Meet Forest Whitaker's ambitious daughter, True Whitaker: an aspiring actress and screenwriter with sights on Hollywood, she joined her Andor-star dad in drama Godfather of Harlem
Disney+ has just dropped a trailer for the second series of Star Wars: Andor, which will see the return of Diego Luna in the titular role of Cassian Andor, surrounded by the likes of
Stellan Skarsgård , Genevieve O'Reilly, Denise Gough and Forest Whitaker, as Saw Gerrera.
While Andor series two won't arrive until April, Whitaker, as one of Hollywood's most celebrated actors and directors, will always attract attention – and fans hope his reappearance in Andor will finally reveal what's up with his character's breathing mask.
Meanwhile, his daughter hopes to follow in his footsteps. Meet True Whitaker.
True Whitaker loved a 'scary' Forest Whitaker book adaptation
Keisha Nash Whitaker and Forest Whitaker with children True Whitaker, Autumn Whitaker and Sonnet Whitaker in 2006.
Advertisement
True, 26, was born in 1998 to Forest and the late actress Keisha Nash Whitaker. According to the New York Post, True, the couple's second child, grew up in Los Angeles alongside her older sister Sonnet, older brother Ocean Alexander (whom Forest had in a previous relationship) and Autumn (whom Keisha had in an earlier relationship).
From a young age True was immersed in her father's work, watching – and hearing – him take on a variety of roles on the big screen. Especially memorable was his voicing of gentle beast Ira in the film adaptation of Maurice Sendak's enchanting book Where the Wild Things Are.
'The grunts and stuff I've done at home with my kids. When they were younger, I'd do it a lot when I'd read them the book,' Whitaker told Parade in 2009. 'It's sort of been handed down in my family because it was read to me when I was a kid. I read it to all my kids, and now they read it on their own. They loved the scary parts.'
She also witnessed her dad struggle off camera
Forest Whitaker as dictator Idi Amin in 2006 film, The Last King of Scotland. Photo: Handout
Growing up in the Whitaker household also meant that True experienced moments other children probably wouldn't. One such moment was witnessing her father prepare for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland. It follows the brutal tyrant through the eyes of his personal doctor in the 1970s.
CBS reported that Whitaker spent an immense amount of time preparing for the role, immersing himself in research and perfecting the character's accent. One day, while rehearsing, he accidentally slipped out of the accent, causing him to worry he might lose it permanently. To avoid this, he stayed in character even when he wasn't on set. At home, that meant speaking in a voice markedly different to his usual tone.
'I tried to let go of it as much as I could,' the actor admitted to Black Film in 2006. 'My daughter would be like, 'Daddy, why are you talking like this?' I would say, 'Just remember, I'm just make-believing for a little while.' She understands.'
She studied creative writing at NYU
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- South China Morning Post
New Phineas and Ferb episodes on Disney+ to be ‘just like old times', but with tiny change
The beloved cartoon duo Phineas and Ferb are returning for new episodes this summer after a decade away and pretty much nothing has changed. Except maybe one thing. 'The more observant of you will notice Phineas' shirt has one extra stripe,' says co-creator Jeff 'Swampy' Marsh. Dan Povenmire, Marsh's creative partner, adds: 'He hasn't actually gotten any taller, but we're giving him the illusion of getting taller.' Other than a fourth stripe on Phineas' orange-and-white T-shirt, OPTIONAL CUT ENDPhineas and Ferb returns with all the characters that Gen Z viewers so adored, including Perry the Platypus, the mad scientist Dr Doofenshmirtz, the easily excitable older sister Candace and the bully Buford. 'We were a little worried at first, like are we going to get in the writers' room and just get a lot of 'No, did that.' 'Did that.' 'Did that',' Povenmire says. 'But it hasn't been like that at all. It's been great, fresh, new stories with these characters that we're just thrilled with.' Play The series restarts with Phineas and Ferb enjoying summer holiday, Doofenshmirtz back to his evil ways – he updates his social media status to 'Evil Again' – and Candace on her everlasting quest to get her brothers in trouble.
South China Morning Post
25-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Meet the Hong Kong artist behind the comic book adaptation of Star Wars: Thrawn
Every week, Talking Points gives you a worksheet to practise your reading comprehension with exercises about the story we've written. A huge stage. A sea of fans. Hong Kong comic artist Man Tsang Wai-man was surprised when he saw his art on the big screen and heard cheers from the crowd. It was the Star Wars Celebration 2025, held last month in Tokyo. For an artist from Hong Kong's small comic scene, Tsang had achieved something special: working with Disney on the comic book version of a novel, Star Wars: Thrawn. The original book is by an award-winning author, Timothy Zahn. The comic book will be released later this year. 'The idea that people would cheer for something we made? It's unimaginable ... Just being part of it, even in a small way, was exhilarating. It actually made me tremble,' said the artist, who is in his 40s. Hong Kong's comics industry For Tsang, his experience in Tokyo was unforgettable. But it was very different to what he faced back home. 'In Hong Kong, we draw comics, and no one really notices,' he said. 'Hong Kong comics have been dying for over two decades.' The city's comics industry was successful in the late 80s and early 90s. But since then, local graphic novels have not been very popular. 'Given the way things are in Hong Kong now, you have to hustle,' Tsang said. For example, he often takes on commissioned projects to make a living. Tsang has been dedicated to art ever since he was a child. When he was just 17 years old, he became a full-time comic artist. In 2022, Tsang won the Gold Award from the Hong Kong Comics Support Programme. The government initiative supports comic publishing. This helped him release an original title, The Zeros (0課特工). After Tsang showed his comic book at an international festival, it became popular and has been published in countries around the world. Through these international editions, Disney noticed his work. Drawing the mind of a villain When Tsang was illustrating the story of Thrawn, he faced some unexpected challenges. Unlike most Star Wars characters, Thrawn does not have special powers or weapons. 'I figured I'd get to draw some cool battles. Those are easier to handle,' Tsang said. 'But Thrawn was a completely different story.' The artist found himself drawing a calm, calculating general – a villain defined not by strength, but by his brain. 'Thrawn is like Sima Yi from Romance of the Three Kingdoms,' Tsang explained. 'He doesn't overpower his enemies – he outsmarts them.' And the real challenge, Tsang said, was showing what happens in Thrawn's mind. 'He's up against someone with a nuclear weapon, and all he has is his brain. He has to win using mind games. That's way harder,' he said. A new path for local artists Disney's collaboration with Tsang could create a new path for Hong Kong's comic scene. He hopes this progress does not end with him. 'If a major international company has worked with someone from Hong Kong and had a good experience, maybe they'll start to take us more seriously,' he said. 'Maybe we'll see something shift – maybe we'll be known as Hong Kong artists who specialise in international comics.' To young artists, Tsang offered advice: do what it takes to get your chance to shine. 'Don't be too proud to fight for opportunities,' he said. 'Sometimes, you have to be willing to crawl and clutch for your shot.' Reflect: Do you know of any famous Hong Kong comic books? To test your understanding of this story, download our printable worksheet or answer the questions in the quiz below.
South China Morning Post
24-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong artist to create manga version of Star Wars novel after winning global audition
Read more: Local artist Tsang Wai-man, or Man Tsang, has recently won a bid to produce the official manga adaptation of the novel Star Wars: Thrawn. His partnership with Disney was announced at the Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo in late April. It also signifies a life achievement for Tsang, who has wanted to illustrate comic books since he was a boy. While the artist has admitted some challenges in adapting the novel into manga, he also has a proven track record in overcoming difficulties in his life.
