Number one at last... Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin
Right now Forest Whitaker is probably pinching himself into one big bruise. This fantastic actor had a fantastic 2006, on screens both small (as Internal Affairs' Lieutenant Kavanaugh in The Shield) and big (as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland). Two commanding roles in two acclaimed pieces of work.
If you look over Whitaker's 25-year career, you'll see why this must feel like a dream. Apart from a decent run between 1986 and 1992, from Platoon to Good Morning, Vietnam to The Crying Game, his CV is a cavalcade of duds. Starring roles in Bird and then Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai should each have been enough to make his name, but somehow they didn't. Even when he came to the attention of a great director, he ended up in their worst film, for example, Robert Altman's Prêt-à-Porter or David Fincher's Panic Room.
You might assume he just has a very bad agent. Actually he might have a very good one: it can't be easy to persuade someone to keep trudging to auditions following catastrophes like Battlefield Earth. The dubious bright side is that Whitaker is almost invariably the best thing about the films he's in: thoughtful, measured, committed, and capable of incredibly sustained, precise character development.
How does such a magnificent actor have such a disastrous career? I'm not simply complaining that he hasn't had many big parts. After all, an actor like John C Reilly probably wouldn't complain about the niche he's found in memorable supporting roles. But, unlike Whitaker, Reilly has been in more good films than bad. One might contend that Hollywood just doesn't deal in worthwhile parts for black males, but lesser lights such as Jamie Foxx and Denzel Washington have had much better luck.
Perhaps Whitaker just has the wrong kind of charisma. He specialises in characters who seem gentle, good-humoured and passive but conceal an inner rage or determination. Consequently, he needs patient directors, who can give him time to unfold on screen, and patient audiences, who won't get bored watching him do so - and there isn't much patience in modern Hollywood.
There's nothing more satisfying for a film fan than to see one of your favourite talents finally getting their due. So after following his career for years, and being frustrated again and again, I'm feeling very smug about Forest Whitaker. Which other long-suffering craftsmen do you think are still being wasted?
