| 22 | [on the most interesting actor he has worked with] Mickey Rourke, I thought, was really interesting. I did a movie called Johnny Handsome (1989) that Walter Hill directed. I had a scene with Mickey in which he says goodbye to me, and I learned something very powerful. He didn’t say anything. I don’t know if his thoughts were so powerful or my imagination was so large, but I could swear I could hear him speaking to me. It was like he was saying, “I want to tell you thanks–you know, I’m about to disappoint you, but you did a good job”. And then, finally, he says, “Thank you”. I was just like, “Whoa!” He’s an amazing actor. |
| 23 | [in 1998] As a kid, I never had dreams of becoming an actor or director. Even when I was already working professionally, it took me a long time to know whether this was what I really wanted to be. Now I feel comfortable about what I’m doing, but I see that I can continue to make it better, that I can create a deeper balance in my life, and I’m still working on that. I didn’t plan for things to turn out this way at all. But I have to say, I feel good about it. I do. |
| 24 | [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. |
| 25 | [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. |
| 26 | 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. |
| 27 | [on his character in The Shield (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? |
| 28 | 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. |
| Fact | |
|---|---|
| 1 | In 2015 received an honorary doctorate from California State University, Dominguez Hills. |
| 2 | 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. |
| 3 | Lives in Los Angeles, California. |
| 4 | Holds a Black belt in Kenpo Karate. |
| 5 | Is one of 11 actors to have won the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Critics’ Choice Award, Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for the same performance. The others in chronological order are Geoffrey Rush for Shine (1996), Jamie Foxx for Ray (2004), Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote (2005), Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men (2007), Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007) and Lincoln (2012), Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008), and Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (2009), Colin Firth for The King’s Speech (2010), Christopher Plummer for Beginners (2010), and J.K. Simmons for Whiplash (2014). |
| 6 | (March 27, 1993) Attended the 8th Annual Independent Spirit Awards. |
| 7 | Presented French actress Marion Cotillard with the Best Actress Oscar for her lead in La Vie en Rose (2007). |
| 8 | Attended Cal Poly Pomona University, just like fellow actor Eric Martic. |
| 9 | He was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in March 2004 in Austin, Texas. |
| 10 | Won 23 major awards for his portrayal of Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland (2006) including all the awards that are considered the biggest (except Cannes). He was also nominated for one more award, and won BET’s “Best Actor” for the same year (presumably for the same film). |
| 11 | Was member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 2003. |
| 12 | He and his daughter, True Whitaker, have recorded a public service announcement promoting vegetarianism on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). |
| 13 | Spent a total of three and a half months in Uganda researching and filming The Last King of Scotland (2006). Uganda was his ever first visit to Africa. |
| 14 | Met his wife actress Keisha Whitaker, nee Nash, on the set of Blown Away (1994). |
| 15 | Whitaker hosted Saturday Night Live (1975) on February 10, 2007, during which his singing talent was featured in several sketches. |
| 16 | Raised in Los Angeles by an insurance-salesman father and schoolteacher mother, the high school football star ditched his jersey and helmet after catching the acting bug in a production of Dylan Thomas’ “Under Milk Wood”. |
| 17 | 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”. |
| 18 | In 2003, Whitaker became Executive Director of the Nodance Film Festival, a festival that celebrates the alternative digital film culture with an emphasis on first-time filmmakers and digital filmmaking. Originally held in Park City, Utah, Nodance has recently relaunched in Los Angeles and holds the distinction of being the world’s first DVD-projected film festival. |
