Forest Whitaker Talks Obama, Malcolm X, His Migos’ Tribute And Harlem’s Godfather | MSNBC

Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker talks about his creative process for playing larger than life roles, from Bumpy Johnson in the new EPIX show “The Godfather of Harlem,” to his acclaimed performance as brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, which won him a 2007 Oscar for “The Last King of Scotland.” In this interview with MSNBC’s Ari Melber, Whitaker also talks about the effects of the war on drugs on Harlem and how his Godfather character navigates Harlem’s politics, negotiating with Malcolm X and Congressman Adam Clayton Powell. For the first time ever, Whitaker also speaks on Migos’ tribute song about him, “Forest Whitaker,” recalling when his daughter called to tell him about the song. Aired on 11/05/19.
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Forest Whitaker Talks Obama, Malcolm X, His Migos’ Tribute And Harlem’s Godfather | MSNBC

38 comments

  1. Man, I really love Forest. Especially after seeing him in the GQ video ‘breaking down’ his characters.

    I had no idea that he was such an intelligent and humble man.

    Seriously, Hollywood and American cinema is incredibly lucky to have Forest. ^This guy^ is on another level.

    “Mad respect, man!”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsPpuj9TCQ0

    1. If he was a Brit he would be Sir Forrest by now. Just one of the finest actors alive. People forget that he was in the Panic Room and The Crying Game years ago.

  2. for Trump all migrants are second class 🤔 latín black CUBANS chicanos 🤔 blacks Even if they are nationalizad or have been born EUA 🤔 NO DEBEN VOTAR POR TRUMP PUEDE INICIAR UNA TERCERA GUERRA MUNDIAL Y ULTIMA DESPIERTEN SU ESPOSA TAMBIEN ES MIGRANTE 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

    1. Not just migrants. Even white folks who vote against him and say how horrible he is. We’re all second class to him. Trouble is – he doesn’t know what class is.

    1. @Doug Green I beg to differ, Obama did plenty for African Americans, you just refuse to acknowledge them. BO dropped the AA unemployment rate from 12.7% to 7.8%, that’s nearly 5% (as of Aug 2018), under Trump it has dropped to 6.6%. Over 8 years BO created 2.8 million jobs, so far as of the linked article just 700,000 for Trump. The stock market gained 150% under BO, yet only 30% for Trump. BO dragged a failed economy from when he entered office to a thriving economy that Trump acclaims as his own doing.
      BO never directly said the American dream was to be Donald Trump. That was misrepresented from a Law school paper written around April 1991 that was never published. He was making a comparison of unfounded optimism of Americans and used Trump as an extreme caricature of what some people’s upward mobility looked like.

      You also need to look at why there are fewer people on food stamps today. This isn’t because people are necessarily better off, but because it is now more difficult to be eligible for food stamps, the same goes for welfare.

      The criminal justice reforms (The First Step Act) was a bi-partisan bill that passed through the Senate 87-12, (all 12 nays were Republican, btw), Trump just signed the bill.

      But getting back to my point of Obama being a leader and Trump, just a disparaging shake of the head, Trump does not inspire people, he puts people down. He divides people and will not take responsibility for anything other than positive things. Even then, the vast majority of these positives are other people’s doing. A true leader takes responsibility for all things, both good and bad, and provides a path forward.

      https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/08/21/by-trumps-own-standard-obama-was-better-black-americans-than-he-is/

      https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/obama-trump-american-dream/

      https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-cutting-food-stamps-president-plan-would-kick-millions-off-food-stamps-with-proposed-tanf-change-2019-07-23/

