Actress and author True Whitaker had a fairly cool life rising up because the daughter of Oscar winner Forest Whitaker -- just like the time he helped her land interviews with Nelson and Winnie Mandela for a third-grade faculty challenge. Photographed at PHD Rooftop at Dream Downtown.
NY Put up photograph composite
When True Whitaker was within the third grade, she had a college biography challenge. The task was to select a well-known individual, perform a little research, and write a bit bit about their life. Fairly regular stuff for an 8-year-old, and, one would suppose, a slightly easy job for a child whose dad is Forest Whitaker.
“It was across the time my dad was taking pictures ‘The Final King of Scotland,’” True, now 23, advised The Put up. “My mother, my sisters, my brother and I flew out to go to him in Uganda.”
Now for the plot twist: “He was having a gathering with Nelson Mandela.
“So I received to sit down and speak to Nelson Mandela, and I used to be capable of interview Winnie Mandela, who was his spouse on the time. There’s a photograph of me and Nelson Mandela holding fingers and speaking, and I’m, like, eight years previous,” she laughed. “I want I used to be older so I may have actually understood the significance — how insane and iconic that second was. These sorts of experiences I’ll cherish perpetually.”
Such is the lifetime of a star scion, and a refreshingly self-aware one at that. True, the youngest of 4 youngsters, was raised in Los Angeles by her mom, actress Keisha Nash-Whitaker, and her actor/director/screenwriter/producer dad, who has co-starred in “Panic Room,” “Black Panther,” “The Butler” and numerous different movies.
“I really feel like I’m half my mother and half my dad. My mother has put a whole lot of her power into me. She’s very outgoing, very humorous … I really feel just like the comedic aspect of me has been perpetuated by my mother,” mentioned True of Keisha, who cut up from Forest final 12 months. “My dad is humorous too, however he’s a bit extra quiet in public areas. My mother is all the time on 10, in a great way.”
True has inherited a whole lot of traits from her father, too: “My wit and my empathy. I really feel like he’s taught me and my brother and sisters to method life with a way of understanding and openness to various kinds of individuals on this world — to embrace various kinds of individuals, with totally different energies and from totally different walks of life.
“I’ve all the time been actually shut with each of my mother and father. Generally a bit too shut, perhaps—I really feel like I share every little thing with them. Even when it’s like, ‘Oh, Dad, I adopted a cute man [on social media] right this moment!’” added True, who's single. “It’s actually simply something and every little thing. However I like that I really feel like I can simply be myself and never be fearful of being judged by my mother and father. I’m actually grateful for the shut relationship we’ve all the time had.”
One other factor that runs within the household is a penchant for movie and tv. At 18, True moved from LA to New York Metropolis to pursue a level in artistic writing from NYU’s Gallatin College of Individualized Examine.
“I really feel like I took each artistic writing course they needed to provide, to determine what a part of writing I actually needed to hone in on.” She graduated final 12 months, and lives in New York.
“Writing has all the time been an emotional factor for me. Every time I felt overwhelmed with pleasure or disappointment or another sort of emotion, I’ve all the time turned to writing. I really feel like typically once I communicate I’m not as concise as I might be once I’m writing. It provides me a unique sense of energy, so I’ve all the time beloved it.”
And sure, she’s additionally fascinated with appearing.
“I acted within the final season of ‘Godfather of Harlem,’ starring my dad. I had a personality named Sandra. She was undoubtedly a problem, however I beloved each second of it and, hopefully, as a result of it’s taking pictures proper now, she’ll come again,” she mentioned of the Epix collection.
Though she didn’t have any scenes together with her father, True recalled the primary time she noticed him on set — which was additionally her very first day of filming.
“I didn’t even know he was there at first. However once we wrapped, I walked off the set, and a man got here as much as me and was like, ‘Oh, you simply missed your dad.’ I used to be like, ‘What?’ I suppose he was secretly watching with a bit monitor someplace.
“He’s very supportive,” she laughed. “Once I went again as much as my dressing room, I discovered him in there with balloons and a bottle of Champagne, congratulating me. It was actually particular, in fact, to have the ability to try this with my dad.”
In the end, True hopes to proceed each appearing and writing professionally. In truth, since graduating from NYU, she’s been engaged on a therapy for a TV collection with playwright, screenwriter and director (“Virtually Christmas,” “First Sunday”) David Talbert, who can also be one among her mentors.
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“I’m a trillion drafts into my collection. I’m hoping within the subsequent few years you guys will see and be capable of really feel and listen to my voice and perceive the issues that I care about,” she mentioned. “Something I work on shall be one thing meaning one thing to me.”
Whereas it stays to be seen whether or not she’ll star within the present if it will get made, she plans to proceed pursuing different appearing alternatives.
“I’ve been doing a whole lot of auditions. I’m signed at William Morris [Agency], and I like my agent — he’s been giving me a whole lot of alternatives,” she mentioned. “So hopefully that’ll choose up quickly, as a result of I’m actually enthusiastic about appearing.”
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Whitaker can also be enthusiastic about social activism, as is her father. (Forest is an official advocate for the UN’s Sustainable Growth Targets, UNESCO Particular Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, and the founding father of Whitaker Peace and Growth Initiative.)
“Irrespective of who I'm, what household I got here from, what my dad does, or what success he has, anyplace I am going, I'm a Black girl. So I'll face the challenges that this nation presents us resulting from its horrible historical past. As a really tall, dark-skinned Black girl, I really feel my Blackness in all places I am going. Even once I go right into a retailer, typically I really feel like I've to both purchase one thing or maintain my fingers in plain view,” she defined. “I’m all the time gonna really feel the bizarre microaggressions. However I even have a way of energy, in fact, being a Black girl. I would like it to be recognized that we deserve any such recognition and success, to have the ability to reside in the best way that I’ve lived. I’m so proud that my dad, as a Black man, has been capable of give this life and this legacy to us, a Black household.”
True’s Instagram bio reads “Black Lives Matter / Defend Black Ladies!,” and in between household pictures and selfies, you’ll discover pictures from marches and protests.
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“I get up once I see issues on the earth taking place that I feel are fallacious,” she mentioned. “We have to put a bit peace into the world, put some love and care into it.”
True’s Instagram additionally options pictures and movies from essentially the most glamorous aspect of her life — like debutante balls, crimson carpets, and celeb-studded nights out — however she insists that her day-to-day actuality is fairly regular.
“I simply attempt to work on my writing, and I spend time with the those that I like. Clearly, if there’s an occasion that I’m invited to, it’s sick to go and I like to be included. I all the time like to be considered! However I wouldn’t say I’m doing it that always.”
In truth, you’re extra prone to run into her at a karaoke bar.
“My sister and I, really. In our personal time, we, like, apply. We’ll good a track, after which we’ll simply hop right into a karaoke bar. We’ll be harmonizing, doing manner an excessive amount of, exhibiting off our abilities. We actually did it the opposite day—it was a lot enjoyable,” True mentioned.
Their present track of selection is an oldie however goodie, from 2007: “‘Potential Breakup Tune’by Aly and AJ. They’re sort of having a resurgence, so we’re embracing that.”
Pictures: Tamara Beckwith/NY Put up; Stylist: Heather Blair; Hair: T. Cooper/crowdMGMT utilizing Cricket Firm; Make-up: Markphong Tram/ABTP utilizing Maybeline; Location: PHD Rooftop at Dream Downtown.
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