| 19 | Brother-in-law of Jeffrey Nash and Kidada Jones. |
| 20 | Originally cast in the role of “Sawyer” on Lost (2004), but opted out of the role when 20th Century Fox green lighted his film First Daughter (2004). |
| 21 | Born with an eye condition called ptosis, which translates to “drooping eyelid.” |
| 22 | He is the father of three children. He has two daughters, Sonnet Noel Whitaker (b. October 3rd 1996) and True Whitaker (b. July 2nd 1998), by his wife, Keisha Whitaker and a son, Ocean Whitaker (b. 1990), from a previous relationship. He also has Autumn (b. 1991), a stepdaughter through his marriage with Keisha. |
| 23 | Is a vegetarian. |
| 24 | Attended University of Southern California (USC) School of Theater. |
| 25 | Was set to direct a live-action film version of Fat Albert (2004) but disagreed with Bill Cosby and has since left the production. [April 2002] |
| 26 | Brother of actors Kenn Whitaker and Damon Whitaker. |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Panther | 2018 | pre-production | Zuri |
| Finding Steve McQueen | 2017 | post-production | Howard Lambert |
| The Forgiven | 2017 | post-production | Desmond Tutu |
| Burden | 2016/I | filming | Reverend Kennedy |
| Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | 2016 | post-production | Saw Gerrera |
| A Fall from Grace | announced | Source | |
| Arrival | 2016/II | Colonel Weber | |
| Roots | 2016 | TV Mini-Series | Fiddler |
| Southpaw | 2015 | Tick Wills | |
| Dope | 2015 | Narrator (voice) | |
| Taken 3 | 2014 | Franck Dotzler | |
| Two Men in Town | 2014 | William Garnett | |
| Black Nativity | 2013 | Reverend Cornell Cobbs | |
| Making a Scene | 2013 | Short | Man |
| Out of the Furnace | 2013 | Chief Wesley Barnes | |
| The Butler | 2013/I | Cecil Gaines | |
| Zulu | 2013 | Ali Sokhela | |
| Pawn | 2013/I | Will | |
| Repentance | 2013/I | Angel Sanchez | |
| The Last Stand | 2013 | Agent John Bannister | |
| Nelson Mandela | 2013 | Video short | Narrator (voice) |
| A Dark Truth | 2012 | Francisco Francis | |
| Freelancers | 2012 | LaRue | |
| Ernest & Celestine | 2012 | Ernest (English version, voice) | |
| Catch .44 | 2011 | Ronny | |
| Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior – Alternate Reality: The New Criminal Minds | 2011 | Video short | Sam Cooper |
| Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior – House of Corpses | 2011 | Video short | Sam Cooper |
| Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior – Inside the Red Cell | 2011 | Video short | Sam Cooper |
| Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior – Loved Ones | 2011 | Video short | Sam Cooper |
| Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior – The Profiler | 2011 | Video short | Sam Cooper |
| Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior | 2011 | TV Series | Sam Cooper |
| Lullaby for Pi | 2010 | George | |
| The Experiment | 2010 | Barris | |
| Criminal Minds | 2010 | TV Series | Sam Cooper |
| My Own Love Song | 2010 | Joey | |
| Repo Men | 2010 | Jake | |
| Our Family Wedding | 2010 | Brad Boyd | |
| Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life | 2010 | Video short | Lion (voice) |
| Hurricane Season | 2009 | Al Collins | |
| Where the Wild Things Are | 2009 | Ira (voice) | |
| Powder Blue | 2009 | Charlie | |
| Toys in the Attic | 2009 | Teddy (English version, voice) | |
| American Dad! | 2007-2009 | TV Series | Daniel Turlington / Ron Turlington / Turlington |
| Fragments | 2008 | Charlie Archenault | |
| Street Kings | 2008 | Captain Jack Wander | |
| Chasseurs de dragons | 2008 | Lian-Chu (English version, voice) | |
| Vantage Point | 2008 | Howard Lewis | |
| The Great Debaters | 2007 | Dr. James Farmer Sr. | |
| Ripple Effect | 2007 | Philip | |
| The Air I Breathe | 2007 | Happiness | |
| The Shield | 2006-2007 | TV Series | Jon Kavanaugh |
| ER | 2006-2007 | TV Series | Curtis Ames |
| Everyone’s Hero | 2006 | Lonnie Brewster (voice) | |
| The Last King of Scotland | 2006 | Idi Amin | |
| The Marsh | 2006 | Geoffrey Hunt | |
| Even Money | 2006/I | Clyde Snow | |
| American Gun | 2005 | Carter | |
