Whitaker’s best known for his role in ‘The Great Debaters’ where he starred opposite his name sake Denzel Washington. Now the actor’s got an even bigger shot of stardom with several upcoming projects in the pipeline. The actor, whose first feature film was a small role in the movie ‘Training Day’, can be seen in a strong supporting role opposite Taylor Lautner in the action drama film ‘Abduction’.
Directed by John Singleton for Lionsgate Films, the movie is about a young teen named Nathan (Lautner) who sets out to uncover the truth about his life after finding his baby photo on a missing person’s website — a quest which makes him a target of the CIA.
“My love for the business picks my next role,” says Whitaker, who plays Nathan’s best friend, a hard-partying, hard-drinking high school senior, who traffics in weed and fake I.D.s. “I don’t let the paycheck drive my decision,” he continues. “I try to pick projects that have some substance.”
Whitaker, whose mentors include Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Denzel Washington and Leonardo DiCaprio, started acting seven years ago, and has had guest roles in television projects that include ‘One on One,’ ‘ER’ and ‘CSI.’ “It really speaks to me in terms of putting on a role and portraying someone else,” says Whitaker about acting. “I get a kick out of that as I love pursing that journey of creation and really putting on a show and being someone you are not — telling a story and really striking emotions.”
A California native who enjoys writing screenplays, digital animation and independent filmmaking, Whitaker, who is putting together the financing for his motion picture directorial debut is preparing himself for the next level of celebrity.
“I love being in the entertainment industry as a whole. I do pretty much animation and music video directing and directed a music video earlier this year. Whether or not one part of the business doesn’t work for me, I am moving on to another and want to direct my first major film by 25 or 26. That’s my goal.”
Whitaker who was last seen in the Wes Craven directed thriller ‘My Soul to Take’ will also star alongside Tom Hardy in a small supporting role in the family sports drama ‘Warrior’
‘Abduction’ which releases in theaters September 23, 2011
Samantha Ofole-Prince is a journalist and movie critic who covers industry-specific news that includes television and film. She serves as the Entertainment Editor for Trendy Africa.
photos courtesy of sbpr
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