Able Quote by Forest Whitaker
![“On the very last day of shooting [of The Last King of Scotlang], I remember wanting to get the [Idi Amin] character out of me right away, as much as I could. You literally take a bath to wash him off you. Luckily, I went into another part not so long afterwards, so I was kind of able to push it…” quote by Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/adf/forest-whitaker-3022_able_on-the-very-last-day-of-shooting-of-the_1294645.jpg)
“On the very last day of shooting [of The Last King of Scotlang], I remember wanting to get the [Idi Amin] character out of me right away, as much as I could. You literally take a bath to wash him off you. Luckily, I went into another part not so long afterwards, so I was kind of able to push it away a little bit. But speech patterns, and little sounds, particularly colloquial things, like the way you ask questions or might respond, were sticking with me, probably because I'd worked so hard to make it a part of my everyday way of expressing myself.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Last King of Scotland behind, 2006
An actor describes how deeply embodying a role can affect personal behavior and speech even after filming ends.
In simple terms: Playing a role can linger in daily habits.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and separate character habits from personal life.
Themes
acting
identity
psychology
method acting
Mood
introspective
reflective
Type
personal
professional
When to use this quote
- post‑film interviews
- actor workshops
- personal reflection
- co‑working with other actors
- mental health support
Key Concepts
character immersion
behavioral carryover
emotional residue
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you reset after intense role immersion?
- What techniques help keep character and self separate?
A Different Perspective
Method acting can blur personal boundaries, risking identity confusion.
![“I'm really excited that people are receiving my performance like this. It makes me feel good, because I've been working really hard. And this character [Idi Amin], I worked particularly hard on. But I don't want to get too caught up in it, because first of all, it could lead to a great…” quote by Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/80d/forest-whitaker-3022_actor_i-m-really-excited-that-people-are-recei_27708.jpg)
![“There are people [in Uganda] who hate Idi Amin, a small amount. And then there are the people who really admire him, like a hero. And then there's a large group who say, 'We know that all these murders and atrocities occurred, but he did all these great things.'” quote by Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3e0/forest-whitaker-3022_admire_there-are-people-in-uganda-who-hate-idi_3053407.jpg)
![“I was trying to capture this man's [Idi Amin] energy, and I did a lot of research in studying him. I tried to capture his 'Warrior King' energy inside of me as much as possible.” quote by Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b1a/forest-whitaker-3022_capture_i-was-trying-to-capture-this-man-s-idi-a_2852518.jpg)
![“I certainly don' think I could've played the character [Idi Amin] the same way without being in Uganda. I loved working in Uganda.” quote by Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d77/forest-whitaker-3022_character_i-certainly-don-think-i-could-ve-played_1897178.jpg)
![“As an artist, it's a great opportunity to play a character like this [Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland]. And then, as a person, I had never been to the African continent. So, I knew, personally, it would reshape me.” quote by Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7c9/forest-whitaker-3022_african_as-an-artist-it-s-a-great-opportunity-to_73161.jpg)