| A Little Trip to Heaven | 2005 | Abe Holt | |
| Mary | 2005/I | Ted Younger | |
| First Daughter | 2004 | Narrator (voice) | |
| Deacons for Defense | 2003 | TV Movie | Marcus Clay |
| Phone Booth | 2002 | Captain Ramey | |
| Panic Room | 2002 | Burnham | |
| Feast of All Saints | 2001 | TV Movie | Daguerreotypist Picard |
| The Fourth Angel | 2001 | Bernard | |
| The Follow | 2001 | Short | The Employer (uncredited) |
| Green Dragon | 2001 | Addie | |
| Four Dogs Playing Poker | 2000 | Mr. Ellington | |
| Battlefield Earth | 2000 | Ker | |
| Witness Protection | 1999 | TV Movie | Steven Beck |
| Light It Up | 1999 | Officer Dante Jackson | |
| Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai | 1999 | Ghost Dog | |
| Body Count | 1998 | Crane | |
| Rebound: The Legend of Earl ‘The Goat’ Manigault | 1996 | TV Movie | Mr. Rucker |
| Phenomenon | 1996 | Nate Pope | |
| Mr. Holland’s Opus | 1995 | Bobby Tidd – Adult (uncredited) | |
| Species | 1995 | Dan Smithson | |
| Smoke | 1995 | Cyrus Cole | |
| Ready to Wear | 1994 | Cy Bianco | |
| Jason’s Lyric | 1994 | Maddog | |
| The Enemy Within | 1994 | TV Movie | Col. MacKenzie ‘Mac’ Casey |
| Blown Away | 1994 | Franklin | |
| Lush Life | 1993 | TV Movie | Buddy Chester |
| Bank Robber | 1993 | Officer Battle | |
| Last Light | 1993 | TV Movie | Fred Whitmore |
| Body Snatchers | 1993 | Major Collins | |
| Consenting Adults | 1992 | David Duttonville | |
| The Crying Game | 1992 | Jody | |
| Article 99 | 1992 | Dr. Sid Handleman | |
| Diary of a Hitman | 1991 | Dekker | |
| A Rage in Harlem | 1991 | Jackson | |
| Criminal Justice | 1990 | TV Movie | Jessie Williams |
| Downtown | 1990 | Dennis Curren | |
| Johnny Handsome | 1989 | Dr. Steven Fisher | |
| Bird | 1988 | Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker | |
| Bloodsport | 1988 | Rawlins | |
| Good Morning, Vietnam | 1987 | Edward Garlick | |
| Stakeout | 1987 | Jack Pismo | |
| Hands of a Stranger | 1987 | TV Movie | Sergeant Delaney |
| Platoon | 1986 | Big Harold | |
| The Color of Money | 1986 | Amos | |
| North and South, Book II | 1986 | TV Mini-Series | Cuffey |
| Amazing Stories | 1986 | TV Series | Jerry |
| The Grand Baby | 1985 | TV Movie | |
| North and South | 1985 | TV Mini-Series | Cuffey |
| Diff’rent Strokes | 1985 | TV Series | Herman |
| The Fall Guy | 1985 | TV Series | Friend |
| Vision Quest | 1985 | Balldozer | |
| Hill Street Blues | 1984 | TV Series | Floyd Green |
| Trapper John, M.D. | 1984 | TV Series | Lewis Jordan |
| Cagney & Lacey | 1983 | TV Series | Night Manager |
| Fast Times at Ridgemont High | 1982 | Charles Jefferson | |
| Tag: The Assassination Game | 1982 | Gowdy’s Bodyguard | |
| Making the Grade | 1982 | TV Series |
Producer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roxanne, Roxanne | 2017 | producer post-production | |
| We Are One | 2016 | Documentary executive producer | |
| Songs My Brothers Taught Me | 2015 | producer | |
| Dope | 2015 | producer | |
| Repentance | 2013/I | producer | |
| Fruitvale Station | 2013 | producer | |
| Rising from Ashes | 2012 | Documentary executive producer | |
| Serving Life | 2011 | TV Movie documentary executive producer | |
| Monte Carlo | 2011 | executive producer | |
| Brick City | 2009-2011 | TV Series documentary executive producer – 11 episodes | |
| Powder Blue | 2009 | producer | |
| Dewmocracy | 2008 | Video Game producer | |
| Kassim the Dream | 2008 | Documentary executive producer | |
| Ripple Effect | 2007 | executive producer | |
| American Gun | 2005 | executive producer | |
| First Daughter | 2004 | executive producer | |
| The Twilight Zone | 2003 | TV Series consulting producer – 2 episodes | |
| Chasing Papi | 2003 | producer | |
| The Making of ‘Green Dragon’ | 2002 | Video documentary executive producer | |
| Door to Door | 2002 | TV Movie co-executive producer | |
| Feast of All Saints | 2001 | TV Movie executive producer | |
| Green Dragon | 2001 | executive producer | |
| Black Jaq | 1998 | TV Movie executive producer | |
| A Rage in Harlem | 1991 | co-producer |
Director
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Daughter | 2004 | ||
| Black Jaq | 1998 | TV Movie | |
| Hope Floats | 1998 | ||
| Waiting to Exhale | 1995 | ||
| Strapped | 1993 | TV Movie |
