Forest Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. Whitaker won an Academy Award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland. Whitaker has also won a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA. He became the fourth African American male to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, following in the footsteps of Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Jamie Foxx.

He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. However, for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television series, The Shield, Whitaker merely had to draw on his childhood years growing up in South Central Los Angeles, California.

Born July 15, 1961, his primary personality traits are represented by the Chinese Zodiac elemental animal sign, the Metal Ox. Combining Metal with Ox yields one determined person and one of the strongest signs. He can be like Atlas and carry the weight of the world on those strong Ox shoulders or the bulldozer that knocks down every obstacle. At his worst he can be extremely stubborn and insensitive. He is probably not exactly a diplomat and will have more than his fair share of personality conflicts. On the positive side, his tenacity and sense of responsibility is unmatched.