Forest Whitaker shocked many with his dramatic weight loss
American actor, producer, director, and humanitarian Forest Whitaker is known for playing “larger-than-life” characters in movies. For instance, he portrayed the role of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film “The Last King of Scotland,” where he won an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Forest had to gain 70 pounds for his portrayal in the movie. But then, he shocked his fans when he stepped out looking slimmer during the Oscar event in 2010. His dramatic weight loss became a hot topic again when he attended the premiere of his new film in New York.
During the Academy Awards, the actor came out to the stage to honor Sandra Bullock, who won the Best Actress award. Wearing a black suit matched with thick-rimmed glasses, he posed with the actress for a picture, and it’s very evident that he had lost a huge amount of pounds.
After a few days, he appeared again in another event, and many noticed his weight loss. At the time, Forest arrived with his then-wife, Keisha Nash (divorced in 2021), at the AMC Loews theatre on Lincoln Square. They attended the screening of “Our Family Wedding,” which was released in March 2010.
The actor, whose real name is Forest Steven Whitaker, has played characters with a bulky figure. That’s why a lot of people were shocked when they saw him looking differently. His weight loss journey was impressive to some, but others think he appeared to be unwell with his transformation.
Table of Contents
- Forest Whitaker shocked many with his dramatic weight loss
- Forest Whitaker’s Weight Loss Tricks
- Forest Whitaker had to gain weight for his role in “The Last King of Scotland”
- Forest Whitaker goes on a weight loss journey after filming “The Last Kingdom of Scotland”
- What else did Forest Whitaker do to lose weight?
- Forest Whitaker’s fans expressed worry about his massive weight loss.
Forest Whitaker's Weight Loss Tricks
The main keys to Forest’s successful weight loss:
- He turned to a vegan diet
- He claimed vegan diet was an effective method to cut down pounds
- He does hiking and martial arts
- He avoided pizza, pasta, and ice cream
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Forest Whitaker had to gain weight for his role in "The Last King of Scotland"
Per a report via Daily Mail, Forest gained 70 pounds while filming “The Last King of Scotland.” He played Idi Amin, the brutal Ugandan dictator. He starred alongside James McAvoy, who portrayed the character of Dr. Nicholas Garrigan.
The historical drama film depicts the dictatorship of the Ugandan President from the perspective of a Scottish doctor. The movie was deemed a success, leading to Whitaker winning the Best Actor awards in Academy Awards, Academy Awards, and BAFTA Awards.
His hard work in playing his character has paid off. He had to undergo several changes, including gaining weight, to portray the role very well. But once the filming was done, he vowed to get serious when it comes to diet and exercise.
Forest Whitaker goes on a weight loss journey after filming "The Last Kingdom of Scotland"
After gaining 70 pounds for the movie, Forest embarked on a weight loss journey. In order to lose weight and live a healthy life, he engaged himself in hiking and martial arts. He also changed his eating habits by turning to a vegan diet.
The actor announced that he changed his diet after appearing in an advertisement for animal rights group PETA in 2007. He said that a vegan diet was an effective method to lose weight and avoid several health issues, including diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.
Forest continued with his weight loss journey in the years that followed. He appeared to have been consistently living a healthy lifestyle for his subsequent projects. Many have noticed that he looked healthier and successfully cut down some pounds.
What else did Forest Whitaker do to lose weight?
Apart from engaging in hiking and martial arts and consuming a healthy diet, the actor had to let go of all of his bad eating habits. He avoided eating unhealthy foods, such as pizza, pasta, and ice cream. He also admitted that he cut all the soy and changed everything because he wanted to take care of himself.
“I’ve been trying to take care of myself,” Forest said. “I did meet with a nutritionist for weight loss help, and he talked to me about the way I was eating. I shifted the way I was eating, the way I was living.”
The actor gave up meat after doing the ad for PETA. Since then, he became vegetarian, and the diet helped him lose 80 pounds. He added that he never regretted changing his eating habits, noting that it was the best decision he ever made.
“Life is full of choices, and many years ago, I chose to become a vegetarian, and it was one of the best choices I’ve ever made.”
Forest also cited his vegan diet as the “best diet plan” and the “best healthy weight loss program.” His workout routine was a huge help to his weight loss, as well. The combination of hiking and martial arts was a good form of cardio exercise.
Meanwhile, Keisha, the actor’s now ex-wife, seemed to have joined him on his weight loss journey years back. Many noticed her body transformation over the past years, with some wondering if she also turned to a vegan diet.
After appearing NAACP Image Awards in 2014, one of her followers said that she looked “incredibly thin” and asked if it was because of a vegan diet. The film producer responded, “No, I love meat.” Then, she went on to add that Forest and their daughter were both vegetarians.
During those times, Keisha attended numerous Award events, and her weight loss put her in the spotlight – just like Forest. Although she had made it clear that she didn’t undergo any surgery or diet pills, some people insisted she took many risks to look thin.
“She is most likely about 110 pounds now but was 135 just a few years ago,” Dr. Fred Pescatore, who had not treated her, told RadarOnline. “Or even she could be down to 105 pounds from 140 pounds.
Yet, she shut down all these rumors by tweeting all kinds of junk foods on her social media. She posted about tacos, chocolates, and other unhealthy food, seemingly proving that she didn’t do something “extreme” to lose weight.
Forest and Keisha got married in 1996. The two have two daughters, Sonnet and True. Forest has a son named Ocean Alexander from his previous relationship, while Keisha also has a daughter named Autumn. In 2021, the two finalized their divorce, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason.
Forest Whitaker's fans expressed worry about his massive weight loss.
Although admirers of the well-known actor Forest Whitaker have praised him for his commitment and perseverance in achieving his weight loss goals, others have expressed worry about the potential health risks associated with such a drastic transformation.
His sudden shed in pounds is something that alarmed this Twitter user who wrote, “Day-um, Forest Whitaker lost enough weight to make another, slightly smaller, Forest Whitaker.” Still, a healthy lifestyle commitment may result in dramatic improvements in one’s life, as seen by Forest’s inspirational weight loss journey.
While some of his supporters might have been worried about the quick weight reduction, it’s crucial to remember that Whitaker’s transformation is the product of a healthy lifestyle and a focused approach.