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Nativity | 2013 | performer: “Can’t Stop Praising His Name”, “Jesus Is On the Mainline”, “Be Grateful”, “As” | |
| Ernest & Celestine | 2012 | performer: “Ernest’s Song” | |
| 2009 MTV Movie Awards | 2009 | TV Special performer: “Dick in a Box” | |
| The Last King of Scotland | 2006 | performer: “The Last Scottish Rite 1-4”, “Kay’s Lament” | |
| First Daughter | 2004 | writer: “Thought I’d Seen It All”, “Fall”, “Free”, “You ‘n Mego”, “Oooops”, “Whatever”, “Sea of Dreams”, “Dance My Dreams Theme Song from First Daughter” |
Music Department
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Daughter | 2004 | soundtrack executive producer | |
| Hope Floats | 1998 | executive soundtrack producer | |
| Waiting to Exhale | 1995 | soundtrack executive producer |
Writer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dewmocracy | 2008 | Video Game story |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Backyard Story | 2010 | grateful acknowledgment | |
| Death and Taxis | 2007 | special thanks | |
| American Pets | 2006 | Video short special thanks | |
| Before the Music Dies | 2006 | Documentary The filmmakers especially wish to thank | |
| Jiminy Glick in Lalawood | 2004 | special thanks | |
| Battlefield Earth: Evolution & Creation | 2000 | Video documentary short special thanks | |
| American Masters | 2000 | TV Series documentary thanks – 1 episode | |
| A Little Off Mark | 1986 | Short thanks |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larry King Now | 2013 | TV Series | Himself – Guest |
| Oprah’s Next Chapter | 2013 | TV Series | Himself |
| Charlie Rose | 1996-2013 | TV Series | Himself – Guest |
| BET Awards 2013 | 2013 | TV Special | Himself |
| Africa | 2013 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself – Narrator |
| Up Close with Carrie Keagan | 2008-2013 | TV Series | Himself |
| Rising from Ashes | 2012 | Documentary | Narrator |
| Ebert Presents: At the Movies | 2011 | TV Series | Himself – Festival Honoree |
| Serving Life | 2011 | TV Movie documentary | Narrator |
| AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Morgan Freeman | 2011 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Guys Choice Awards 2011 | 2011 | TV Special | Himself – Award Winner |
| National Memorial Day Concert | 2011 | TV Movie documentary | |
| Lopez Tonight | 2011 | TV Series | Himself |
| Rachael Ray | 2010-2011 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson | 2006-2011 | TV Series | Himself / Himself – Guest |
| Late Show with David Letterman | 2007-2011 | TV Series | Himself / Himself – Guest |
| A Man’s Story | 2010 | Documentary | Himself |
| The 82nd Annual Academy Awards | 2010 | TV Special | Himself – Co-Presenter: Best Actor in a Leading Role |
| Shooting Star(s): The Rise of Hip Hop Photographer Johnny Nunez | 2009 | Documentary | Himself |
| Shooting Blue | 2009 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| 2009 MTV Movie Awards | 2009 | TV Special | Himself |
| Independent Lens | 2009 | TV Series documentary | Himself / Narrator |
| 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2009 | TV Special | Himself – Presenter |
| The Oprah Winfrey Show | 2006-2009 | TV Series | Himself |
| We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial | 2009 | TV Special | Himself |
| The 14th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards | 2009 | TV Special | Himself – Presenter |
| The 2nd Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute | 2008 | TV Movie | Himself – Presenter |
| Stand Up to Cancer | 2008 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Vantage Point: An Inside Perspective | 2008 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Vantage Point: Plotting an Assassination | 2008 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| American Idol | 2008 | TV Series | Himself |
| King | 2008 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Shootout | 2006-2008 | TV Series | Himself |
| Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show | 2007-2008 | TV Series | Himself |
| HBO First Look | 1998-2008 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Access Hollywood | 2008 | TV Series | Himself |
| Cartelera | 2007-2008 | TV Series | Himself |
| An Evening at the Academy Awards | 2008 | TV Special | Himself |
