Latest Forest Whitaker Quotes from Interviews

Quotes about:

• I do believe there's life other than on our planet.

  Forest Whitaker

  Believe, Planets, Our Planet

  Source: www.theskanner.com

• There are places where life could exist. And we've already discovered that there's been life on certain planets that we've explored. That may just be algae or whatever, but life on Earth began a certain way, too.

  Forest Whitaker

  Algae, Earth, May

  Source: www.theskanner.com

• On the very last day of shooting [of The Last King of Scotlang], I remember wanting to get the [Idi Amin] character out of me right away, as much as I could. You literally take a bath to wash him off you. Luckily, I went into another part not so long afterwards, so I was kind of able to push it away a little bit. But speech patterns, and little sounds, particularly colloquial things, like the way you ask questions or might respond, were sticking with me, probably because I'd worked so hard to make it a part of my everyday way of expressing myself.

  Forest Whitaker

  Kings, Character, Long

  Source: aalbc.com

• I was pretty much consumed by this character. Even when I was off, I was continually searching to find something else new about [Idi] Amin, and to embed myself deeper into the culture to the point that, in the end, I was so entrenched that I could tell what tribe someone was from just by looking at them.

  Forest Whitaker

  Character, Culture, Tribes

  Source: aalbc.com

• In my career, I've had people talking about different things many times, but then not get nominated.

  Forest Whitaker

  Talking, Careers, People

  Source: aalbc.com

• I was trying to capture this man's [Idi Amin] energy, and I did a lot of research in studying him. I tried to capture his 'Warrior King' energy inside of me as much as possible.

  Forest Whitaker

  Kings, Warrior, Men

  Source: aalbc.com

• I hope that audiences respond really positively. I think it's a very intense, entertaining film [The Last King of Scotland], because you're brought in on a fun ride, and slowly you fall into it as James [actor James McAvoy's character, Dr. Nicholas Garrigan] does. Nicholas is like the audience. I think it's a good ride for people. And you learn something, as well.

  Forest Whitaker

  Kings, Fun, Fall

  Source: aalbc.com

• I'm really excited that people are receiving my performance like this. It makes me feel good, because I've been working really hard. And this character [Idi Amin], I worked particularly hard on. But I don't want to get too caught up in it, because first of all, it could lead to a great disappointment. You never know what's going to happen.

  Forest Whitaker

  Disappointment, Character, People

  Source: aalbc.com

• There are people [in Uganda] who hate Idi Amin, a small amount. And then there are the people who really admire him, like a hero. And then there's a large group who say, 'We know that all these murders and atrocities occurred, but he did all these great things.'

  Forest Whitaker

  Hate, Hero, Uganda

  Source: aalbc.com

• I think the place fed me completely. Not only was I in Uganda, but I was around many people who had a personal relationship with Idi Amin. I was eating the food constantly. I was culturally hanging out with the people. You can't help but absorb the energy, and try to get inside the culture.

  Forest Whitaker

  Thinking, Uganda, People

  Source: aalbc.com

• Trying to understand, inside, what it is to be Ugandan was crucial to the character, because there are Ugandan ways of doing things that I was trying to capture. Even if I had made this movie in South Africa, it would not have been the same, because it is so specific to Uganda.

  Forest Whitaker

  Character, Uganda, Trying

  Source: aalbc.com

• I certainly don' think I could've played the character [Idi Amin] the same way without being in Uganda. I loved working in Uganda.

  Forest Whitaker

  Character, Thinking, Uganda

  Source: aalbc.com

• I found the people to be very kind and generous. It was unique because the crew was mainly Ugandan [filming The Last King of Scotland]. They had never done a film before. So, they were learning the process of making films, but at the same time they were also helping with the authenticity of the film.

  Forest Whitaker

  Kings, Unique, Scotland

  Source: aalbc.com

• I started by studying Kiswahili to learn the dialect. Then, I studied tapes, documentaries, footage, and audio cassettes of Idi Amin's speeches. And I met with his brothers, his sisters, his ministers, his generals' all kinds of people, in order to try to understand him.

  Forest Whitaker

  Brother, Order, People

  Source: aalbc.com

• Since Idi Amin was from the Sudanese section in the north of Uganda, he was darker skinned. He had more of a blue undertone. So, we did change the coloring of my skin to be closer to his. But otherwise, there were no transformations besides acting.

  Forest Whitaker

  Uganda, Blue, Skins

  Source: aalbc.com

• Filming in Africa touched something really deep inside of me, really. It changed my matrix, my insides. My blood even feels kinda different. I don't know how to describe it. It's really kind of Eucharistic. I feel like I ate the place and now it's part of my system, part of my being. I'm not claiming that now I know what it's like to be African, but that now I have a deeper understanding of myself.

  Forest Whitaker

  Blood, Understanding, Different

  Source: aalbc.com

• Visit to Africa reshaped my point-of-view of colonialism. It reshaped my point-of-view of my own sense of source, and my own place of birth. It made it more organic inside of me, because it placed me in a position where my job was to understand and to become more African.

  Forest Whitaker

  Jobs, Views, Colonialism

  Source: aalbc.com

• I could never have gone to Africa another way and had the same experience. It was my job and my joy at the same time.

  Forest Whitaker

  Jobs, Joy, Gone

  Source: aalbc.com

• As an artist, it's a great opportunity to play a character like this [Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland]. And then, as a person, I had never been to the African continent. So, I knew, personally, it would reshape me.

  Forest Whitaker

  Kings, Character, Opportunity

  Source: aalbc.com

• I never acted in anything I've directed but I have produced a number of films and I have acted in some of the movies I've produced. Usually with first time filmmakers and pushing a move forward I have played a small role but never the lead.

  Forest Whitaker

  Moving, Numbers, Roles

  "Forest Whitaker Interview: 'I Won't Play Crazy Again'". CineMovie Interview, cinemovie.tv. February 21, 2014.

• I'm just looking for characters that continue to make me stretch and grow and learn more about the human condition.

  Forest Whitaker

  Character, Human Condition, Grows

  "Forest Whitaker shares wit, wisdom in discussing latest film". Interview with Kam Williams, www.baystatebanner.com. February 27, 2014.

• I think the biggest thing that motivates me when I'm choosing a part is a role that will help me continue to grow as a person and as an artist, and a role that will deepen my understanding of humanity, and my connection to it.

  Forest Whitaker

  Artist, Thinking, Understanding

  "Forest Whitaker shares wit, wisdom in discussing latest film". Interview with Kam Williams, www.baystatebanner.com. February 27, 2014.

• Things are shifting; man is evolving in many different ways. The Internet has created a portal for people to connect with each other in a way they never could have before. When it comes to African-American or black films, it's different because there is a model that you can actually look at, an equation that shows that these films earn money.

  Forest Whitaker

  Men, People, African American

  Source: deadline.com

• There was a time in my acting career, where I was trying to figure out if acting was the thing to do. You know? I was always on this journey of trying to learn more about humanity and people - using the characters and situations as guideposts. I could switch up and do another job as long as I'm continuing that same search and that same journey of revealing my connection to humanity and the universe. And directing gives me the opportunity to explore ALL these different lives and their connection to their environments and the people. And I get to connect to the wires of the universe.

  Forest Whitaker

  Jobs, Character, Opportunity

  Source: www.nbcnews.com

• I like to play complex characters and the duality, and trying to reach for the light, it's more interesting really. I've gotten to play so many types of guys and I just try to find the humanity in each one of them the best I can.

  Forest Whitaker

  Character, Light, Play

  Source: www.movieweb.com