Who is Kenn Whitaker?
Although he is an actor, Kenneth Dwayne Whitaker is likely best known as the younger brother of actor Forest Whitaker. He was born on June 8, 1963, in Longview, Texas, in the United States. In the 1990s, he made several cinematic appearances and occasionally collaborated with his brother on projects. Forest became well-known for his work on several high-profile movies, such as “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Black Panther,” and “The Great Debaters.”
Kenn Whitaker’s net worth
Kenn Whitaker is expected to have a net worth of over $100,000 by the middle of 2020 from the success of his many endeavors.
Although he just has a few acting degrees, they contributed to his fortune, and although he probably has other career routes he has pursued, none of them have been made public.
Youth and early career
Kenn was born in Longview but later moved with his family to Carson, California. Three siblings—two boys, including the eldest, Forest—grew up with him. His father sold insurance, and his mother worked as a special education teacher. The family has Igbo origin in Nigeria and Akan descent in Ghana. He developed an interest in theater after his older brother did so while pursuing a degree at a university.
Over time, as he watched his brother appreciate his work, he also pursued acting projects and made his first appearance in 1997, with a minor role in the movie “Most Wanted”, which starred Jon Voight and Keenen Ivory Wayans, who was also credited with the screenplay. The film follows the story of a former Marine who is framed for an assassination and must serve in a top-secret squad to save himself from death row. The film received mostly negative reviews.
Continued acting work and mistaken identity
A year later, Kenn was cast in “Bulworth,” a film starring Don Cheadle and Halle Berry, and follows the life of a California senator up for re-election while trying to avoid an assassin hired to To kill him.
They are two different actors?! They are two?! I lived a lie #ForestWhitaker #KennWhitaker pic.twitter.com/ePVhPGSGZS
— JB (@JadeBabb) October 3, 2018
The film was intended as a political satire and was critically successful, earning an Academy Award nomination, while having mostly positive reviews, but it did not do well at the box office. His last project was 1999’s ‘Life’, starring Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy – he had a minor role in the film, which told the story of two friends who were wrongfully convicted and sent to prison to serve their sentences .
After the movie, he chose not to act because he wasn’t getting any major roles. Since then, his career efforts are unknown.
In 2018, Forest and Kenn got a lot of attention, after a Twitter user posted a photo comparing the two. Word quickly spread about how Forest had a twin brother, or how exactly Kenn looked like Forest. However, it was a hoax, and the two photos were just different looks Forest had during his career. An older photo then surfaced showing that they didn’t look alike at all.
Brother – Forest Whitaker
Forest originally intended to play professional American football and was attending California State Polytechnic University on a football scholarship.
He also participated in the school choir, and after a serious injury he retired from the football program. and changed her major to music. He then moved on to acting and was offered a music scholarship to the University of Southern California, where he later joined their Drama Conservatory, graduating in 1992. He then continued his studies and settled in London with the aim of taking up a post. -graduate acting course.
One of his earliest roles was actually in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” in 1982, which garnered a lot of attention for his portrayal of a high school football player and supporting character. Over the years, he has developed a strong bond between many top directors and actors.
At the end of the 1980s, he worked on “The Color of Money” by Martin Scorsese, then played a leading role in the film “Bird”, directed by Clint Eastwood. He was known for his character work, getting deeply involved with his characters, learning their ins and outs. In 1988, he won the prize for best actor at the Cannes Film Festival.
The success of Forest Whitaker
As the 1990s to 2000s progressed, Forest found himself acquiring increasingly high-profile work and developing working relationships with a myriad of directors. Some of his most notable projects at the time included “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai”, “Arrival”, “The Butler”, “Platoon”, and “The Crying Game”.
One of his most successful roles was 2006’s “The Last King of Scotland”, in which he played Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the historical film based on the novel of the same name written by Giles Foden. It tells the story of a Scottish doctor who becomes Forest’s character’s personal physician. The film draws a lot of information from the historical facts of Idi Amin’s reign. He won an Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award for the role.
In addition to critically acclaimed hits, it has also been part of many blockbusters.
He played the role of Saw Gerrera in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’, which provided insight into an event during the original ‘Star Wars’ of how the Rebellion acquired the plans for the death Star. He also recently worked on the critically acclaimed Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film, “Black Panther,” which led to numerous Oscar nominations.
Private life
It’s unclear if Kenn married and started a family, but it’s likely. He has been quiet since leaving the acting profession and has not shared any information publicly. Even when he was Forest’s doppelganger, it didn’t entice him to make a public appearance at all.
Credit: The Nuherald.