| La noche de los Oscar | 2008 | TV Movie | Himself |
| The 80th Annual Academy Awards | 2008 | TV Special | Himself – Presenter: Best Actress in a Leading Role |
| Friday Night with Jonathan Ross | 2008 | TV Series | Himself – Special Guest |
| 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2008 | TV Special | Himself – Presenter: Best Female Actor in a Leading Role |
| Crips and Bloods: Made in America | 2008 | Documentary | Narrator |
| Biography | 1994-2007 | TV Series documentary | Himself / Himself – Friend |
| Fashion News Live | 2007 | TV Series | Himself |
| The 5th Annual TV Land Awards | 2007 | TV Special | Himself – Presenter |
| 38th NAACP Image Awards | 2007 | TV Special | Himself |
| E! Live from the Red Carpet | 2007 | TV Series | Himself |
| La noche de los Oscar | 2007 | TV Movie | Himself – Interviewee |
| The 79th Annual Academy Awards | 2007 | TV Special | Himself – Winner: Best Actor in a Leading Role |
| Miradas 2 | 2007 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| 5 News | 2007 | TV Series | Himself – BAFTA Nominee |
| The Orange British Academy Film Awards | 2007 | TV Special | Himself |
| Saturday Night Live | 2007 | TV Series | Himself – Host / Greg Gumbel |
| Rwanda Rising | 2007 | Documentary | Gacaca Judge (voice) |
| The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | 1994-2007 | TV Series | Himself |
| 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2007 | TV Special | Himself |
| The View | 2007 | TV Series | Himself |
| The 12th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards | 2007 | TV Special | Himself |
| The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards | 2007 | TV Special | Himself – Winner: Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama |
| Corazón de… | 2006-2007 | TV Series | Himself |
| Film ’72 | 2007 | TV Series | Himself |
| Jimmy Kimmel Live! | 2006 | TV Series | Himself |
| Inside the Actors Studio | 2006 | TV Series | Himself |
| Mon plus grand moment de cinéma | 2006 | TV Series short | Himself |
| 2006 BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia Awards | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| 2006 Women’s World Awards | 2006 | TV Special | Himself |
| 3rd Annual VH1 Hip-Hop Honors | 2006 | TV Movie | Himself |
| American Pets | 2006 | Video short | Himself |
| Capturing Idi Amin | 2006 | Documentary short | Interviewee |
| Before the Music Dies | 2006 | Documentary | Himself – Narrator (voice) |
| Last Call with Carson Daly | 2002-2006 | TV Series | Himself / Himself – Guest |
| Odyssey in Rome | 2005 | Documentary | Himself |
| Special Thanks to Roy London | 2005 | Documentary | Himself |
| 2005 BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia Awards | 2005 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The Misbehavers | 2004 | Documentary | Himself |
| Närbild | 2004 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Jiminy Glick in Lalawood | 2004 | Himself | |
| Film Trix 2004 | 2004 | Documentary short | Himself |
| Shooting ‘Panic Room’ | 2004 | Video documentary | Himself |
| The 2004 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Himself – Presenter: Best Supporting Female |
| 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2004 | TV Special | Himself |
| UFC 46: Supernatural | 2004 | TV Special | Himself |
| The 30th Annual People’s Choice Awards | 2004 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Twilight Zone | 2002-2003 | TV Series | Himself – Host |
| American Storytellers | 2003 | Documentary | Himself |
| HBO First Look: The Making of ‘Panic Room’ | 2002 | TV Short documentary | Himself |
| The Rosie O’Donnell Show | 1998-2002 | TV Series | Himself |
| A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting ‘Platoon’ | 2001 | Video documentary | Himself / Big Harold |
| The 2001 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards | 2001 | TV Special | Himself (uncredited) |
| Caiga quien caiga | 2001 | TV Series | Himself |
| Intimate Portrait | 2001 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Battlefield Earth: Evolution & Creation | 2000 | Video documentary short | Himself – ‘Ker’ |
| The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts | 2000 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| American Masters | 2000 | TV Series documentary | Himself – Actor / Director |
