Ugandan Actors Land Top Roles in Amin Film (Forest Whitaker Will Play Amin)

The Monitor (Kampala) ^ | June 6, 2005 | Moses Serugo

[nickcarraway]

Three Ugandan artistes have landed top roles in The Last King of Scotland Hollywood movie. They are Mr Abbey Mukiibi, who starred in the genocide film Sometimes in April and is a theatrical star with Afri-Talents, Mr Stephen Rwangyezi and Mr Sam Okello Okello both of whom have starred in the war movie War Stories and are leaders of the acclaimed Ndere Troupe.

The trio will star opposite US actors Forest Whitaker (who will play Amin), Kerry Washington, James McAvoy and Gillian Anderson. Washington, who will star as one of Amin's wives starred as Ray Charles' wife, Della in the Oscar-winning movie Ray, opposite Jamie Foxx.

Mukiibi will play Amin's right-hand man; Rwangyezi will play a high- ranking government minister and Okello, a worker in a rural clinic who becomes friends with Nicholas Garrigan. Other Ugandan actors in the cast include Michael Wawuyo and Sarah Naggayi. The Amin film is based on the Giles Foden novel The Last King of Scotland, the story of Nicholas Garrigan, a Scottish doctor who becomes Amin's personal physician.

The film's director is Oscar winner Kevin McDonald (One Day in September, Touching the Void) and the writers are Peter Morgan (The Deal) and Jeremy Brock (Mrs Brown). Playwright Charles Mulekwa (A Time of Fire, The Woman in Me, The Eleventh Commandment) is Ugandan consultant to the Director.

Mr John Nagenda, the Senior Presidential Advisor, Media and PR, who will also double as the government's co-ordinator for the film, revealed that the picture will cost $6m (about Shs 10.5billion) to shoot and that half of the money will be spent here. Shooting of the movie starts this Saturday and it will hopefully be ready in July next year. Some of the film's locations will include Mulago Hospital, Makerere University and the Mabira forest .

[AZLiberty]

Forest Whitaker Will Play Amin

I was hoping it would be Jesse Jackson.

[R W Reactionairy]

My brother who was traveling around Africa in the mid '70s was invited to have dinner with Amin by one of Amin's trusted advisors [ a Brit I think.] He passed on the invitation ... The most amazing thing about Amin is just how erratic and impulsive he was. I have no idea whether it was safer to accept or decline. [BTW my brother is still alive and kicking.]

For what it is worth, although it would not make as good a story after 30 years, it is very clear that it would be safer to have dinner with Whitaker. :<) !!!!

[HAL9000]

My brother who was traveling around Africa in the mid '70s was invited to have dinner with Amin by one of Amin's trusted advisors [ a Brit I think.]

I remember that Brit. He was carrying Idi Amin around on a palanquin before he was done.

[mhking]

Works for me - Whitaker is a fantastic actor (and one of my favorites). If you ever get a chance to see him in "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai," I'm sure you'll agree.

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[Lockbar]

A good story. More than one person invited to dinner with Amin never left the palace. Their heads joined his collection in the freezer. Idi was into freezing human heads very similar to Jeff Dahmer.

[spetznaz]

Amin was a psycopath. 'nuff said.

[Jalapeno]

His resume is pretty amazing.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001845/

I think Bird is still his best, though I must admit I did not see Ghost Dog.

[phoenix0468]

Yeah, Amin probably wanted your brother FOR DINNER!!