    2. 2.5 million people lifted out of poverty since the election of DT ..including 15O thousand AA children…his policies work ..Dems do ZERO ~! 6oo thousand manufacturing jobs brought back into the US since Trump was elected BO didn’t do that ….The left wing fake news & radical  hypocrites don’t want this country to know what great work Trump  does for the communities that were losing but now are winning in areas no one thought possible….he just did a blacks for Trump event  yesterday and the other week received an award at a black college in my city for Criminal Justice reform ..where was Obama ? …I’m sure you will defend him lol ..I remember defending him when he ran against McCain ….I used to argue with a mex girl friend of mine who loved him ..She was right ..Obama is no good ! ..Under this administration =The founder of Isis killed & his replacement ..plus .Ben Laden’s son before those   and thousands of Isis fighters dead …we  recovered land ..Obama held our military back ..Trump took the lease off and they chewed those pos terrorists up !! .now back to the jobs ….around 7 million jobs created …but Yes BO did things ..some like you would argue many but others like myself and others just don’t see it that way ….America is the greatest where a man can come from another country ..legally …with a penny in his pocket and end up owning a business ..Free market & capitalism has lifted more people out of poverty and low wages into to real dreams coming through than anywhere…if you don’t like that ..throw away your smart ph  ! …….that’s the words a sensible man can think of when I think of DT …who BO said in his own words was the American dream…Yes he did say that years ago….google it  !

    1. lowest unemployment numbers among AA ever ….around 7 million jobs created .that’s Trump policies ! ….you have TDS ..hope you get well ..this is a fake news station …enjoy ….Millions of tax dollars spent by dems on political attacks…they do zero for their districts !  BO said …” the American dream is to be DT  ” google it

    1. go to promises kept . com  ” ..lowest unemployment numbers among AA ever …Trump just received award for criminal justice reform …Where was Obama on that  ?  we have 6OO thousand manufacturing jobs brought back into the US …Obama said Trump couldn’t do that lol !!

    2. keep watching mainstream you tool !…they’re lying to you & you need to clean up your own backyard before you go knocking on your neighbors door Trump has done more for our country across the board than you will probably ever  do in your life !  The  corruption is with the democrats spending millions of tax dollars on political attacks because they wont accept an election they wanted him to accept if  they had won ! HC paid for the fake Russian dossier …that’s collusion you political hack !! ..We the people flipped states like pancakes….not Russia ! Obama handing Iran 15O billion in that stupid deal …#1 sponsors of radical Islamic  terrorism in the world…that’s corrupt you child !   DT2O2O….go  to Donald J Trump channel…watch what pops up on the screen ..that is especially for you BOOM

  3. Malcolm X was not rolling around with Bumpy Johnson like the show portrays nor was Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Yes they knew one another but not like that!

    1. what actors do for money …and MX warned about the dem party ..look at them now ..trying to remove the most successful pres in our lives…spending millions of tax dollar on political attacks while their districts are failing fast …..Lowest unemployment numbers among minorities ever now 6oo thousand manufacturing jobs brought back into the US ..BO said that wouldn’t happen lol !! ..that’s DT policy ..go to “promises kept . com “..that’s an old list …much more weight now has been added !

  4. BO said that ” the American dream is to be Donald Trump ” (google ) TDS..MSNBC trying to get FW to hate Trump..for what ? getting criminal justice reform accomplished .& receiving an award at a black college ?..or 6OO thousand manufacturing jobs brought back into the US that Obama said he couldn’t …or the lowest unemployment numbers among AA ever now because of policy that works across the board !..millions of minorities are soaring now! ! Dems do ZERO DT2O2O

  5. O men! Behold, We have created you all out of a male and a female, [15] and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another. [16] Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, God is all-knowing, all-aware. – 49:13

    1. look up ” Muhammad the white prophet with black slaves ” on YT ..its in their own Islamic texts ..go watch and look up the scriptures…they will be given out ..I promise …. and if you are a fan of the spike lee movie X..there is something special at the end of that   vid that you may recognize ..enjoy .peace

    1. paul thomas if Obama was a waste of space then Trump is a complete waste of space, oxygen, time, and energy. History will definitely not consider him a good, just, or well-intently man. Most of his supporters can’t see that, that’s what makes them blind to everything he does. Most people wouldn’t want their children to behave in that manner.

    2. @K Vo obama didnt have any experience, was anti american, his wife is racist, etc. the entire experience was a nightmare for many people. you have to realize this. and obama will go down as the worst president of our lifetimes. plus he wasnt even born here.

    3. @K Vo how so? Over 63 million people agree with me. Obama did nothing for america. nothing. I state facts and you state stupid comments.

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