| VH-1 Where Are They Now? | 2000 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The Daily Show | 2000 | TV Series | Himself |
| 5th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | 1999 | TV Special | Himself |
| 1998 MTV Movie Awards | 1998 | TV Special | Himself |
| 27th NAACP Image Awards | 1996 | TV Special | Himself |
| AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Clint Eastwood | 1996 | TV Special documentary | Himself |
| Late Night with Conan O’Brien | 1996 | TV Series | Himself |
| 1995 VH1 Honors | 1995 | TV Movie | Himself |
| The 1994 Annual Diversity Awards | 1994 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Making of Blown Away: A Day in the Life of the Bomb Squad | 1994 | TV Short | Himself |
| Ebony/Jet Showcase | 1989 | TV Series | Himself |
| The 46th Annual Golden Globe Awards | 1989 | TV Special | Himself – Nominee: Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama |
| The 6th Annual American Cinema Awards | 1989 | TV Special | Himself |
| 21st NAACP Image Awards | 1989 | TV Special | Himself |
| We Are One | 2016 | Documentary | Narrator (voice) |
| Good Morning America | 2013-2016 | TV Series | Himself – Guest |
| Close Up with the Hollywood Reporter | 2016 | TV Series | Himself |
| Roots: A New Vision | 2016 | TV Special | Fiddler |
| Roots: A History Revealed | 2016 | TV Special | Fiddler |
| Impossible Choices | 2016 | Short | Himself |
| Live with Kelly and Michael | 2006-2016 | TV Series | Himself / Himself – Guest |
| Entertainment Tonight | 2007-2015 | TV Series | Himself / Himself – Producer, Dope |
| A ‘Taken’ Legacy | 2015 | Video short | Himself |
| Sewing Hope | 2015 | Documentary | Narrator |
| Drew Pearson Live | 2015 | TV Series | Himself – Special Guest |
| Le grand journal de Canal+ | 2008-2014 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards | 2014 | TV Special | Himself – Winner |
| Tavis Smiley | 2006-2014 | TV Series | Himself / Himself – Guest |
| The Queen Latifah Show | 2014 | TV Series | Himself |
| 45th NAACP Image Awards | 2014 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| 28 Men of Change | 2014 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Food Chains | 2014 | Documentary | Narrator |
| 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2014 | TV Special | Himself – Presenter / Nominee |
| 19th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards | 2014 | TV Special | Himself – Joel Siegel Award |
| The Hollywood Reporter Roundtables | 2013 | TV Series | Himself |
| Made in Hollywood | 2009-2013 | TV Series | Himself |
| Late Night with Jimmy Fallon | 2010-2013 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Jonathan Ross Show | 2013 | TV Series | Himself |
| Mysteries of the Unseen World | 2013 | Documentary short | Narrator (voice) |
Archive Footage
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | AFI Award | AFI Awards, USA | Movie of the Year | Fruitvale Station (2013) |
| 2014 | Joel Siegel Award | Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | ||
| 2014 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | The Butler (2013) |
| 2014 | Chairman’s Award | Image Awards | ||
| 2014 | Independent Spirit Award | Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Feature | Fruitvale Station (2013) |
| 2014 | Stanley Kramer Award | PGA Awards | Fruitvale Station (2013) | |
| 2014 | Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film | Santa Barbara International Film Festival | ||
| 2013 | AAFCA Award | African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) | Best Actor | The Butler (2013) |
| 2013 | Tribute Award | Gotham Awards | ||
| 2010 | Peabody Award | Peabody Awards | Brick City (2009) | |
| 2007 | Oscar | Academy Awards, USA | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | BAFTA Film Award | BAFTA Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | BET Award | BET Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | Critics Choice Award | Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | IFC Award | Iowa Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | ALFS Award | London Critics Circle Film Awards | Actor of the Year | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | Vision Award | NAMIC Vision Awards | Best Actor – Drama | The Shield (2002) |
