50 facts from active life of actor Forest Whitaker: Was given a chieftaincy title in Imo State, Nigeria

Forest Whitaker and 50 things from his active life.

1. His full name is Forest Steven Whitaker III.

2. He is also a producer, and director.

3. Has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Lee Daniels' The Butler, Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.

4. Whitaker won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland.

5. Was born in Longview, Texas, however his family moved to Carson, California when he was four.

6. His father, Forest Steven Jr., was an insurance salesman.

7. Forest's mother, Laura Francis (née Smith), was a special education teacher.

8. His mother put herself through college and earned two Master's degrees while raising her Zhildren.

9. Whitaker has two younger brothers, Kenn and Damon, and an older sister, Deborah.

10. His first role as an actor was the lead in Dylan Thomas' play, Under Milk Wood.

11. Attended Cal Poly Pomona on a football scholarship.

12. Due to a debilitating back injury, he changed his major to music (voice).

13. Toured England with the Cal Poly Chamber Singers in 1980.

14. While still at Cal Poly, he briefly changed his major to drama.

15. Was accepted to the Music Conservatory at the University of Southern California to study opera as a tenor.

16. Subsequently was accepted into the University's Drama Conservatory.

17. Graduated from USC in 1982.

18. He also earned a scholarship to the Berkeley, California branch of the Drama Studio London.

19. Pursued a degree in The Core of Conflict: Studies in Peace and Reconciliation at New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

20. Has a long history of working with well-regarded film directors and fellow actors, as well as working in direct-to-video films alongside novice actors such as Lil Wayne, Maggie Grace and 50 Cent.

21. Had his first lead role starring as musician Charlie Parker in the Clint Eastwood-directed film, Bird.

22. To prepare himself for the part in film Bird, he sequestered himself in a loft with only a bed, couch, and saxophone, having also conducted extensive research and taken alto sax lessons.

23. His preparation for Bird was worth it! His performance, which has been called "transcendent," earned him the Best Actor award at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Globe nomination.

24. For the role in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, he immersed himself in his character's world-he studied Eastern philosophy and meditated for long hours.

25. Director of Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Jarmusch, has told interviewers that he developed the title character with Whitaker in mind.

26. To portray the dictator in the film, The Last King of Scotland, Whitaker gained 50 pounds, learned to play the accordion, and immersed himself in research. He read books about Amin, watched news and documentary footage featuring Amin, and spent time in Uganda meeting with Amin's friends, relatives, generals, and victims; he also learned Swahili and mastered Amin's East African accent.

27. His performance earned him the 2007 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, making him the fourth African-American actor in history to do so, joining the ranks of Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Jamie Foxx.

28. From 2002 to 2003, Whitaker was the host and narrator of 44 new episodes of the Rod Serling classic, The Twilight Zone, which lasted one season on UPN.

29. In 2006, Whitaker appeared in T.I.'s music video "Live in the Sky" alongside Jamie Foxx.

30. Was cast in the Criminal Minds spin-off, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, that was subsequently cancelled by CBS on May 17, 2011.

31. Whitaker branched out into producing and directing in the 1990s.

32. Co-produced and co-starred in A Rage in Harlem in 1991.

33. Made his directorial debut with a grim film about inner-city gun violence, Strapped, for HBO.

34. Whitaker also directed Whitney Houston's music video of the movie's theme song, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)".

35. Shut down his production company, Spirit Dance Entertainment in 2005 to concentrate on his acting career.

36. Whitaker plays an active role as co-chair of JuntoBox Films since his initial involvement as co-chair with the collaborative film studio starting in March 2012. JuntoBox was developed as a social-media platform for filmmakers and fans to share ideas to create films and then collaborate to make them. Since Whitaker joined as co-chair, five projects have been greenlit for production.

37. Whitaker was the recipient of the 2,335th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 16, 2007.

38. Received an Honorary Degree from Xavier University of Louisiana in 2009 at the 82nd Commencement Ceremony.

39. In 1996, Whitaker married actress Keisha Nash.

40. The couple met on the set of Blown Away.

41. The Whitakers have four children: two daughters together (Sonnet and True), and his son (Ocean) and her daughter (Autumn) from previous relationships.

42. Whitaker studies yoga and has a black belt in kenpō.

43. Trains in the Filipino martial art of Kali, under Dan Inosanto.

44. Whitaker's left eye ptosis has been called "intriguing" by some critics.

45. Has explained that the condition of his left eye is hereditary and that he has considered having surgery to correct it, not for cosmetic reasons but because it affects his vision.

46. Whitaker, who is a vegetarian, recorded a public service announcement with his daughter, True, promoting vegetarianism on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

47. He is also 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.

48. Whitaker supported and spoke on behalf of Senator Barack Obama in his 2008 presidential campaign.

49. On April 6, 2009, he was given a chieftaincy title in Imo State, Nigeria.

50. Whitaker was inducted as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation, in a ceremony at UNESCO headquarters on June 21, 2011.