| 2007 | NSFC Award | National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | OFTA Film Award | Online Film & Television Association | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | OFTA Television Award | Online Film & Television Association | Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series | ER (1994) |
| 2007 | OFCS Award | Online Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | Riviera Award | Santa Barbara International Film Festival | The Last King of Scotland (2006) | |
| 2007 | Actor | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | VFCC Award | Vancouver Film Critics Circle | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | Star on the Walk of Fame | Walk of Fame | Motion Picture | On 16 April. At 6801 Hollywood Blvd. |
| 2006 | AAFCA Award | African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | BSFC Award | Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | Capri Legend Award | Capri, Hollywood | ||
| 2006 | CFCA Award | Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | DFWFCA Award | Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | FFCC Award | Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | Hollywood Film Award | Hollywood Film Awards | Actor of the Year | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | KCFCC Award | Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | Sierra Award | Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | LAFCA Award | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | NBR Award | National Board of Review, USA | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | NYFCC Award | New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | NYFCO Award | New York Film Critics, Online | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | NTFCA Award | North Texas Film Critics Association, US | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | OFCC Award | Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | PFCS Award | Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | Satellite Award | Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | SEFCA Award | Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | SLFCA Award | St. Louis Film Critics Association, US | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | WAFCA Award | Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2004 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Television: Best Actor | Deacons for Defense (2003) |
| 2003 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Made for Television Movie | Door to Door (2002) |
| 2003 | Christopher Award | Christopher Awards | Television & Cable | Door to Door (2002) |
| 1997 | Blockbuster Entertainment Award | Blockbuster Entertainment Awards | Favorite Supporting Actor – Drama | Phenomenon (1996) |
| 1994 | NBR Award | National Board of Review, USA | Best Acting by an Ensemble | Prêt- (1994) |
| 1993 | International Critics’ Award (FIPRESCI) | Toronto International Film Festival | Strapped (1993) | |
| 1992 | Special Mention | Biarritz International Festival of Audiovisual Programming | Fiction: Actor | Criminal Justice (1990) |
| 1989 | Sant Jordi | Sant Jordi Awards | Best Foreign Actor (Mejor Actor Extranjero) | Bird (1988) |
| 1988 | Best Actor | Cannes Film Festival | Bird (1988) |
Nominated Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor, Motion Picture | Southpaw (2015) |
| 2016 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Southpaw (2015) |
| 2016 | Independent Spirit Award | Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Feature | Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015) |
| 2014 | Movies for Grownups Award | AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | Best Actor | The Butler (2013) |
| 2014 | Movies for Grownups Award | AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | Best Grownup Love Story | The Butler (2013) |
| 2014 | Hollywood Award | Acapulco Black Film Festival | Artist of the Year | Out of the Furnace (2013) |
| 2014 | Hollywood Award | Acapulco Black Film Festival | Best Ensemble Cast | The Butler (2013) |
| 2014 | Hollywood Award | Acapulco Black Film Festival | Best Ensemble Cast | Black Nativity (2013) |
| 2014 | Hollywood Award | Acapulco Black Film Festival | Best Actor | The Butler (2013) |
| 2014 | Hollywood Award | Acapulco Black Film Festival | Movie of the Year | Fruitvale Station (2013) |
| 2014 | BET Award | BET Awards | Best Actor | The Butler (2013) |
| 2014 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Motion Picture | Fruitvale Station (2013) |
| 2014 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture | The Butler (2013) |
| 2014 | Actor | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role | The Butler (2013) |
| 2014 | Actor | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | The Butler (2013) |
| 2013 | Audience Award | Gotham Awards | Fruitvale Station (2013) | |
| 2013 | Satellite Award | Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Motion Picture | The Butler (2013) |
| 2012 | Emmy | News & Documentary Emmy Awards | Outstanding Informational Programming – Long Form | Brick City (2009) |
| 2010 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking | Brick City (2009) |
| 2010 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Best Voice Performance | Where the Wild Things Are (2009) |
| 2010 | IDA Award | International Documentary Association | Continuing Series | Brick City (2009) |
| 2009 | IOFCP Award | International Online Film Critics’ Poll | Best Actor in a Leading Role | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2008 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | The Great Debaters (2007) |
| 2008 | IDA Award | International Documentary Association | Feature Documentary | Kassim the Dream (2008) |
| 2007 | Primetime Emmy | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | ER (1994) |
| 2007 | Gold Derby Award | Gold Derby Awards | Lead Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2007 | Gold Derby TV Award | Gold Derby Awards | Drama Guest Actor | The Shield (2002) |
| 2007 | Independent Spirit Award | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Male Lead | American Gun (2005) |
| 2007 | IOMA | Italian Online Movie Awards (IOMA) | Best Actor (Miglior attore protagonista) | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | British Independent Film Award | British Independent Film Awards | Best Actor | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | ICP Award | Indiewire Critics’ Poll | Best Lead Performance | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2006 | Satellite Award | Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television | The Shield (2002) |
| 2006 | TFCA Award | Toronto Film Critics Association Awards | Best Performance, Male | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
| 2004 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Film: Best Supporting Actor | Phone Booth (2002) |
| 2004 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a TV Movie, Mini-Series, or Dramatic Special | Deacons for Defense (2003) |
| 2004 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Phone Booth (2002) |
| 2004 | Vision Award | NAMIC Vision Awards | Best Dramatic Performance | Deacons for Defense (2003) |
| 2004 | Actor | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries | Deacons for Defense (2003) |
| 2003 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Theatrical – Best Supporting Actor | Panic Room (2002) |
| 2001 | Razzie Award | Razzie Awards | Worst Supporting Actor | Battlefield Earth (2000) |
| 1999 | Black Film Award | Acapulco Black Film Festival | Best Director | Hope Floats (1998) |
| 1997 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Phenomenon (1996) |
| 1995 | Image Award | Image Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | The Crying Game (1992) |
| 1995 | Actor | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries | The Enemy Within (1994) |
| 1994 | CableACE | CableACE Awards | Actor in a Movie or Miniseries | Last Light (1993) |
| 1993 | Critics Award | Deauville Film Festival | Strapped (1993) | |
| 1992 | CableACE | CableACE Awards | Actor in a Movie or Miniseries | Criminal Justice (1990) |
| 1989 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Bird (1988) |
2nd Place Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | ACCA | Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role | The Last King of Scotland (2006) |
Source: XYZ
